Humans Outside

Note: Human error got the best of me, and despite actually discussing with Carl during our interview (before recording) the difference between astrology and astronomy, I proceeded to use the wrong term in the title of this podcast episode and throughout the post and podcast notes. Carl Gawboy is an astronomer. The below has been corrected. Thank you for understanding! Modern American culture uses Greek mythology to refer to stars and constellations in the night sky. But a rich tradition of Natvie American astronomy and indigenous star stories is out there, too, waiting for us to learn it. Better yet? Native American astronomy and learning star stories can help us chart the seasons and help us enjoy heading outside.

In this episode of Humans Outside Carl Gawboy, a Native American astronomy, Native Skywatchers elder and Ojibwe artist based in Minnesota, guides us through his groundbreaking work in Ojibwe star stories and what they can mean to us today. At almost 80, Carl shares a lifetime of work, study and cultural understanding with us.

Learn about Native Skywatchers

Learn about Carl Gawboy's art

Read the Forest Service pamphlet that doesn't recognize the star stories

Learn more about the Hegman Lake pictographs

The Sun Dagger documentary

Talking Sky by Carl Gawboy and Ron Mortin

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Bad attitudes and not feeling like doing something are just a part of life. So is facing conditions or circumstances that aren't fun or pleasant. And when it comes to those things being a part of your outdoor habit? There is a reason you should move into them head-on and do the thing anyway. Amy's been thinking about two reasons that's true as she battles through some of her own bad attitude feelings, and talks about them in this episode of Humans Outside. Connect with this episode:

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Some of the good stuff:

[:45] A Spring-ish confession

[1:20] What "over it" means right now

[2:30] Why this is when you need to be out there

[2:50] The muscle you build when you get out there

[3:40] The outside time you'll absolutely regret

How's the end of winter going for you? Across the northern hemisphere hints of spring are popping up, with daffodils and flowers pushing through the ground. That's even true in Alaska, where the longer daylight and temperatures closer to 30 than to 10 are warming things up and offering glimmers of hope, even if they do come between arctic blasts and falling snow. In this Outdoor Diary episode Amy walks through the power of those hints and why it's important to seize them when it comes.

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"Van life." Sounds like something fancy for someone else, right? Someone who doesn't have a job, or commitments, or a family, or stability, or … or… or.

Wrong! Using a camping van or having longterm adventures doesn't have to just be for other people. It can be something normal people just like you use to get closer to nature near and far. This week's guest Kristen Bor knows that's true because she's lived all version of van life as part of her work on her website Bearfoot Theory. On this episode of Humans Outside, Kristen shares with us her best tips for making van life a part of your regular outdoor adventures.

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Visit Bearfoot Theory: https://bearfoottheory.com/

Visit Open Roads Fest: https://openroadsfest.com/

Follow Bearfoot Theory on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bearfoottheory/

Follow Bearfoot Theory on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bearfoottheory

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What happens when you take your date day outside? As Amy knows all too well, it can go horribly wrong or be really great. The difference? Communication. In this Outdoor Diary episode Amy talks about two very different ski dates, and why one worked but the other failed spectacularly.

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Episode 18 with Corie Weathers: How Nature Can Help Your Relationships

If you've ever experienced a broken heart, you know how dramatically it can impact all aspects of your life. The ending of a relationship or loss of a loved one can be a traumatic, emotional rollercoaster than can last years. And in the midst of it you'll likely find yourself wondering exactly how to make the pain stop and when it will stop hurting.

Heartbreak is both the subject and title of a new book by journalist Florence Williams. You might remember Florence from her work on one of her previous books, The Nature Fix: Why Nature Makes Us Happier, Healthier and More Creative. She joined us to talk about the book in a previous episode of Humans Outside. In her new book Heartbreak (and the immersive audio book) Florence pairs her own experience with the kind of research she's known for, and in the process lays out a map for using nature to heal from a broken heart.

In this episode Florence talks about her experience healing from heartbreak by heading outside and gives us our own personal how-to on doing so in our lives, too.

Connect with this episode: Read or listen to Heartbreak by Florence Williams (affiliate link)

Hear Florence Williams' previous episode on Humans Outside

Listen to Amy and Luke Bushats with Florence on the Outside Magazine podcast

Follow Florence Williams on Facebook

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The Humans Outside podcast hits its two-year anniversary this week. Two years! That's two years of episodes with outdoor-minded guests who have taught Amy (and you) countless lessons about heading into nature. In this episode hear about why the Humans Outside podcast got started and just some of the things Amy has learned through podcasting for two years.

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Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert (affiliate link)

Imagine this: you live in a city or very urban environment, maybe close enough to a major highway that you can hear it, or far away enough from a space you consider a park to make heading there every day seem impossible. You can't imagine really enjoying being outside all the time where you live because it's just so not "nature." If that sounds familiar or like it could be you, Claire Dunn is just who you need. Author of "Rewilding the Urban Soul: Searching for the Wild in the City," Claire is an Australia-based rewilding and urban nature expert who joined us to talk about what it takes to find nature wherever you are.

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Find Claire Dunn online

Buy Claire's book (affiliate link)

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Disliking new things doesn't make you weak or scared -- it makes you normal. But the good news is that nature is the perfect tool for teaching us to be OK with the new and uncomfortable. Why is that? And how has it impacted Amy? In this week's Outdoor Diary, Amy talks about why heading outside makes it easier to try new things in all parts of life, plus the new thing she's finally working on.

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Episode 99 with Cordele Glass "How Heading Outside Makes Your Brain More Creative"

Getting outside with kids looks pretty easy and fun if you're basing your expectations on social media photos. Delightfully grubby kids frolic through a meadow near a perfectly set-up campsite, and zero people are throwing a temper tantrum or muddling through a poor night of sleep. Also, they all look warm.

But of course that's not the full picture. Getting to that moment required overcoming all sorts of challenges from mindset to using the appropriate gear. And when you think about getting your own kids out for adventure, you might see those challenges and simply feel, well, tired. I mean who wants to deal with a crying kid in the middle of nowhere when you could deal with a crying kid in the comfort of your home instead?

Today's guest, Heather Balogh Rochfort, has made a lifestyle and career out of getting herself out for adventures and, since the birth of her daughter, doing so with her whole family. Now she offers advice for parents who want to overcome those obstacles in practical, normal-person ways.

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Join the Humans Outside 365 Challenge

Visit Heather Balogh Rochfort's website

Learn more about Wild Kind

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