People like to say nature is for everyone, but do we really act like it is?

From a lack of bigger bodies in outdoor marketing, to other-ing attitudes from both rangers and fellow outdoor users, the problems are real.

Never experienced these challenges or don’t know they exist? That might be because you’re not someone at whom they are targeted.

Creating welcoming spaces outside is everyone’s work, and it starts with acknowledging the problem by listening to the personal experiences of those who have faced these issues. How do they handle them? How can we make spaces that are open -- not in words, but in action -- for everyone?

Brandi Small lays it all out in this episode based on her own experience on the trail and in the campgrounds. Don’t miss this chance to make a difference. Listen now.

Connect with this episode:

Get $20 off Ski Babes fitness with coupon code “HUMANS”Follow Brandi Small on Instagram Connect with Brandi on Facebook Join the Humans Outside Challenge Follow Humans Outside on Instagram Follow Humans Outside on Facebook

Some of the good stuff:

[3:49] Brandi Small’s favorite outdoor space

[4::22] How Brandi became someone who likes to go outside

[7:58] Visiting all of California’s National Parks

[8:41] Brandi’s first love

[14:34] Don’t miss out on this super awesome Ski Babes discount

[16:31] Diving into representation outside

[18:00] Have things gotten worse?

[20:36] This has never happened to me and it’s not a shock

[23:00] How much of this is race and how much of this is body size?

[24:08] I am absolutely astonished

[30:56] What is the work to address these issues?

[35:00] Brandi’s favorite outdoor moment

Have you ever noticed certain seasons smell more strongly than others? I’ve been working to lean into my five senses -- hearing, smell, taste, sight, touch -- during my daily outdoor time, inspired by a recent conversation with Gretchen Rubin, author of “Life in Five Senses.” Taking time for a little extra intentionality has enriched my outdoor time, and left me noticing something special about my sense of smell and this time of year.

Listen now!

Connect with this episode:

Listen to Gretchen Rubin on Humans Outside (“Advice for Making Outdoor Time Better via Life in 5 Senses”) Join the Humans Outside Challenge Follow Humans Outside on Instagram Follow Humans Outside on Facebook

Some of the good stuff:

[:35] The problem with seasons around here

[1:17] Here’s autumn

[1:35] Fall has this smell

[1:55] Here are some examples

[2:20] How leaning into noticing helped and is helping

So we all want to be people who are outside having cool adventures -- but what about finding adventure right where you live? How do you learn the best local spots, break out of your comfort zone to try something new and, maybe even more importantly, find adventure buddies with whom to do it?

Those are all questions Kierre Childers is working to tackle through her Palmer, Alaska-based tour company Revel Treks and Tours, which focuses on helping locals get outside and explore Alaska. Breaking outside your comfort zone in your own backyard can feel like a daunting task, especially when you’re squeezing it into your already packed life. But Kierre has some great suggestions for making it happen as you learn to explore right where you live, find a community to do it with and get comfortable with asking for help.

Listen to this helpful episode now!

Connect with this episode:

Get $20 off Ski Babes fitness with coupon code “HUMANS”

Find a trip through Revel Treks and Tours

Follow Revel Treks and Tours on Instagram

Follow Revel Treks and Tours on Facebook

Join the Humans Outside Challenge

Follow Humans Outside on Instagram

Follow Humans Outside on Facebook

Some of the good stuff:

[2:15] Why this episode is a little different

[3:03] Kierre Childer’s favorite outdoor space

[4:20] Kierre’s outdoor story

[8:10] Not so many volcanoes in Indiana

[9:02] Why we love where we live

[13:22] Why focus on tourism for locals?

[15:37] What’s 2020 got to do with it?

[20:34] Is it surprising that locals need help doing local outdoor stuff?

[21:00] P.S. it’s hard

[24:46] Here’s a little about Revel Treks and Tours

[27:45] The struggle of finding out what’s happening

[32:50] Here’s some tips for getting outside right where you live

[39:03] Kierre’s favorite outdoor moment

You’ve heard me talk about how much I love my outside community events. Maybe you want to head out for some, too. But do you know how to find them? If you’re stuck not knowing even where to get started on learning about the fun outside things that are happening in your community, I’ve got some failure-free tips for you in this episode of Humans Outside.

Listen now -- and then share your favorite way to learn what’s happening outdoors near you.

Connect with this episode:

Join the Humans Outside Challenge

Follow Humans Outside on Instagram

Follow Humans Outside on Facebook

Some of the good stuff:

[:41] Yes, I do love it here

[:50] My very first community event (and it was cold)

[1:21] On the hunt for outdoor community fun

[2:27] Here’s the conundrum

[3:00] The first way to fix it

[3:31] The second way

[4:08] Way number three

[4:55] You have been warned about the dangers so don’t come at me

Ever wondered if it's safe to eat those berries you see on a hike, or if there are medicinal plants hiding in plain sight? The longer you spend outside, the more you might start to wonder how to find good things to consume out there -- and how to avoid the ones that might kill you.

What we all need is a little guidance. And for that we have Ebony Gheorghe, a forager focused on herbs based in the UK and author of the new book Enchanted Foraging. In this episode teaches us why foraging creates a special connection to nature, the best way to get started without risking eating something that will definitely or even possibly kill you and few of her foraging favorites.

Listen now!

Connect with this episode:

Get $20 off Ski Babes fitness with coupon code “HUMANS” Visit Ebony’s website Follow Ebony on Instagram Read Ebony’s book, Enchanted Foraging (affiliate link) Join the Humans Outside Challenge Follow Humans Outside on Instagram Follow Humans Outside on Facebook

Some of the good stuff:

[2:55] Ebony Gheorghe’s favorite outdoor space

[3:30] Ebony’s outdoor story

[6:14] How Ebony got into foraging

[7:05] Why everyone should try foraging

[12:52] How foraging makes you appreciate food and the work of it all

[14:29] How to make foraging more accessible

[17:42] Reconnecting with nature through foraging

[25:00] How to get started foraging

[27:46] Ebony’s favorite things to forage

[34:12] Warning: it’s addictive

[36:14] Ebony’s favorite outdoor moments

It’s been *six years* since I started my daily outdoor habit, spending at least 20 consecutive minutes outside every single day, no matter what. I’ve learned countless things about myself, about the world and about how heading outside impacts me.

But the truth is there’s one big lesson I keep coming back to, and it’s the same thing I was battling the very first day I kicked off this adventure. It is without a doubt the most important, most impactful thing I’ve learned. It has, quite simply, changed my life -- and it can change yours, too.

Listen now!

It’s something I’ve noticed over and over again: the more bold steps I take outside, the more life adventures I’m willing to tackle in my home and work life.

That’s a theme Shelby Stanger has heard over and over again from guests she interviews on REI’s Wild Ideas Worth Living podcast and something she experienced in her own life. It’s also the theme of her new book, “Will to Wild: Adventures Great and Small to Change Your Life.” But what is the will to wild? How do you find it and how do you chase it? Is it something that can be gained only by the super outdoorsy or those privileged enough to spend lots of time outside? Shelby tackles those questions and more in this exciting episode of Humans Outside. Listen now!

Connect with this episode:

Get $20 off Ski Babes fitness with coupon code “HUMANS”

Read “Will to Wild” (affiliate link)

Follow Shelby Stanger on Instagram

Listen to Wild Ideas Worth Living

Sign-up for Shelby’s newsletter

Join the Humans Outside Challenge

Follow Humans Outside on Instagram

Follow Humans Outside on Facebook

Some of the good stuff:

[2:08] Shelby’s favorite outdoor space

[4:13] How Shelby became someone who likes to go outside

[9:17] What is the ‘will to wild?’

[10:40] What this is all really, actually about

[13:18] What’s happening out there

[18:01] An example from here in Alaska

[20:35] Hello! Register for Ski Babes!!

[22:30] The biggest limiter

[25:11] How to get over that limiter

[28:54] Is the will to wild a matter of privilege?

[32:42] A few times others’ wild ideas got Shelby out there

[35:37] The truth of JOMO

[38:38] Steps for chasing wild ideas

[41:19] Shelby’s favorite outdoor moment

It can be tempting to think about getting outside as focused on just naturey-nature. But what about going out around other people? What about the benefits of community events?

Heading outside to experience community can bring a whole host of useful impacts, all based in the glorious space created by the great outdoors. For me they include inspiration, encouragement, joy and belonging.

Why is that true and how can you find it? Listen now.

Connect with this episode:

Join the Humans Outside Challenge

Follow Humans Outside on Instagram

Follow Humans Outside on Facebook

Some of the good stuff:

[:32] How did I get started there anyway?

[:53] Here’s why it’s so great

[1:30] A little Monday commitment

[2:15] Just a few of the things that community brings

[2:30] And yes this is true for an introvert, too.

[3:15] Contagious joy

[3:30] Here’s my theory about space

[3:55] How this expands my definition of nature

[4:16] Also a sense of belonging

What happens when you take the time and intentionality to listen -- I mean really listen -- outside? So much of our auditory experiences are about blocking sounds out. But happens when we flip things around and choose to purposefully let sounds in?

That’s what I tried to do during a recent week focusing on my sense of hearing during my outdoor adventures. And what I found was deeply enriching. It showed me how my brain can reset, ruly challenging listening is and why it’s worth it.

Listen to this episode to hear more now!

Connect with this episode:

Listen to Gretchen Rubin on Humans Outside (“Advice for Making Outdoor Time Better via Life in 5 Senses”)

Join the Humans Outside Challenge

Follow Humans Outside on Instagram

Follow Humans Outside on Facebook

Some of the good stuff:

[:32] I purposefully ignore this sense and so do you

[1:26] My own five senses experiment and where it came from

[2:30] Here’s what I found by leaning into my sense of hearing

[2:45] First, there was relief

[3:10] A few examples of what I heard

[3:30] What those sounds bring

[3:45] OK but it was also really hard

[4:25] Your assignment