The last television appearance we had was on NBC-Nashville. The segment aired that Friday night, and even though I didn’t see it, Linda Harrison in Hermitage, Tennessee did.

Linda went to our website and submitted her story. She wrote:

“I am currently a Fainting Goat Rancher but have a business degree with an accounting major. I am a LONG way from my first post graduate job of working for a major CPA firm. A few varied pit stops along the way and now I raise goats and have never been happier. Ranching is my passion and goats are my dream. Raising goats is by far the most rewarding thing I have ever done. Don’t leave Nashville before coming to see me…”

I received her submission early Monday morning, and, having little on the schedule that day, ran the idea of interviewing a goat rancher by Zach. I caught him in a sleepy stupor and with a little convincing, we were off for a day on a goat farm.

In Hermitage, where rural and residential are intertwined, Blessed Green Pastures has goats, chickens, dogs, sheep, and bees that bask in sycamore shade. What started as a natural way to reduce the workload of mowing lawns, Linda and Brian have seen their original crew of a few sheep and myotonic goats blossom into a nationally recognized goat breeding operation.

And it all started because the accountant Linda, who worked in corporate cubicles to begin her professional life, just wanted to be outside.

Dr. Helene Gayle is the president and CEO of CARE, a humanitarian organization fighting global poverty. Out of all the passionate professionals interviewed on the 2007 Pursue the Passion tour, Dr. Gayle could easily be the most distinguished. Formerly the director of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation’s HIV, TB and Reproductive Health program, Dr. Gayle bring to CARE over two decades of experience, working in the global fight against HIV/AIDS, TB, and the spread of sexually transmitted diseases. Using what she has learned from posts at the Center for Disease Control, where she oversaw an annual budget of over $1 billion, and the Gates Foundation, where she oversaw over $1.5 billion in grants, Dr. Gayle now sets her sights on CARE’s target: extreme global poverty.

Although Dr, Gayle did her undergraduate studies in psychology, she ultimately entered medical school because it gave her a “broader way to influence peoples lives.” After medical school, Dr. Gayle continued to earn her Masters in Public Health from the Johns Hopkins University, because she saw the M.P.H. as a marriage between the medical world she aspired to enter, and the people’s lives upon which she hoped to impact. Dr. Gayle is incredibly humble about her
accomplishment, saying that she doesn’t “see [herself] as a pioneer until after the fact.” She strives, above all, to live a life that is very “fulfilling,” but also “makes a contribution.”

Under the incredibly adept leadership of Dr. Gayle, CARE continues its mission to make the world a better place, for even those often forgotten by much of society. For more information, and to see how you can help, please visit: www.care.org.

Bernhard’s house is made of mud, and he is very proud of that fact. As a natural builder, in Portland, Oregon, Bernhard is working to inspire more people to realize the possibilities of the natural world around them, or in this case, under their feet. Bernhard says the empowerment he felt, from building his own home, is what has led him to educate others in the ways of natural building. He has learned entirely from experience, and books read on the subject. Bernhard does not tout natural building as a way to make a fortune, but as he says, “That’s not the way I want to be.”

Speaking from a public bench, the construction of which he oversaw, Bernhard speaks of the wonderful relationships that can be formed while working with a natural medium. Mud, he says, is a very natural thing. There is very little training that makes one person more of a mud expert than another person. This particular Oregon bench was built as a school project, and Bernhard says it was rewarding to see the kids come together, across social strata, and build a space for the community. And that is truly Bernhard’s passion: community building. The construction creates places that inspire public congregation, bringing people together around places they can proud of.

“Wherever you go, there will always be a mixture of people destroying, helping and living mutually with the outdoors.” Ryan Barnes, a United States Park Ranger in the Yellowstone national forest, understands that not everyone was raised with the same appreciation and respect for the outdoors as himself. That is why, after three years of applications, he spends his days roving the basin surrounding Old Faithful, educating, protecting and perhaps just conversing, with those who choose to enjoy the national park.

A self-described “modern-day drifter,” Ryan says, in his North Carolina drawl, “I love the outdoors and I love educating people.” The job is an excellent fit. Ryan gives talks to thousands of spectators, gathered before Old Faithful, warning of the dangers of the wilderness, not intending to scare anyone, but rather to inform the urbanites as to the realistic dangers they may face in the wild. Ryan stresses the importance of conservation, as without conservation, there can be no research. Ryan’s advice, to people who would like to follow his path, is that “if you want to do something, do it. There are no excuses.”

John Powers, founder of the Alliance for Sustainable Colorado, recognizes the extent to which Earth is in danger. Fear of overwhelming odds, however, does not imbue, in John, the apathy, towards natures, so prevalent in American society. In an age where Green Building has become a talking point in American politics, John is doing, and has done, a lot more than talking. The Alliance’s largest accomplishment, a renovated warehouse built in 1907, lies 18 blocks from the state capitol in downtown Denver, and houses numerous non-profits that share John’s commitment to green business.

The building is a symbol of more than John’s commitment to the environment. It is the permanent home of many non-profits, groups that often notoriously lack the financial stability to inhabit quality office space. In giving these groups a place, and a place to be proud of, John has also inspired a sense of community. This community, or alliance, works to eliminate the concept of special interests, hoping to place a larger scale environmental movement in everyone’s interest. Having been inspired by the strong sense of heritage in European communities, John hopes to instill, in his community, the same reverence for the past, in hopes of inspiring expectation and hope for the future. “You gotta protect this stuff,” John says of Earth’s natural resources, “Not because it’s worth money, but because it lets us live.”

Peter Gros needs very little introduction. As the host of Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom, Peter has been seen by countless millions of people. Every year, Peter has the opportunity to speak with hundreds of thousands of young people across the United States, hoping to inspire the next generation to not lose faith in the infinite possibility of the natural world.

The grandson of a forester, Peter grew up in the wild, but almost entered the world of sales. A series of strange occurrences, and one lucky photo-op, landed Peter on the Johnny Carson Show, and soon after, he began hosting the Wild Kingdom.

Peter lavishes praise upon his wife for standing by him through uncertain time; her support allowed him to take opportunities running, and never compromises his dreams. The other target of his praise is Mutual of Omaha, the company that provides the backing for everything Peter has been able to do. It is not a shameless corporate plug. Without the sponsorship of such a company, there is simply no reasonable method for Peter to have reached the audience he has.

Peter’s most sage advice comes when speaking about the future; too often in modernity is doom forecasted for the natural word. Peter says, “We definitely have serious problems, but we’re turning the corner. We’re making a difference. My personal goal, until I die, is to convince as many young people as I can that it’s not too late to make a difference.”