Listen to Your Mother

By Jordan Staggs | Photography by Zachary Kanzler

“Most of us go through life feeling unheard,” says documentary filmmaker and environmentalist Dayna Reggero. “I think that is why I began my listening journey, to offer what I needed.” Reggero is the founder and head of the Climate Listening Project, whose mission is to travel the world to hear and share stories from people struggling with environmental preservation due to industrialization, overfishing, drilling, and other human-induced crises that threaten ecosystems and ways of life. Listening to those whose voices often fall on deaf ears has allowed Reggero to amplify and spread stories that can affect real change and help save Mother Nature and the people who live in harmony with her. “I found listening isn’t only healing for those being heard, listening is healing for me, too,” Reggero shares.

As part of the Jane Goodall Institute’s fortieth anniversary, the Climate Listening Project was featured in the organization’s Hope in Action campaign, which highlights things that can be accomplished today to promote a planet where humans, other animals, and the environment live in harmony. “Dr. Jane Goodall always said everything is connected—everyone can make a difference!” Reggero says. “The people I’ve met as a result of being inspired by Dr. Goodall have given me hope. I am honored to be a documentarian and to continue to listen with Dr. Jane Goodall’s legacy of Hope in Action in mind. I’ve been privileged to meet and share the work of other climate listeners, including Roishetta Ozane in Louisiana, Paula Swepson in North Carolina, and Amanda Abbott on Scenic Highway 30A in Florida.”

VIE is thrilled to honor Dr. Jane Goodall on our cover for this special Beauty & Wellness Issue, as we can’t think of a more beautiful soul than hers or a better representation of beauty than Mother Nature. In addition to being featured in the Hope in Action campaign, Reggero had the honor of meeting and listening to Goodall at her ninetieth birthday event, which she says is a moment she’ll never forget.

“When Dr. Jane Goodall said her final goodbye, she was in her nineties—I was supposed to be with her at her event in Los Angeles the next day,” Reggero shares. “She never stopped internationally touring, speaking, and helping. I had listened with her in person one year before for her ninetieth birthday, and she was timeless—Mother Nature embodied—soft and strong, with brilliant energy and shining heart. I was honored to ask my hero for tips on how we can all be better listeners. She shared beautiful words on listening to nature first, so we can be better listeners to stories from the heart. She told me she is glad I am doing what I am doing and hugged me for the last time.”

Reggero has inspired others by phrasing listening, which one might typically think of as a passive act, as an action that can make a big difference. This idea that sometimes all you need to do is listen to make a difference in the world has taken her around the globe and opened the floor for people who have been silenced by governments or corporations to speak up about what is affecting them, their land, or their lifestyle.

Reggero’s 2025 film, Apology to Earth, features her journey listening to coastal communities around the world, from Port St. Joe, Florida, to the Philippines and Japan. It premiered at the Redfish Film Festival in Panama City, Florida, alongside a special VIE Speaks podcast interview, and continues to receive recognition, including the Award of Excellence from the Documentaries Without Borders Film Festival.

“I’ve traveled the world listening to farmers, faith leaders, mothers, doctors, celebrities—but I’m always my authentic self,” Reggero says. “This creates a safe space for people to respond by being their whole selves. It’s rare to find spaces where we feel heard as our true selves.”

It all goes back to Mother Nature, of course. Listening, Reggero says, offers a kind of healing that mirrors what happens in nature: “Nature invites us into authenticity. When we’re quiet enough to listen, our bodies regulate, and our sense of self becomes more aligned with who we truly are. When we listen to the natural world, something beautiful happens: nature hears us and heals us, too. Instead of searching for someone to hear us, we become the listener and our bodies respond with measurable shifts toward healing.”

She continues, “Studies show that listening to birdsong, ocean waves, or wind in the trees reduces anxiety, lowers blood pressure, and boosts feelings of youthful vitality. Listening opens us to wonder and sonder, and we remember that every person carries a vast story and every ecosystem carries layers of wisdom. That shift in perspective restores a sense of connection to something bigger than ourselves, which science links to better mental health and improved immune function. Studies found that those who regularly experience wonder show greater vitality, and that awe lowers levels of proteins linked to inflammation and aging. Listening boosts longevity-related biological markers, reduces physiological stress markers (like cortisol), activates the parasympathetic nervous system to release good neurochemicals (like oxytocin and dopamine), and strengthens the prefrontal cortex (the empathy and regulation center of the brain). Increased empathy is linked to lower inflammation and longer lifespan, and active compassion gives us purpose, a proven longevity booster.”

Dr. Jane Goodall said we are part of nature, and caring for nature is caring for ourselves. This universal message is so special, as it transcends borders, politics, societies, and faiths—it affects every human, no matter where or who you are.

Reggero recently completed a thirteen-state tour with Blessed Tomorrow, listening to thirty pastors and faith leaders across the United States, who spoke to her about how they care for nature and community. She also has a seven-part documentary series on biodiversity and climate adaptation, with more coming soon.

Reggero will continue her work heading into 2026 by listening to climate activists and the natural landscape along Scenic Highway 30A in Florida, where rare coastal dune lakes are an important and awe-inspiring part of the ecosystem. This project, made possible by a grant from the SOWAL Foundation and an artist residency at Hibiscus Guesthouse in Grayton Beach, culminates in a documentary with a special foreword by Dr. Jane Goodall.

“I’m very excited to be artist-in-residence at Hibiscus Guesthouse,” Reggero shares. “The nature at Hibiscus offers the peaceful healing needed to create and continue to listen. As their sign out front might say, ‘Be Listening.’”

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Visit DaynaReggero.com and follow @daynareggero on social media to learn more and see her latest listening projects. Find Reggero’s VIE Speaks interview on VIE’s YouTube Channel and everywhere you get your podcasts!