Forest Educator with Ricardo Sierra | A Podcast for Revolutionary Conversations about Nature-Based Education

When I created the Hawk Circle Wilderness Camp back in 1989, I started with a goal to offer something 'real' to students & campers.  I began to scour my knowledge and imagination of how our ancestors were connected to the land in visceral, intrinsic ways, from the moment of birth to their very end of life.  

I sought to add these elements, or threads of understanding, one strand a time, in a way that would feel natural, unassuming, without a lot of drama or fanfare or 'calling attention to ourselves', etc, because I felt that when people find themselves in the natural world, they have uniquely powerful and authentic experiences that are 'self-created' or discovered.   

I believed, and still do, that this form of experiential education is one way to build a powerfully strong identity and connection to the world and self that serves them well both now and in the challenges and trials we find in the days ahead.

This episode explores these themes and how they relate to some of my program design philosophy that has been effective for decades.

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Connect with Ricardo:

https://www.foresteducator.com/

https://www.theforestboxforkids.com/

https://www.hawkcircle.com/

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https://www.linkedin.com/in/ricardo-sierra-5980931/

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There are a lot of 'ingredients' in most forest educator programs that make up the bulk of the experiences.  Crafts. Skills. Games.  Challenges.  Free Play.  Exploration. (and more).

Viewed as a recipe, they would be the big items in whatever dish you're making.  They'd take up a lot of space in the pot or pan, and they would get the most attention.

But there are also the smaller ingredients in the mix, that are often completely overlooked and seldom thought about, that are critical to making the dish come together, and work, like salt, or seasonings, or baking powder.  When these are missing, it is a big deal.

When it comes to crafting and inviting students to have an 'Experience' in our programs, the little things matter in the same way.  Our stories are important, and how we frame the lessons, or time spent together, and our intent, as well.

This episode explores some of these small but mighty 'secret ingredients' that pack a lot of power and energy, especially around the ideas of inspiration, mastery, pushing beyond our perceived limits and the value of focus and attention to detail.  These have the capacity to provide some incredibly long lasting impact for students and educators alike.

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Join the Forest Educator Patreon!

https://patreon.com/ForestEducatorPodcast

Connect with Ricardo:

https://www.foresteducator.com/

https://www.theforestboxforkids.com/

https://www.hawkcircle.com/

Linkedin:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ricardo-sierra-5980931/

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/the_forest_educator_podcast/

Facebook:

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The one question I get asked about most is about program design, curriculum and activities for older children, teens and young adults.

There are lots of good ideas and content out there that covers nature/science combos, or nature/language arts or nature/creative arts, and those are awesome.

In this episode, I share some of the things I've learned over the more than three decades of working with young people and how 'work projects' can have incredible and valuable life skills and long term outcomes that pay off in multiple ways.

Forest Educator Bonus Content Page:

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Join the Forest Educator Patreon!

https://patreon.com/ForestEducatorPodcast

Connect with Ricardo:

https://www.foresteducator.com/

https://www.theforestboxforkids.com/

https://www.hawkcircle.com/

Linkedin:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ricardo-sierra-5980931/

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/the_forest_educator_podcast/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/RicardohawkSierra

It was through Tom Brown Jr and his Tracker School that I came to meet John.  It was 1984, on a farm in western New Jersey, and he was an instructor at the school, and spending seven days with him and the rest of the staff and Tom changed the direction of my life in a radical way.

John was pulled to New Mexico in 1986, where he founded The Tracking Project, and began running rites of passage camps for boys and girls, as well as adult trainings and retreats. I was incredibly fortunate to spend time in his Nurturing the Roots Mentoring Program, where he had gathered elders from Australia, Sweden, Hawaii, Mexico, Brazil, and across North America.   Learning and connecting with those elders and John and his staff was a revelation that blew my mind, because they held a mentoring space that was unlike anything I had experienced before.   

This experience changed the way I tracked animals, connected to nature, taught and led my camps, trainings and programs. It even affected my personal and community relationships  

In this first of a series of conversations, we dive into what learning tracking does to us and for us as human beings, and John describes his apprenticeship with some of the best trackers in the world.   

Please enjoy Episode #133.

Website:   https://thetrackingproject.org/

Instagram:   https://www.instagram.com/thetrackingproject/

Facebook:   https://www.facebook.com/TheTrackingProject/

YouTube:    https://www.youtube.com/@thetrackingproject

Forest Educator Bonus Content Page:

http://foresteducator.com/bonuscontent

Join the Forest Educator Patreon!

https://patreon.com/ForestEducatorPodcast

Connect with Ricardo:

https://www.foresteducator.com/

https://www.theforestboxforkids.com/

https://www.hawkcircle.com/

Linkedin:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ricardo-sierra-5980931/

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/the_forest_educator_podcast/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/RicardohawkSierra

It came out of nowhere, right as hundreds of Forest School Leaders were preparing for the Autumn semester:   An opinion piece in The Guardian ominously titled "I'm All For the Concept of Forest School, Just Not the Kind I Pulled My Kids Out Of." by Emma Brockes.

It's just six paragraphs of cynical observations around schools, camps, forest schools and misunderstanding, but it packs a lot of criticism for nature education without a lot of detail, nuance or substance.    It's the kind of piece that can and did get under the skin of a LOT of dedicated, passionate educators who did not take kindly to the views expressed.   

Asa Hardy-Brownlie and I discuss this and nature education media narratives in detail and talk about the challenges we face as a profession to effectively respond to these kinds of pieces that can really skew the understanding of parents, teachers and schools.    What sorts of ways do we want to communicate what we do and why it's important and valuable to children and families?     

We talk about websites, social media and ideas and ways of shaping our messaging so it sticks and is effective, which are some of the gold nuggets we can glean from this experience.

Guardian Article:       https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/article/2024/aug/16/forest-school-kids-children-wholesomeness?fbclid=IwY2xjawFGHjpleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHcPiqmTXxigdia-3hUHjNGD_dfrvCltmCkKI5uvVO3IU0-v5O--Fq5vabQ_aem_b_HsH0bqger7b-YmGOCfRg

Building a Story Brand Book by Donald Miller:        https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1400201837/ref=ox_sc_act_image_2?smid=AX2JROIIWRZYD&psc=1

The Forest School Podcast:       https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-forest-school-podcast/id1389962726

The Forest School Assistance & Support Facebook Page:     https://www.facebook.com/groups/forestschoolas/posts/1921709608278764/?comment_id=1921860808263644&reply_comment_id=1922381681544890¬if_id=1725393778098826¬if_t=group_comment_mention

Portugal Forest School Reel:    https://www.facebook.com/reel/548887540806850

Forest Educator Bonus Content Page:

http://foresteducator.com/bonuscontent

Join the Forest Educator Patreon!

https://patreon.com/ForestEducatorPodcast

Connect with Ricardo:

https://www.foresteducator.com/

https://www.theforestboxforkids.com/

https://www.hawkcircle.com/

Linkedin:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ricardo-sierra-5980931/

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/the_forest_educator_podcast/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/RicardohawkSierra

The task of communicating the value and benefits of what we do as nature based educators is vital to the long and short term success of our mission/vision, so 'marketing' is one of the hats we wear as part of our leadership roles.  But often, we are SO reluctant and hesitant to promote ourselves, and talk about it, and I've seen a LOT of people get really uncomfortable taking the leap into even thinking about it!  

Enter my guest for this episode:  Elizabeth Clyde.  She's been doing 'holistic marketing' for over 17 years with a variety of different businesses and companies, and she shares her view on how the field of marketing has changed over the past few years and where it seems to be heading in the short term future.   

If you are one of those people whose website or Instagram or other social media network could use some fresh ideas, this episode is for you.

LinkedIn:    https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabethclyde1/

Forest Educator Bonus Content Page:

http://foresteducator.com/bonuscontent

Join the Forest Educator Patreon!

https://patreon.com/ForestEducatorPodcast

Connect with Ricardo:

https://www.foresteducator.com/

https://www.theforestboxforkids.com/

https://www.hawkcircle.com/

Linkedin:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ricardo-sierra-5980931/

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/the_forest_educator_podcast/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/RicardohawkSierra

This episode explores the phenomenon that often occurs when we work with people in nature, where there is a moment of touching the divine, or the light.  We also tackle the flip side, where someone in our care goes down, to the rich, warm darkness, where things get raw and primal.   

I share about why I find the duality principle both lazy and inadequate as a metaphor, and how its oversimplification can be limiting or even traumatizing for some students.  Using the 'ecosystem' as a new model, I share examples of approaches I've found helpful when either polarity shows up in our work as educators, often unexpectedly.   

Forest Educator Bonus Content Page:

http://foresteducator.com/bonuscontent

Join the Forest Educator Patreon!

https://patreon.com/ForestEducatorPodcast

Connect with Ricardo:

https://www.foresteducator.com/

https://www.theforestboxforkids.com/

https://www.hawkcircle.com/

Linkedin:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ricardo-sierra-5980931/

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/the_forest_educator_podcast/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/RicardohawkSierra

The world of medicine and academia seems to run on a different timeline than the modern world. Changes take time to process, evaluate, become revised and eventually, approved for integration into the working model for treatment or training.  There are good reasons for this process, because acting too quickly can create a lot of confusion, waste of money and time and generally degrade the public opinion of these institutions, but to an outsider, it can be maddening to watch and wait in real time.

The origins of 'eco-psychology' as a branch of mental health treatment and approach began on the personal experiences of therapists and counsellors, and hundreds of studies are confirming its efficacy over the past twenty years.   My guest in this episode is Linda Buzzell, MA, LMFT, who is an adjunct faculty at Pacifica Graduate Institute, author of Ecopsychology: Healing with Nature in Mind and an ecopsychologist.  She shares why nature is important in the healing process for humans for both physical and mental health, and how it can benefit us as educators to understand what is happening when we take children or adults outside.

LinkedIn:    https://www.linkedin.com/in/linda-buzzell-ma-lmft-2949ab13/

Book:       https://www.amazon.com/Ecotherapy-Healing-Nature-Linda-Buzzell/dp/1578051614/ref=sr_1_1?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.aAMoldtOyUOD9zSZw0MQx22aqKO-MsSYM5jdfT4ltxHGjHj071QN20LucGBJIEps.4laEq4b-6Uu9e2U3_hslfnQ8jv4wmV-th0Rgv0Iq99E&dib_tag=se&qid=1724950917&refinements=p_27%3ALinda+Buzzell&s=books&sr=1-1

Facebook:     https://www.facebook.com/p/Linda-Buzzell-100063776733917/

Pacifica Graduate Institute:   https://www.pacifica.edu/pacifica-news/nature-connection-practices-that-heal-an-interview-with-linda-buzzell-lmft/

Written Articles:    https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Linda-Buzzell

Forest Educator Bonus Content Page:

http://foresteducator.com/bonuscontent

Join the Forest Educator Patreon!

https://patreon.com/ForestEducatorPodcast

Connect with Ricardo:

https://www.foresteducator.com/

https://www.theforestboxforkids.com/

https://www.hawkcircle.com/

Linkedin:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ricardo-sierra-5980931/

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/the_forest_educator_podcast/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/RicardohawkSierra

This episode is for nature educators AND Parents, Grandparents, Teachers, Schools and Organizations, as it dives into the reasons why professional Nature Education Programs are priced the way they are.  

I present some ideas and details that can promote understanding moving forward, and share some ways that schools, parents, grandparents and organizations can save $ in some cases.

This is a great episode to share with your staff, your student parents, or for schools that you work with, if you feel that they sometimes have trouble 'getting the bigger picture' in the process of setting up or selecting nature programs for students or children.  It can help facilitate a more meaningful discussion that includes factors that most people don't understand about nature educators, or take into consideration, so it's meant to support and promote the value of your work.

Forest Educator Bonus Content Page:

http://foresteducator.com/bonuscontent

Join the Forest Educator Patreon!

https://patreon.com/ForestEducatorPodcast

Connect with Ricardo:

https://www.foresteducator.com/

https://www.theforestboxforkids.com/

https://www.hawkcircle.com/

Linkedin:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ricardo-sierra-5980931/

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/the_forest_educator_podcast/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/RicardohawkSierra

Reuben Piet joins the Forest Educator from Cape Town as a singer, songwriter, musician and transformational nature leader.  He draws upon his ancestral roots to create powerful experiences for people of all ages, awakening an ancient remembering of who we are, and why we are here.  South Africa, like most of Africa, is a melting pot of diversity, cultures, languages and perspectives, and Reuben shares how he finds common ground and calls for a new consciousness and way of living that goes beyond our current cultural norms into something new that can heal our world.

Reuben has worked in Youth and Community Development for over 20 years, and this foundation has led to his current focus in Wilderness/Mountain Guiding and Rites of Passage, where he works as a Freelance Guide and Facilitator across various regions of South Africa depending on the project and partner organization's needs.

LinkedIn:      https://www.linkedin.com/in/reuben-reubicon-piet-216493149/

YouTube:      https://youtu.be/JE3jrz3YCfs?si=LZ7Gk1mrgDw7TvPj

Forest Educator Bonus Content Page:

http://foresteducator.com/bonuscontent

Join the Forest Educator Patreon!

https://patreon.com/ForestEducatorPodcast

Connect with Ricardo:

https://www.foresteducator.com/

https://www.theforestboxforkids.com/

https://www.hawkcircle.com/

Linkedin:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ricardo-sierra-5980931/

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/the_forest_educator_podcast/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/RicardohawkSierra