This episode marks the first in a miniseries within the series, in which I’ve handed over the reins as host to our Head of Forest Schools and Training, Nick Murphy. Nick is spending a few episodes talking to those working within mainstream primary schools running Forest School provision. They’ll be talking about the realities of providing Forest School sessions in schools, the benefits and challenges, what their sites and sessions look like, and what they think the future of Forest School looks like in schools. This week, he spoke to Abi Spence from St Peter’s C of E Primary School in Budleigh Salterton. It was an interesting and engaging conversation to listen to, one in which Abi’s passion for what she does shone through. A must listen for parents and educators alike with some real food for thought!

In this episode, we were delighted to talk to Richard Mathews, a Devon based adventurer, explorer and expedition leader. He told us about his lifetime of adventuring, and shared stories from circumnavigating the globe in a Nissan Micra to walking the Slovenian Mountain trail. We talked about what it means to be a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, his experience of working with young people on Duke of Edinburgh and Ten Tors expeditions and his latest project, Adventure Stories. It was a fascinating and fun conversation and we hope you enjoy listening as much as we enjoyed having the discussion. To find out more about what Rich is getting up to, visit www.richard-matthews.co.uk.

In this episode we were delighted to be joined by Tom Walmsley from the Ministry of Eco Education to talk about sustainability in education. We discussed what the Ministry of Eco does, why embedding sustainability into education is so important and the influence that children can have on the adults around them in making choices and driving changes to help with the climate crisis we find ourselves in. It was an absolute pleasure to record this outdoors in the beautiful grounds at Dartington and we hope you enjoy listening just as much as we did having the conversation! To find out more about the Ministry of Eco Education, visit www.ministryofeco.org

In this episode, I was so delighted to have the pleasure to visit The Apricot Centre in Totnes. Mark and Hannah gave me a warm welcome (and a delicious lunch!) and we had a fantastic conversation finding out about the amazing and varied work they do on their beautiful site. We chatted about regenerative farming, outdoor well-being, the gut microbiome and so much more. It was a really interesting and engaging conversation and we hope you enjoy listening as much as we enjoyed having it. For more information about The Apricot Centre, you can visit www.apricotcentre.co.Uk

In this episode, we were delighted to be joined by two of our tutors from The Outdoors School. Woody and Hannah both began their teaching careers in mainstream schools before coming to work in an outdoor school with a radically different approach to education. They chatted to us about what drew them to a career in education, what their experiences of mainstream education are, and how that differs to what they’ve found at The Outdoors School. We talked about the positives and challenges of adopting an outdoor learner-led, project based approach and how constructivism works in practice! It was a really interesting and fun conversation to have and we think, a fantastic way to finish the fourth season of The Outdoors Group Podcast!

In this episode, we were delighted to be joined by Royal Army Staff Sergeant Nathan Jones. Nathan joined us to talk about his new venture, Discover A Guide, an online community that connects instructors with those new to outdoor adventures. We discussed why he wanted to create this resource, his experience of instructing outdoors and some of the benefits of partaking in outdoor adventurous activities that he sees through his work both with his military colleagues and with civilians. If you’re interested in finding out more, either as an instructor looking to get listed or someone looking for guidance with an adventure or new hobby, head over to www.discoveraguide.com

In this episode I had the absolute pleasure of visiting three of the sites of The Outdoors School to talk to some of the learners there. The Outdoors School is our special independent school that runs outside, all year round, on four sites in Devon, for autistic learners and those with SEN (Special Educational Needs). We chatted about what they thought about the school, how it differs from other settings they’ve attended, what they like about learning outdoors and their ambitions in life. It was so much fun to record and I loved having the opportunity to hear what the young people we work with had to say. We hope you enjoy this special episode!

In this episode we were delighted to be joined, once again, by one of our directors Tom Lowday. This time, he came with his ecological hat on to talk about the rewilding and sustainable woodland management work that is taking place on our largest site, on the edge of Dartmoor in Devon. We talked about orchards and apples (extensively!), woodland management techniques, therapy cows and biodiversity uplifts. It was an enjoyable and interesting conversation and hopefully those listening will feel the same!

It was such an absolute delight to go for a stroll by the canal in Exeter with Robin Harford in this episode! Robin, the man behind the well known Eat Weeds website, joined me to discuss foraging, Ethnobotany, plants as medicine and food and so much more! We discussed why the stories behind plants are so important and need to be told, how those listening can dip their fingers into finding food in the wild where they live and even dabbled in a little bit of politics! It was such an interesting and thought provoking conversation to have and we hope you enjoy listening as much as we enjoyed being part of it. To find out more about Robin’s work, make sure you visit www.eatweeds.co.uk

In this episode, we were so delighted to talk to Devon based artist, Joe Webster. Joe is a landscape graffiti artist who works almost exclusively outdoors, mark making in harmony with the elements and whatever Mother Nature throws at him! We spoke about why he works outdoors and the challenges that brings with it, his favourite spaces to paint, advice for those looking to develop their artistic practice and why it’s important to focus on the process rather than the product. You can find out more about him at www.joewebsterart.com and look at his upcoming workshops at www.cornwallartschool.co.uk