Mentoring In Relationship with the More-Than-Human World with Jon Young

In this conversation, Victoria Loorz speaks with Jon Young, award-winning wildlife tracker, storyteller, mentor, and author of influential books including *What the Robin Knows*. Since 1979, Jon has researched a single theme: why do some social groupings of people consistently facilitate deep nature connection, while others do not? Drawing from Indigenous wisdom traditions, mentoring lineages, and his own lifelong relationship with the living world, Jon has spent decades exploring how humans cultivate deep connection with nature, self, and community. Together, they explore the lost art of mentoring and the ancient discipline of bird language as a doorway back to the connected mind. Jon reflects on the grandmothers and elders who shaped him, his decades of work with Indigenous communities including the Naro people of the Kalahari, and a vision from his annual self-reflection practice — one that carries an urgent message from future generations about what this moment is asking of us. Connect with Jon: - Website: jonyoung.org - Book: What The Robin Knows Mentioned in the episode: - Book: Last Child in the Woods by Richard Louv - Book: The Wild Edge of Sorrow by Francis Weller - Book: Guiding Lights by Eric Liu Connect with the Center: - Website: wildspirituality.earth - Victoria's Website: victorialoorz.com - Email: hello@wildspirituality.earth - Linktree: linktr.ee/ctrforwildspirituality - Instagram: @center\for\wild\_spirituality Timestamps: - 00:00 — Introduction - 03:59 — Interview Begins - 05:07 — The Land Who Raised Jon - 08:08 — An Enclaved Family - 12:06 — Grandmotherly “Tricks” - 14:10 — 10 Year Old Jon Meets Tom Brown - 18:46 — The Naro People - 22:34 — The Lifetime of Mentoring - 26:37 — The 5 Needs For Mentorship - 28:04 — The 10 Stones of Connection - 36:24 — Needed Reflection - 37:56 — Deep Bird Language - 45:58 — Restoring Our Connective Capacity - 49:05 — The Message from Future Generations - 53:41 — Wandering Invitation - 55:49 — Credits