EarthStory in Ghana Part 3: You can't eat money, but you can eat plants. (Podcast)

The EarthStory Podcast returns for a second season. Sampson Kofi Nani shares a wide-ranging conversation about the natural world in Ghana. Sampson Kofi is a research assistant at Ashesi University in Berekuso, Ghana. He shares with us his hopes for instilling the next generation with a love for the environment. He sees love of the environment as an act of protection for biodiversity. In the face of illegal mining and deforestation efforts, Sampson Kofi has an urgent reminder: destroying the natural world does not lead to greater wealth, it leads to harm for everyone. He invites us to consider that we all seek solace and serenity in natural spaces. Therefore, we should seek to protect this serenity of our children and grandchildren for generations to come. Thank you for listening.

Read the Transcript

[00:00:01.980] - Will Rand

Welcome to Season 2 of the Earth Story podcast. My name is Will Rand. Thank you for being here.

[00:00:09.210] - Will Rand

So much has happened since we were last together. For one, we have a new short video series. If you haven't already watched, Earth Story has released two parts of a video series called Earth Story in Ghana. You can watch these videos on our Substack or YouTube pages. I was so grateful to have the opportunity to travel to Ghana and meet some truly extraordinary conservationists and ecologists who are working to restore the land.

[00:00:38.660] - Will Rand

The first video in the series shares stories from the magnificent canopy walkways of Kakum National Park. With naturalist and teacher Joseph Acquah. The second video shares the story of gardens of Ghana in the village of Yamaransa. Our friend Alrie Middlebrook from Build25 was a part of starting this project, and it has been stewarded by the educators in Yamaransa and Rueben Foster, who shared the story with us so beautifully in the video. Today, we are starting our podcast season with the third installment of our Earth Story in Ghana series. After we had arrived home again, my partner, Viveka and I shared a wonderful Zoom conversation with our new friend, Sampson Kofi

[00:01:23.620] - Will Rand

Sampson is a research assistant at Ashesi University, educator in the village of Berekuso, and a true philosopher about the natural world. He speaks of love like a muscle that must be strengthened by learning why it matters to be intentional about caring for the natural world.

[00:01:45.800] - Will Rand

I guess my first question is just what is your relationship with the natural world like at this point in time?

[00:01:54.310] - Sampson Kofi

My relationship with the natural world grew up from my experience I've experienced growing up as a young boy in the countryside in the Volta region of Ghana. That's in Eastern Ghana. And then living part of my adult life in Accra as well. And then back to the Eastern region of Ghana, where I currently school and work. So I've been able to live across different climates of Ghana.

[00:02:23.840] - Sampson Kofi

I can say Ghana is divided into three main climates. We have the Southern Belt, the Middle Belt, and then the Northern Belt. So the Northern Belt is a bit dry. They have a drier climate, and the Middle Belt may be a bit dry. And then the Southern Belt is full of rain, and it's wetter for most parts of the year. So growing up in the Volta region, Peki specifically, we live very close to the environment. Peki is full of hills, hills full of trees, and the natural life, everything. You get to see animals in their natural habitats. You get to enjoy the fresh air and everything that is in there. So growing up as a child, I have a very deep connection with the natural world.

[00:03:13.670] - Sampson Kofi

Then there's this transition to Accra. You come to