Let’s Talk Outdoors

Join Derek & Leah as they connect with Sophia Young. Sophia is the 2023 recipient of the SaskOutdoors Cydney Weir Youth Award.  Listen in to hear about her remarkable contributions to her community. 

Due to her passion for sustainability, equity, and the conservation of ecosystems, Sophia has founded and chaired the Miller4Nature Permaculture Club,  Sophia is a community builder, acting as a youth representative on the City of Regina Community Advisory Group. Sophia is now pursuing a career in environmental engineering to create sustainable and accessible futures.

Join Leah and Mike as they speak with Ben Oaken about Climate Education. Ben explores the reasons why some educators may hesitate to incorporate climate education into their teaching and offers strategies to overcome these obstacles. Climate Education is important in Saskatchewan - listen in to find out why!

• EcoSchools Canada

Join Leah, Justine, and Maeghan James as they delve into the topic of Inclusive Outdoor Play. Maeghan shares insights on how educators can craft inclusive and high-quality outdoor experiences for every child, addressing prevalent barriers to inclusive outdoor play. She emphasizes the importance of collaborating with a child's family or caregivers to facilitate enriching outdoor experiences. Additionally, Maeghan encourages educators to cultivate new, inclusive habits, integrating inclusive play into the classroom environment.

Learn more about Maeghan. 

Resources

PLaTO-Net - Play, Learn and Teach Outdoors Network

Dr. Louise de Lannoy speaks about Outdoor Play

Quality Participation on Playgrounds Blueprint

A Blueprint for Building Quality Participation on Playgrounds for Children with Disabilities: Programmer Version

Jump Start Training for Play Leaders

Outdoor Play Canada

Megan Zeni - UBC - online educator outdoor play tool

Outside Play App

Inclusive Play Leadership Certificate 

Join Mike & Leah as they chat with Whitney Blaisdell about her non-profit, Play YQR. Whitney discusses how to prioritize and increase access to play for all ages. Listen in as Whitney talks about the importance of play! 

For more information on Whitney, visit her University of Regina Student Spotlight. 

Checkout Megan Zeni with Room to Play on Instagram for more outdoor play content. 

Join Mike & Leah as they chat with Megan Gurski, SaskOutdoors' former Outdoor Play Coordinator, teacher, and owner/operator of NW25 Outdoor Learning Co. Teachable moments outdoors, risks and hazards, and barriers to taking students outdoors are only a few of the topics touched on during their conversation. 

Join Mike & Leah as they chat with Kyle Harrison about winning the 2021 #ExploreSask Parks Road Trip. Be inspired by Kyle's storytelling; his stories may help you choose where to go camping and exploring in Saskatchewan throughout the year!

Join SaskOutdoors as they chat with Louise de Lannoy about Outdoor Play in Canada.

Louise continued to ponder our conversation after recording and wanted to add to her response to "What one thing would you change about the world?": I think what really matters is making the outdoors the easy choice. Just like placing stairs in a more convenient location than the elevator: make the outdoors the easy, more convenient choice. This is something we need to figure out to actually affect change.

Leah and Mike connect with David Pratt to chat about Indigenous connection to land, treaty rights, and reconciliation. David is the first Vice-Chief of the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations (FSIN). 

Kristine Levesque joins Mike and Leah to discuss her involvement with the DePave Paradise Project. Kristine shares about a successful project at Walter Murray Collegiate in Saskatoon where they transformed a run-down tennis court into a space for outdoor learning and food education.

Join Mike and Leah as they chat with Skyler Haugan about respect, time, and adventures. Skyler runs an organization called The Moment Outdoors which focusses on encouraging people to put down their digital devices and explore Saskatchewan's landscape.