my head for a tree

In this special episode, we welcome author and storyteller Martin Goodman to explore the extraordinary living story of the Bishnoi people—a community in the Western Thar Desert of India who have made protecting life, in all its forms, their deepest devotion.

Three centuries ago, 363 Bishnoi villagers led by Amrita Devi gave their lives to defend the sacred khejri trees from destruction, speaking the words still taught to Bishnoi children today: “My head for a tree is a cheap price to pay.”  But the Bishnoi are not just a story of sacrifice from the past—they are still here, still tending, still fighting for the beings and ecosystems that sustain us all.

Martin shares the serendipitous journey that brought him to the Bishnoi, the profound lessons he learned among them, and the creation of his new book, My Head for a Tree: The Extraordinary Story of the Bishnoi, Guardians of Nature. We talk about devotion, care as daily practice, the ecology of love, and what it means to live in relationship with the smallest creatures.

We hope this conversation reminds you:
Love is not only an action. It is also a meditation.
A daily practice of belonging.
A vow, renewed again and again, to defend life-affirming practices.

✨ Highlights include:

• The origin story behind the term "treehugger" and why it still matters today

• The 29 rules of the Bishnoi faith: a life built around ecological care

• The emotional and spiritual legacy of Amrita Devi’s sacrifice

• How the Bishnoi resist extractive forces with devotion and fierce tenderness

• Reflections on love as an ecosystem, not just an emotion

• How we can follow the Bishnoi’s example without appropriating their sacred ways

🌱 Resources and Links:

📚 Buy My Head for a Tree by Martin Goodman:
Bookshop.org Link

📖 Learn more about Martin Goodman, the author of twelve books of award-winning nonfiction and fiction, including Client Earth and Suffer & Survive. He is emeritus professor of Creative Writing at the University of Hull and the director of the Philip Larkin Centre for Poetry and Creative Writing. Martin lives between Los Angeles and London with his husband, environmentalist and Zen priest James Thornton.

Martin Goodman's Website
Martin Goodman's Substack Letters Home

🌿 Subscribe to Grit & Grove:
Grit & Grove on Substack — my essays and reflections on planetary health, justice and ecological restoration, and imagining better ecological futures.

🎶 Listen to the treehugger podcast lightning songs

🌼 About the My Head for a Tree Co-Contributors:

Ram Niwas Bishnoi Budhnagar is a leading Bishnoi activist, former leader of the Bishnoi Tiger Force, and president of the Youth Congress of Jodhpur. His work continues the Bishnoi tradition of fiercely protecting trees, animals, and ecosystems across Rajasthan and beyond.

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Thank you for being here. 🌿