How do you create nature programs in a country where virtually everything is cultivated through commercial agriculture and highly impacted landscapes?  My conversation with Jael Nouhet of the Netherlands explores his efforts to plant seeds, trees and plants to create the future forests for children and educators in a few decades!

It takes a tremendous effort to create the kind of consensus building, commitment and investment towards a long term vision of a future with nature-connected children and adults, and Jael shares his journey, and what he's learned along the way.  We discuss the many cultural differences, customs and social structure that impacts efforts to get children outside in Greece, Turkey, the Czech Republic, and Russia, and why it's beneficial to understand how these 'barriers' are being circumvented in areas around the globe.    

Website:    https://natuurpedagoog.nl/

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

LinkedIn:   https://www.linkedin.com/in/jael-nouhet-25383825/?originalSubdomain=nl

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

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

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https://www.foresteducator.com/

https://www.theforestboxforkids.com/

https://www.hawkcircle.com/

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The paths we take in our journey as educators are incredibly diverse and unique to each of us.  We all have different origins, with mentors, teachers, opportunities and our communities all influencing how we do what we do.

In this episode, we explore some of the ways we end up in our 'forest educator lanes', and how to change lanes, as well as why it can be incredibly beneficial to ourselves, our families, our students and our professional growth to make a shift.   

Join the Forest Educator Patreon!

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Connect with Ricardo:

https://www.foresteducator.com/

https://www.theforestboxforkids.com/

https://www.hawkcircle.com/

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Deep in the concrete jungle of spanish style homes, freeways, urban sprawl and mini-malls, there are naturalists who know the canyons, coastal foothills and estuaries hidden throughout the city.   

It's here among the live oaks and agave that children learn about acorns, lizards, animal tracks, and other aspects of California wildlife.  I had all kinds of flashbacks to my own childhood throughout this conversation with Madlen Sarkisyan, who co-founded The Children's Forest School based in this diverse area in Southern California.   

Our conversation ranges from mountain lions, poison oak, homeschooling, measuring outcomes and moving locations, so we cover a lot of ground.  I believe it takes a special kind of person and team to make programs like this happen, and it was a pleasure to connect with Madlen and hear her passion for outdoor learning.  Good things are happening in the City of Angels.

Connect with Madlen:

Website:   https://www.childrensforestschool.com/

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

Join the Forest Educator Patreon!

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This episode is an exploration of some of the critical issues we encounter as nature based educators when we enter the public education system.  The road to Forest Education for all seems to point to a relationship with public schooling, and it's been my experience that going in with our eyes wide open is a great strategy.  I use several analogies for the massive bureaucracy that makes up the public system, including The Cargo Ship and the Sail Boat, and The Borg from Star Trek, (You too, will be assimilated by The Borg!) and a few others, so hopefully I don't come across as too harsh.  You'll have to be the judge and let me know if I crossed any lines!

We have some big challenges ahead, we're underfunded and we're small, but we have an incredible ally called Nature.  We have biology and genetics and some ancestral heritage on our side to boot, and we have some learning models that deliver powerful results.  I'm not sure exactly how we are going to make this happen, or how long it's going to take, but I'm really excited to see what happens next.

Join the Forest Educator Patreon!

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https://www.theforestboxforkids.com/

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You all know I like a good analogy, so I'm going to say that the duo of Marika and Angela reminds me of the heroes of my comic book days, when I was a collector.  I'd mow lawns for my neighbors, and then ride my bike six miles into town to buy my week's new issues.  One of my favorites was the Marvel Team-Up comic, where two heroes who don't usually 'hero' together do what they do best, and take care of business.  Spider-Man and Daredevil.  Wolverine and Iron Fist.  It was a 'golden age' of comics back then.

Well, seriously, this marriage of occupational therapy and early childhood education in nature is just so SOLID.  There are no weaknesses in their game.  And Marika and Angela have teamed up despite the long distance between their Bay Area of California and Florida locations.   

Our conversation covers WHY the approaches of OT is so effective for young people.  We dig into the detailed observations that therapists see in their students, and how it adds a powerful dimension to more traditional 'forest school' reporting.  

The medical field adds credibility to our nature-based approaches that opens doors, gets attention and creates opportunities that help all of us doing nature work everywhere.  It's a good idea to know about it!

 Marika and Angela on Instagram @naturebasedtherapists - https://www.instagram.com/naturebasedtherapists/

Nature Based Therapy Boot Camp Course - https://grounded-to-grow.thinkific.com/courses/nature-based-therapy-boot-camp

Grounded to Grow 2024 Retreat - https://www.groundedtogrow.com/

Bearfoot Website: https://www.bearfootoccupationaltherapy.com/

Bearfoot Instagram @bearfoot_ot - https://www.instagram.com/bearfoot_ot/

Treeline Enrichment Website: https://www.treelineenrichment.com/

Treeline Enrichment Instagram @treelineenrichment - https://www.instagram.com/treelineenrichment/

Join the Forest Educator Patreon!

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https://www.foresteducator.com/

https://www.theforestboxforkids.com/

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

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This episode is a conversation with Jonny Walker, a poetry, creative writing and language arts educator from London/Uk.  We explore how 'traditional' or classical education benefits when we incorporate nature based approaches that deliver powerful outcomes for students and schools.  He shares about the need for direct experience and full contact with nature for awakening and expanding the outer and inner world of his students, which leads to inspiration, depth and courage, which are all essential for the creative arts.

We discuss how Language Arts educators can become 'Forest Educators' when they take that first step in planning retreats and 'field trips' that can change the course of the lives of their students.  We also discuss an upcoming Educator Retreat in April that dives into Poetry, Writing, Expression, Mythology and Nature, where he will share his approach and methods.  Jonny shares how important it is for educators to rediscover and ignite our own passion for writing, and how he likes to give educators lots of first-hand experiences so that they understand them from a student's perspective.

Educator Retreat Link:    foresteducator.com/mythology-poetry-nature-retreat

Youth Retreat Link:   foresteducator.com/bards-and-demigods-youth-retreat 

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It's one thing to learn wilderness skills, and it's another thing entirely to integrate them into our lives in meaningful ways. 

This is the path that Dariya and Jefferie are walking, with the added ingredients of a newborn child and teaching both online and in-person classes!

We talk about their desire, no, their NEED to live in a way that reflects their values, with drinking only spring water, eating locally, and incorporating wild foods and movement into their lives as well. Walking through this modern world while honoring our ancestral heritage is actually really hard, and we talk about the commitment needed to make it work.

Forest Educators like Dariya and Jefferie are connecting with a growing number of adults who are feeling drawn to live closer to nature, and with like-minded individuals, so they also are developing a strong community aspect to their offerings.

The wild magic of the northern forests in Ontario provides the backdrop for our conversation, offering hope for a future where we learn to live more gently on our one green earth. 

Website:    https://www.findingpolaris.org/

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

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

Join the Forest Educator Patreon!

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This episode could be titled 'The Problem with Getting Comfortable with the Status Quo', because there's a very real disadvantage that happens when we slip into a routine.    Organizations do thrive on consistency, and operating within a system that has uniform inputs and outputs, and those who are in charge will resist attempts to change them, for a lot of reasons.     One is cost, because training everyone to do things differently is expensive in both time and money.    Another is working out who is trusted enough to make the decision to change, and it generally doesn't happen quickly or very often.

This is where nature based programs have an advantage:   We're nimble.   We are adaptable.   We can try a lot of different things with many different types of students.    

But at the same time, adversity is not easy.    It takes effort and the pressure is debilitating if we aren't ready for it.    We need that pressure, to help drive our creativity and our innovation, but harnessing that power takes leaders who can embrace adversity and use it without feeling sorry for ourselves or becoming 'victims', longing for our comfortable routines.

Part rant, part inspiration, and part storytelling, this episode helps us remember that challenge, adversity and 'getting out of the box' aren't just concepts we deliver in our own programs, but also essential to our own work and life!

Join the Forest Educator Patreon!

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One thing you learn to love in Vancouver, British Columbia is the sound, the feeling and the smell of rain. You also get to enjoy the bald eagles hunting by the river, and the herons, and the towering cedar trees and big leaf maples. For Maria Jose Obando, it wasn't that hard to do.

She's the founder of the Little Paws Outdoor Classroom, and her program operates among the city and metro parks of Vancouver, serving a multicultural community with bilingual forest school activities and experiences. Maria's love of language, community and early childhood education all merged into a program that is making a profound difference for her students and their families.

She shares her journey and her current work integrating autistic students into her groups with the support of therapists and trained educators as well.

It's always a gift to be able to listen to the sincere love and joy that so many nature educators express in these conversations, and to know that despite all of the hard work and effort, they have found joy and deep satisfaction in being outside in the rain.

Connect with Little Paws:

https://www.littlepawsoutdoors.com/

https://www.instagram.com/littlepawsoutdoorclassroom/

https://www.facebook.com/littlepawsoutdoorclassroom

Join the Forest Educator Patreon!

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Connect with Ricardo:

https://www.foresteducator.com/

https://www.theforestboxforkids.com/

https://www.hawkcircle.com/

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An aspect of nature education that I believe is greatly overlooked is the ability and benefit it gives young people to 'Do Hard Things'.  This happens when we learn to climb a steep hill, climb a tree, master carving knife safety or learn to think of others in our groups!  It happens when we learn to be safe and respectful about campfires.  It happens when we begin our studies in wild foods, birds, animal tracks, trees or bushcraft skills.  (This list could be very, very substantial!)

All of these help our young people to learn to push through the very real walls of struggle, of effort, of perseverance, and to not shy away from hard work.   

It helps them learn about delayed gratification, and find their own 'deep inner drive' that will serve them well in the coming years of continued change.

Whether we are running a forest preschool, guiding adults across a glacier, teaching archery at a wilderness camp or leading a nature based mythology & poetry retreat, we are at our most core level, helping our students become resilient & resourceful in the face of looming change that we will all experience in our lifetime.  It's a mission worth supporting, and has incredible returns on the investment for schools, organizations and parents who want to make a difference for our youngest generation.

Join the Forest Educator Patreon!

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Connect with Ricardo:

https://www.foresteducator.com/

https://www.theforestboxforkids.com/

https://www.hawkcircle.com/

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