Holly Mandarich

Megan joins us on the podcast to talk about the being a mom in the outdoors. She shares her experiences not only hiking with Gavin but also flying with him. As a professional photographer and part time airline employee - Megan and Gavin have ventured to some wild places across the USA.

While we cover Megan's relationship with being a mom in the outdoors, we also touch on some other very important topics.

We talk about finding balance in motherhood while also maintaining your self identity.

To never stop living your dreams, but rather to share them with those most important to you, even as you enter new phases of life.

You can follow Megan on Instagram at @themeganelizabeth or keep up with her blog at themeganelizabeth.com !

Kayla Weber is a Forest Therapy Guide and Grief Recovery Specialist that helps others on their journey to wholeness. In this episode we talk about the work Kayla does, her experiences with grief, and her own journey in the process. I have interviewed Kayla once before in an article covering the topics of “Outdoors Rx” which you can read here: www.hollymandarich.com/words/marmot/outdoorsrx. This by far has been my favorite episode recorded! Kayla gets really vulnerable in sharing an experience that seems unimaginable. I would consider this topic to be slightly alternative, but the mind is a powerful thing, and the forest is even more powerful. To find Kayla, head over to her Facebook page! Nurtured by Nature Forest Therapy: www.facebook.com/pages/category/Company/Nurtured-By-Nature-Forest-Therapy-231014117702310/
 
[3:00] What Forest Bathing Is 
[10:53] Council After an Invitation 
[13:33] What led Kayla to this kind of work? 
[14:08] The Forest is the Therapist and the Guide Just Opens the Door 
[20:00] The feelings of just being here…. / Letting life figure itself out 
[25:00] Kayla’s Experience in Her Training 
[28:07] Kayla’s Experience on Her Medicine Walk 
[32:57] Noticing the Contours of a Face in a Tree 
[39:18] How you can get into the liminal space on your own / The process of working with a guide 
[45:09] Allowing you to forget about the garbage that’s weighing you down in the day to day 
[46:32] How to find a Forest Bathing Guide in Your Area, The Association of Nature and Forest Therapy

Julianne is a Jill of many trades, between running 2 passion based businesses, this lady gets stuff done! As a registered dietitian she follows a unique non diet approach to eating healthy to fuel herself and her clients in the outdoors. On this episode, we talk all about what intuitive eating is, and how it can help fuel our adventures outside. We also talk about an epic climbing trip that Julianne jumped into after discovering her love for the sport, with only a month of experience under her belt. Julianne has learned to live her life unapologetically, and in doing so, you can really see her shine brightly. In this episode I invite you to open up your perspective about a new way to fuel yourself in the outdoors…. with your literal gut and with your intuition.

You can learn more about Julianne at the following links.
The Outdoor RD: www.theoutdoorrd.com
Julianne’s Instagram: www.instagram.com/the_outdoor_rd
Dirt Chalk Bags Instagram: www.instagram.com/dirtchalkbags

[4:44] Julianne Mahoney: Who she is! 
[5:49] What led Julianne down the path of Intuitive Eating 
[9:11] We’re all Born to Eat Intuitively 
[11:45] How The Outdoors Has Helped Julianne in Her Healing Journey 
[16:00] An Epic Climbing Road Trip, with only a month of experience under her belt 
[19:21] How Julianne feels when she’s Climbing… 
[20:37] How ‘Dirt Chalk Bags’ was Formed 
[24:55] Do you feel like The Outdoors + Intuitive Eating pair together? 
[28:08] Intuitive Eating + Athletes 
[31:18] Bonking Out + How to Fuel Optimally 
[33:18] Feedback from Julianne’s Clients on Intuitive Eating 
[34:04] Binges are caused by Restrictions 
[35:26] The Mindset of Intuitive Eating 
[38:56] Our Brains are Basically Toddlers 
[42:00] How to Get Started with Intuitive Eating 

Are you interested in The Storyteller's Workshop, or my Masterclass: How to Tell Authentic Stories - pop over to my website to learn more! --> hollymandarich.com/learn

Chad Brown is a decorated US Navy Veteran, Fly Fisherman, Creative Director, Photographer and non profit founder of Soul River Inc. His non profit pairs veterans as mentors with at risk youth in the wild spaces of the outdoors. In the hope that it encourages youth participants to grow and become ambassadors of our natural environment. Chad today shares all about his experiences with discrimination and racism in the outdoors, along with some thoughts about how we can move forward. 

I want to have Chad back for a follow up interview to talk about the lives he’s impacted, the work he’s poured himself into, and how he’s been able to heal his PTSD with the Outdoors. 

This was one of the most impactful conversations I’ve had in my lifetime. I encourage you to listen and share. 

You can learn more about Chad at the following links.
Soul River Inc: www.soulriverinc.org
Thoughts on the Killing of George Floyd: spark.adobe.com/page/ZIIX3QNANCpnp/
Chad Brown’s Instagram: www.instagram.com/_chadbrown_
Soul River Inc Instagram: www.instagram.com/soulriverinc 

[3:48] Chad Brown: Who he is!
[6:54] How Chad’s creativity makes his work so much more impactful!
[9:33] Chad’s Article “Thoughts on the Killing of George Floyd” —> spark.adobe.com/page/ZIIX3QNANCpnp/ 
[13:30] Chad’s Experiences of Discrimination in the Outdoors + Outdoor Industry / Pre Conceived Judgements 
[19:06] “You have to see color, and you have to appreciate color!” 
[25:34] Black Lives Matter is a marathon, and not a 100 yard dash. 
[32:44] Guilt vs Neglect 
[35:08] “I woke up this morning with a text ….” 
[37:36] Having your break lines pulled while fly fishing. 
[47:13] The conversation every black parent has to have with their child. Generational Fear 
[53:33] How Chad feels, when he feels safe to recreate on the river.

In this episode, I spend some time interviewing Brooke Bartleson (instagram: @brookelittlebear) Brooke is an adventurous wildlife photographer that spends the majority of her time - not just outside - but in wild spaces! With Brooke I chat about some wild stories of tracking and photographing animals, with one that may even make the hairs on your back stand straight up. We also talk about the impact on her life that spending more than half of her time outside, has had. While also learning some insightful perspectives from the gal, better put in her words … “We as a species, have some absolutely insane instincts that most people don’t even know exist within us.”

[2:30] Brooke Bartleson: Who she is! 
[4:35] Capturing the Wild Spaces Around Humans, Brooke + Her Animals 
[7:50] The Resilience of Animals 
[9:00] Photographing Foxes + Perspective Shifts 
[13:24] Photographing Bears in AK, a Story that Will Make the Hairs on Your Back Stand Straight Up! 
[20:45] Tracking + Photographing Moose 
[24:48] Human Instincts 
[29:30] “That Saying Trust Your Gut” 
[31:57] “I Can Smell What You Ate for Lunch” 
[33:14]| How Brooke’s Life as Changed by Spending More Time Outside 
[39:11] How do we build awareness for those who have never had experience’s with wild spaces? 
[41:15] If You Could Be an Animal - What Would You Be?

Who even am I? As the host of this show I wanted to give you an inside perspective and quick little overview of why I was inspired to hold space for these stories of adventure + the human relationship that we all have with the outdoors. You’ll get a quick recap of my impactful summer at camp when I was younger, along with how the outdoors have become a safe space for me to express myself unapologetically. Not to mention you’ll hear a bit about the article that inspired this podcast itself. That article was all about Outdoors Rx, if you’re curious to read that piece, you can find it here: www.hollymandarich.com/words/marmot/outdoorsrx I plan to resurrect these OutdoorsRx interviewee’s in a later podcast! Till then, It’s a pleasure meeting you, and I hope you enjoy Humans + the Outdoors!