Live Community Call Archive

We were joined by Simone Zagronik, Executive Director of the European Historic Thermal Towns Association (EHTTA), whose network of 51 member towns — including 11 UNESCO World Heritage Sites — has been quietly redefining what a thermal destination can be. From Sparty nightlife events in Budapest's grand historic baths to thermal-water cooking demonstrations for schoolchildren in Spain, Simone shared how Europe's most storied spa towns are finding creative new ways to keep their healing waters at the center of culture, tourism, and community life. If you've ever wondered what's possible for North America's thermal towns, this one is worth your time.

Virtuous Waters: The Culture and History of Bathing and Mineral Springs in Mexico with guest speaker Dr. Casey Walsh

Dr. Casey Walsh is the author of Virtuous Waters: Mineral Springs, Bathing, and Infrastructure in Mexico, a study that examines the history and social impact of human interactions with water. His research argues against treating water as a uniform commodity, instead focusing on "heterogeneous waters"—the different types of mineral and thermal waters that have shaped health practices and societies for centuries. Using ethnographic and historical data, Dr. Walsh explains how bathing and drinking are tied to specific water cultures and local environments.

He is a Professor of Anthropology at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and served as the Department Chair from 2018 to 2023. His work focuses on the political economy of water, land, and labor, particularly in the border regions of Mexico and the United States. He earned his PhD from the New School for Social Research and has held positions as a Fulbright Scholar and a Fellow at the Freiburg Institute for Advanced Studies. He combines historical research with field studies to understand how mineral springs are managed and used over time. His research aims to address modern water challenges by looking at the value of local water sources and community management. An editor for the Journal of Political Ecology, he has presented his research at Harvard University, the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, and the University of Notre Dame.

More Info: 

https://walsh.anth.ucsb.edu/ 

https://www.ucpress.edu/books/virtuous-waters/paper

Gina Bria is the co-author of Quench with Dr. DanaCohen, MD, a groundbreaking work that challenges conventional hydration myths and introduces a paradigm-shifting insight: true hydration is not about drinking more water. Instead, Quench reveals how water is structured, stored, and delivered through the body via the connective tissue network known as fascia. Drawing on cutting-edge science and interdisciplinary research, Bria—alongside her co-author—offers a compelling and accessible explanation of what fascia is, how it functions as a fluid communication system, and why it is central to cellular hydration, longevity, and vitality.

She is a cultural anthropologist researching ritual, ritual foods, and food strategies for over twenty-five years. She is Founder and Executive Director of the Hydration Foundation and CEO of HYCHIA, LLC. Trained at Columbia University, she is a former Berlin Fellow with the Social Science Research Council, a National Endowment for the Humanities finalist and has been featured at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. She weds ethnographic strategies to the new science on hydration to serve the elderly, school children, athletes and hydrating while traveling. She has coached many of TED speakers on better brain performance. An innovator and inspiring speaker, her work has appeared in such diverse places as the New York Times, Grand Central Station, Harvard University, and the Wissenschaftskollege, Berlin. She is the recipient of the Buckminster Fuller Institute Design Science Award.

More Info:

https://hydrationfoundation.org/about-us/

https://www.drdanacohen.com/Quench-Book

Join us in conversation with Veda Austin to learn about her inspiring perspective on mineral waters.

For the past 14 years, Veda has dedicated herself to observing and photographing the life of water. She explores the idea that water is "fluid intelligence" and responds to thought and intention. Using her self-designed technique of freezing water, she captures stunning imagery that offers a visual and artistic glimpse into the varieties of water and the manifestations of influence. In this exclusive conversation, Veda will provide a brief overview of her work, discuss her research findings, and offer insights from her work into the therapeutic and restorative qualities of water.