Northern Spirit Radio

10/16/2026

Guest-host Peterson Toscano brings us 2 guests for today's show, all the way from Peterson's new home in South Africa, sharing 2 distinct stories of courage, ecology, & grassroots resilience. Both segments highlight what happens when humans move beyond despair to protect the living world and stand up for collective survival. In the first half, Kenyan entomologist and evolutionary biologist Dr. Dino Martins offers a fresh, shockingly hopeful perspective on ecology, nature, and human survival amidst climate change, and he is the author of Hidden Creatures: Luscious Leeches, Bashful Botflies, and the Wondrous, History-Shaping World of Parasites. In the second half, poet and teacher Emma Must recounts her time as a quiet Wi******er librarian who stood up against Margaret Thatcher's aggressive motorway program at Twyford Down, reminding us of the extraordinary things ordinary citizens can accomplish when they pool their power. Check out her poetry collection, The Ballad of Yellow Wednesday.

Guest-host Peterson Toscano brings us 2 guests for today's show, all the way from Peterson's new home in South Africa, sharing 2 distinct stories of courage, ecology, & grassroots resilience. Both segments highlight what happens when humans move beyond despair to protect the living world and stand u...

10/15/2026

(Originally aired 9/16/2023) We welcome back Paulette Meier, last with us in 2009. She's put out 3 albums since then, one around her activism and work for the world, and the other related to the timeless Quaker wisdom she has delivered in chant or plainsong. Paulette combines her beautiful voice with deep spirit and care for the world to share heart-mending and nourishing music from Cincinnati, Ohio.

We welcome back Paulette Meier, last with us in 2009. She's put out 3 albums since then, one around her activism and work for the world, and the other related to the timeless Quaker wisdom she has delivered in chant or plainsong. Paulette combines her beautiful voice with deep spirit and care for th...

10/09/2026

I discovered Tom Pirozzoli back in the first months of the COVID shutdown, and was inspired by the heart in his music. Actually the first song of his I heard is called "This Is What Love Is Like," and that captures the truth of his music. This time, I am circling back to Tom after hearing a new song, 1942, where he combines memories from his dad with what we need so very much right now. Tom makes this world better, through his music, through his art, and through a thoughtful sit-down visit. We visit with Tom this time, not in his home in Goshen, New Hampshire, but in his northern cabin, up in Cushing, Maine.

I discovered Tom Pirozzoli back in the first months of the COVID shutdown, and was inspired by the heart in his music. Actually the first song of his I heard is called "This Is What Love Is Like," and that captures the truth of his music. This time, I am circling back to Tom after hearing a new song...

10/09/2026

In this edition of Spirit In Action, our guest-host is Mark Leach and he talks about the weakening of the Endangered Species Act, why we should support the International Criminal Court, why and how young people should know how to seek conscientious objector status, why this is actually a good time to prepare for a career in public service, why he’s optimistic, and an original piece of research linking corruption with income disparity. These are the links that are useful when helping young people prepare for seeking Conscientious Objector status. Friends General Conference, Church of the Brethren, and Center on Conscience and War. Mark conducted a rank correlation statistical test that found a strong link between income disparity and perception of corruption. The corruption values can be found in The World Population Review’s report. We encourage everyone to read it. Mark Leach is a retired ecologist who emphasized finding effective ways everyday people could restore and protect functioning ecosystems. In recent years, he’s brought his message of positive participation to social issues. But he has little tolerance for the liars and social parasites who put wealth first.

In this edition of Spirit In Action, our guest-host is Mark Leach and he talks about the weakening of the Endangered Species Act, why we should support the International Criminal Court, why and how young people should know how to seek conscientious objector status, why this is actually a good time t...

10/02/2026

Katie Dahl's music is spirit-laden, rooted in a religious past which no longer fits, but which Katie still copes with through new lenses. Katie has been described as “a songwriter and playwright whose work is as expansive as Lake Michigan and as deeply rooted as its rocky coastal bluffs”, and that fits her well. With many songs related to the wild natural spots across Wisconsin & Minnesota, Katie's music delves into some of the best places and hearts on Earth, and leads us on a profound journey. Katie Dahl joins us via Zoom from Door County, Wisconsin.

Katie Dahl's music is spirit-laden, rooted in a religious past which no longer fits, but which Katie still copes with through new lenses. Katie has been described as “a songwriter and playwright whose work is as expansive as Lake Michigan and as deeply rooted as its rocky coastal bluffs”, and th...

10/02/2026

Tony McQuail brings with him a wide and passionate view of what the world needs, and the commitment to make it happen. From his antiwar activism from age 16, to his move to Canada where he and his wife founded MeetingPlaceOrganicFarm (dot) CA, to the numerous organizations he has founded and worked for to bring folks together in world-healing, Tony makes crops and people grow. He has run for national office in Canada, and is now focused on local election. Among the groups/organizations/projects he's worked with are Holistic Management Canada, Farmers for Climate Solutions, Ecological Farmers Association of Ontario, Collaborative Regional Alliance for Farmer Training, Huron County Federation of Agriculture, Huron Local of the National Farmers Union, Ontario’s Environmental Farm Plan Program, and many more.

09/25/2026

Following up on our recent interview with Gretchen Primack about the March to Abolish Animal Testing, we speak today to Meredith Blanchard, following up on vital relevant information about the value, or non-value, of animal testing. Meredith is the director of policy and advocacy at the National Anti-Vivisection Society (NAVS.org), drawing on her B.S. in Zoology, and her M.S. in Animals and Public Policy, the latter from Tufts University. Meredith advocates for a scientifically-rooted policy around the role of animals in testing, rooted also in the humane treatment of animals. She exposes the fallacies past animal testing policy has been based on, and shares about the promising alternatives to these mistaken practices. Meredith Blanchard joins from Boulder, CO.

Following up on our recent interview with Gretchen Primack about the March to Abolish Animal Testing, we speak today to Meredith Blanchard, following up on vital relevant information about the value, or non-value, of animal testing. Meredith is the director of policy and advocacy at the National Ant...

09/24/2026

Kate Minogue's music is done under the name Rowan Sway, and she has two releases, an EP from back in 2021 called What's Begun, and she's currently releasing Conjure. Starting from classical flute and performing with orchestras, other bands, and a singer-songwriter father, she caught a passion for Celtic music (especially while living in the Boston area), honed her Irish chops, and played for a while with The Beggar Boys before moving to Switzerland almost ten years ago. Along the way, she added guitar to her skills and became a singer-songwriter, which was a major step for a person who cringed at the thought of singing in public at one point. Catherine Theresa Minogue, AKA Kate, AKA Rowan Sway, lives in Basel, Switzerland.

Kate Minogue's music is done under the name Rowan Sway, and she has two releases, an EP from back in 2021 called What's Begun, and she's currently releasing Conjure. Starting from classical flute and performing with orchestras, other bands, and a singer-songwriter father, she caught a passion for Ce...

09/18/2026

We're headed down under to Perth, Australia for a deep dive with Marie Hopkinson. While passionate about music from the age of 4, including playing, over the decades, violin, cello, and guitar, her life included a passion for healing using acupuncture needles and the other tools for healing of Chinese medicine. Along the musical path, Marie performed with Smash Monkeys and she also has hosted her own music interview program called The Good Vibes Show. She released her second album in July of 2026 called Every Darkness, and she'll likely touch your heart with her voice and lyrics.

We're headed down under to Perth, Australia for a deep dive with Marie Hopkinson. While passionate about music from the age of 4, including playing, over the decades, violin, cello, and guitar, her life included a passion for healing using acupuncture needles and the other tools for healing of Chine...

09/18/2026

This episode of guest-host Jan Spencer's A Primer For Paradigm Shift brings together a graphic flow chart that explains the basic progressive dynamics of paradigm shift with a review of a recent article about social enterprise and, in the second half, a fiction story of the near future. Based on the article, the story describes how uplifted neighbors buy the local suburban strip mall and turn its 3 acre parking lot into a thriving mixed use development that addresses many of the challenges of a more economically constrained but increasingly conscious future. Both the article and the fiction story fit in the flow chart and illustrate what paradigm shift can look like. You can find a text version of this episode with graphic and images at aprimerforparadigmshift dot org.

This episode of guest-host Jan Spencer's A Primer For Paradigm Shift brings together a graphic flow chart that explains the basic progressive dynamics of paradigm shift with a review of a recent article about social enterprise and, in the second half, a fiction story of the near future.