In the inaugural episode of the Ruminations podcast, host Bobby Gill sits down with Allan Savory, the renowned founder of Holistic Management and the Savory Institute. The conversation explores Allan’s adventurous beginnings as a young game ranger in southern Africa, his time in military leadership, politics, and ecological research—all unfolding during a transformative period in global history.
This episode highlights how a unique convergence of circumstances—colonial collapse, ecological degradation, and Allan’s cross-disciplinary career—created the conditions for the development of Holistic Management. Allan shares how insights from tracking, land stewardship, and systems thinking challenged conventional science and laid the foundation for a groundbreaking framework that has since changed the way we understand and manage complexity in agriculture.
We also get a preview of Allan’s forthcoming memoir, which captures the rich backstory behind one of the most influential ecological movements of our time.
In this premiere episode of @SavoryInstitute’s Ruminations podcast, Allan joins host Bobby Gill to reflect on:
- How a Young Game Ranger Became a Global Voice for Regeneration
- The Birth of Holistic Management Amidst Colonial Collapse, War & Wildlife
- Why Solving Desertification Requires More Than Just Science
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TIME STAMPS:00:09 Allan Savory's Early Adventures
01:31 The Birth of Holistic Management
02:03 Allan's Memoir and Life Reflections
02:37 A Peek into Allan's Study
04:30 Diverse Career and Early Influences
09:25 Challenges and Insights in Wildlife Management
12:40 The Concept of Holistic Management
27:48 Contributions of Jan Smuts and André Voisin
47:03 Military Influence on Holistic Planning
51:53 Introduction to Holistic Management
53:43 The Importance of Livestock in Holistic Grazing
56:39 The Influence of John Acox
01:06:41 Early Career and Wildlife Passion
01:16:17 Tracking and Ecology Insights
01:23:52 Advanced Tracking Techniques
01:32:18 Connecting Ecology and Wildlife Management
01:33:30 The Hippo in the Swamp
01:41:28 The Monkwala Talisman
01:47:38 Rhodesian History and Ian Smith
01:53:18 Racial Tensions and Personal Growth
02:08:32 The Controversy of Elephant Culling
02:14:03 Holistic Management and Future Hopes
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This episode is brought to you by Savory’s Regenerating Members, a global community restoring over 100 million acres through holistic management. Join today for just $10/month and help regenerate 400+ acres every year:
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