In this episode of Animals & Us - Voices of a New Paradigm, we welcome the wonderful Dr. Estella Carolye Kuchta, a passionate researcher and educator. With her recent PhD completion, Dr. Kuchta explores the transformative potential of love in our understanding of the natural world and our connections with it.

Join us as we jump into her fascinating research on intuitive interspecies communication (IIC) and how love serves as a vital bridge in fostering deeper connections with animals, particularly trees. Dr. Kuchta shares her insights on how each being possesses intrinsic value, not only for their contributions to our lives but simply for existing.

Here’s what we talked about:

• The Role of Love in Interspecies Communication: Dr. Kuchta shared her research on how love enables intuitive communication with animals, particularly trees. She believes that by tuning into love, we can become more responsible and caring members of Earth.
  
  
• Re-envisioning Education: We discussed the need for a paradigm shift in educational practices, moving beyond traditional "green" initiatives to address the deeper values embedded in our systems.
  
  
• Messages from Trees: Dr. Kuchta revealed the insights she received from trees about how to communicate with them and the important messages they want to share with humanity.
  
  
• Skepticism and Fear: She shared a story about a friend who transitioned from skepticism to understanding, highlighting the often-fear-based roots of skepticism regarding intuitive communication.
  
  
• Future Vision for Education: Dr. Kuchta articulated her vision for integrating love and environmental awareness into educational systems, emphasizing the importance of changing how we think about our relationships with nature.

About Dr. Kuchta:
Dr. Estella Carolye Kuchta teaches ecocriticism and research writing at Langara College in Vancouver, Canada. Her doctoral research investigated the epistemological potential of love and the redefining of love from an ecological perspective. She is the coauthor with Sean Blenkinsop of Ecologizing Education: Nature-Centered Teaching for Cultural Change (Cornell, 2024). Her ecocritical research into Canadian love stories resulted in the novel Finding the Daydreamer(Elm Books, 2020). She has worked as a research assistant to Dr. Gabor Maté (MD), an editor for Susila Dharma International, and an intern for the CBC Radio, and is a long-time member of the International Love Research Network and the interfaith group Subud.