The Child and Nature Alliance Podcast

In this episode, Petra continues conversing with Alice and Lude about race and disability while broadening their thinking about inclusion and outdoor play.

In this episode, Petra talks with Alice and Lude, parents of children in Forest/Nature School programs, about their relationship with disability and the problem with the term “inclusion”.

In this podcast, Petra and Ellisha Blair, public school teacher and founder of Eunoia Forest School in Durham Region, Ontario, discuss building trust with families and caregivers, a step-by-step and case-by-case approach to inclusion, the child-led approach as an inclusive approach, and building a culture of inclusion through emphasizing process over product. 

In this podcast, Petra and Margaret continue the conversation about inclusion in Forest/Nature School and outdoor play contexts. We talk funding sources, planning for inclusion, and more concrete ways to improve accessibility and inclusion. 

 In this podcast, CNAC Director of Learning Petra Eperjesi sits down with facilitator Margaret Fraser, who is also the co-founder of Metalude, a Montréal-based play and inclusion consultancy. They discuss accessibility and inclusion in the Forest/Nature School context. Margaret challenges us to reflect on our relationships with disability and internalized ableism, how we think about disability, and the language we use to talk about it. We explore the differences between adaptation and inclusion, and Margaret shares concrete examples from her urban outdoor play program, The Lion and the Mouse, about building trust with disabled children and their families, and co-creating more inclusive programming. 

In this episode, Rimsha speaks with Chris Green, the director of Guelph Outdoor School.
Chris works as GOS instructor, is a Dad to two girls, and grew up in the Guelph area.  His hopes are that, Guelph Outdoor School evolves and grows with a changing world, delivering learning opportunities that are fun, effective, relevant, and as accessible and welcoming as possible.


Learn why Chris considers being outside to be the most valuable tool in for not just kids but adults too!

Download the episode transcript here.

To find more information on Guelph Outdoor School, click here! 

In this episode, Cherlene speaks with Tiiu Strutt, an elementary school educator and artist who is committed to engaging students with the natural world on a daily basis. Also a passionate singer-songwriter, she creates and shares songs that support children with connecting to the land.

Learn why Tiiu considers song to be the most valuable tool in her toolbox as an educator, and how we, too, can use song to connect children with nature in our everyday lives. 

Download a written transcript of this episode

Resources: 

• Singing is Exploring by Tiiu Strutt 
• The Robin Song by Tiiu Strutt
• Learning with Covid-19 by Tiiu Strutt
• How to Make Gathering Snake by Tiiu Strutt
• Hopi Martin's Blog
• Acknowledging Land by Hopi Martin

Host: Cherlene Eloria
Guest: Tiiu Strutt
Sound Editing and Production: Alex Maltby

In this episode, Cherlene speaks with Marc St. Dennis and Petra Eperjesi from the Forest School Canada team about the Community Consultation Project, one of CNAC's exciting new initiatives which is generously supported by the Lawson Foundation.

Learn about what inspired the project, the project's goals and activities, who the project will benefit, the importance of centring Indigenous and diverse voices, relationship-building and more!

Got any questions, concerns or ideas about the project? Get in touch with us: [email protected]

Download a written transcript of this episode

Host: Cherlene Eloria
Guest: Marc St. Dennis, Petra Eperjesi
Sound Editing and Production: Alex Maltby

 In this episode, Cherlene speaks with Amanda St. Dennis, a disability and accessibility advocate on how to support children with disabilities in your outdoor play program.

Topics covered include: Risky play and disability, the importance of relationships, how to think creatively about accommodations, and so much more!

Download a written transcript of this episode

Host: Cherlene Eloria
Guest: Amanda St. Dennis
Sound Editing and Production: Alex Maltby

Is insuring a Forest School a difficult process? Michael Lough from Frank Cowan Company says: Not if you're prepared! 

In this episode, learn about the types of insurance Forest/Nature School operators should look for, how to best prepare for a conversation with an insurance underwriter and more! 

Resources: 

• Risk-Benefit Assessment for Outdoor Play: A Canadian Toolkit 
• Français: Évaluation risques-avantages du jeu à l’extérieur: Une boîte à outils canadienne

This episode is part of Thrive Outside - an online resource hub created to support parents, caregivers, and educators in bringing children outdoors. 

Host: Cherlene Eloria
Guest: Michael Lough
Sound Editing and Production: Alex Maltby