In this deep-dive episode of The Forest School Podcast, Lewis and Wem are joined by Dr Jo Hume to explore the rich and expanding world of Forest School research. Starting with nettle seeds and caffeine journeys, the conversation quickly flows into Jo’s unique academic path—from early years teaching to leading-edge post-humanist research. Together, they unpack how Forest School practice can be explored through alternative lenses: from non-linear time and place memory to intra-action, post-humanism, and the oft-missed agency of trees, mud, and materials. Dr Hume shares her ‘three Fs of Forest School,’ talks about embodied research methods (including her embroidered GPS maps), and challenges listeners to think beyond human-centred perspectives. Whether you are an outdoor educator, curious academic, or passionate practitioner, this episode will expand your understanding of what makes Forest School profoundly different from other outdoor experiences—and why it truly stays with us even after we leave the woods.

https://www.northumbria.ac.uk/about-us/our-staff/h/joanna-hume/

⏱ Chapter Timings:
00:00 – Nettle seeds, caffeine experiments, and energising toddler groups
02:10 – Introducing Dr Jo Hume: early years teaching to academic research
07:30 – Weekly woodland trips and the ripple effects on child independence
13:45 – Bringing Forest School to teacher training: possibilities and limitations
19:00 – The ‘three Fs of Forest School’: frequency, familiarity, freedom
24:15 – Forest School as an alternative life-thread: time, memory, and identity
33:35 – Understanding post-humanism and intra-action in outdoor learning
41:15 – Animism, tree relationships, and de-centring the human perspective
50:00 – Creative research methods: embroidered maps and sensory entanglement
58:30 – The future of Forest School research and Dr Hume’s upcoming book

🌲 Keywords: Forest School research, post-humanism, intra-action, place memory, three Fs of Forest School, non-linear time, animism, alternative pedagogies, early years education, embodied research methods, intra-relationship, reflective outdoor practice, Forest School academia, Jo Hume, teacher training and Forest School, post-humanist education

🔖 Hashtags:
#ForestSchool #OutdoorLearning #ForestSchoolPodcast #PostHumanism #IntraAction #ForestSchoolResearch #EarlyYears #ReflectivePractice #NaturePedagogy #ForestSchoolTraining #ChildLedLearning #AnimismInEducation #TeacherTraining #AlternativeEducation #CreativeResearch

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