Despite being named one of the top ten landscape designers of all time, Mary Reynolds describes herself as an ex-gardener. That’s because after years spent designing award-winning gardens and landscapes across the globe, Mary was tired of fighting nature back to fit into the mold in which she originally designed.

If you don’t know Mary Reynolds then you are in for a real treat. She is the author of “The Garden Awakening: Designs to Nurture Our Lands and Ourselves” which has been endorsed by Jane Goodall, a public speaker, and the founder of the international garden rewilding movement We Are the Ark. A movie has been made about her life called Dare to be Wild, which should certainly be added to your watchlist.

Mary has been featured in Paul Hawken’s book “Regeneration” for her work launching We Are the Ark, with Ark standing for Acts of Restorative Kindness. Mary advocates that if you are fortunate enough to own a little piece of the earth, then it is your responsibility to not be a gardener, but a guardian of life. She advocates for leaving half of the land for the wild, and half for human cultivation.

On a deeply spiritual level, Mary speaks to how both humans and the land are broken and need healing. Humans, she asserts, are not good at healing themselves, but through the process of healing the land we can begin to heal ourselves.

This podcast episode is a deeply moving story of Mary’s life that should resonate with people as a classic hero’s journey. Within her story you will find grit, determination, hope, despair, struggle, and unwavering faith.

You can follow Mary and her work at marymary.ie, or on Instagram at @wildmarymary and @letsbuildanark

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This podcast has been sponsored by Wise Matter, a materials consultation firm that works with homeowners, architects, designers, and developers to choose materials, furnishings, and finishes that are non-toxic and do not come at the expense of human or planetary health. Get your free 30-minute consultation by visiting their website wise-matter.com.

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This podcast isn’t just about ideas—it’s about action. From these conversations, two organizations have emerged to bring regenerative real estate to life:

Latitude Regenerative Real Estate is the world’s first regenerative-focused real estate brokerage, dedicated to aligning values-driven buyers and sellers. With a strong presence in the Pacific Northwest and Great Lakes regions, Latitude also supports purpose-driven developments across North America through strategic marketing and branding services. If you're looking to buy, sell, or amplify a regenerative project, Latitude is your trusted partner.

Hamlet Capital is an investment and development firm committed to building resilient communities rooted in working farms. If you’re developing an agrihood or conservation community, we’d love to hear from you. Together, we can turn visionary ideas into thriving, place-based investments.