Artist and writer Katie Holten has created tree alphabets, translating language into groves and forests. Her work explores the fraught relationship between humanity and the rest of nature and inspires people to see their environments in new ways.
On this episode, we speak with Holten, author of The Language of Trees: How Trees Make Our World Change Our Minds and Rewild our Lives. Holten discusses the ideas behind the project and explores how language, nature and place intersect. The Anne Frank Initiative is presenting a conversation with Holten about the project on Thursday, Oct. 1 at the Senate Chamber in the Old Capitol Museum in Iowa City at 5:30 p.m.
Then, we listen back to a conversation with father and daughter Dan and April Wilson, co-owners of Seven W Farm in Paullina. The farm was named Niman Ranch’s Sustainable Farm of the Year for 2025. The Wilsons share how multi-generational stewardship, organic farming and sustainable practices have shaped their family operation and why those practices matter for the future of Iowa.
A portion of this episode was produced in January 2026.
Guests:
- Katie Holten, visual artist and environmental advocate, author, The Language of Trees: How Trees Make Our World Change Our Minds and Rewild our Lives
- Dan Wilson, farmer and co-owner, Seven W Farm
- April Wilson, farmer and co-owner, Seven W Farm
