The Wilder Outdoors Podcast

In this episode, I chat with my friend Cherie Kottar. Cherie is a wife and mother, educator, outdoorswoman, and - as she rightly points out - a huntress. Cherie and I go way back and while I left South Florida a long time ago, she's stayed in our community and set roots with both the people and land. In this episode, Cherie talks about the unique outdoor experiences that are available in South Florida, her journey with the outdoors lifestyle, and how she and her husband are raising kids that love all that the Creation has to offer. Check it out!

Show links:

30 Free Family Adventures 

In this episode, my friend Bryn shares about his first father-son hunting trip. I think everyone who loves the outdoors and has kids can understand the challenges of pursuing adventure when your kids are young. For us, we had to shift from backpacking in the remote wilderness by ourselves to short hikes at local parks with our kids. Hunting and fishing can be especially challenging since there are so many moving pieces. That, however, didn't stop my friend Bryn from taking his 6 year old son on a turkey hunt. Bryn shares the story of the hunt and how you can take your kids on outdoor adventures that are exciting for everyone, even if you're still learning the skill that you're enjoying together. It's a great episode. Give it a listen. And if you'd like to read Bryn's poetry about the outdoors, you can get a copy of his book here.

If you've been listening to this podcast, you know that I spend a lot of time outdoors - especially with kids. Unfortunately, adventure and danger go hand in hand (well, at least a little bit of danger). I've had my fair share of scary moments which is why I decided to become a wilderness first responder. In this episode, I share about the experience, what I learned, and how you can get the training you need to make sure you and your loved ones are safe on your next adventure. Check it out!

Show Links:

NOLS

In this episode, I chat with mom, homeschool educator and author Jenna Fir. Jenna is an outdoor enthusiast and Wisconsin homeschool mom; she loves to integrate nature into daily education. Jenna and her husband loved camping before kids came along and didn’t let parenthood stop them. Now a mom of three kids ages 11, 9, and 6, she loves to explore the wilderness and share the wisdom she picks up along the trail.

We chat about all things camping and Jenna shares some REALLY great tips and tricks having great adventures with your kids. Jenna’s book “Camping with Kids, Toddlers, and Babies” is available on Amazon and provides tips, tricks, stories, activity ideas, and checklists to tackle the unique challenges of camping with kids of all ages! You can find her on Instagram and Facebook. AND you can email her at [email protected]

In this episode, I chat with Jaime from Chick of the Woods. Jaime owns and operates a foraging education business in the Twin Cities and is quickly becoming a staple in the wild foods community here. Her classes are great for families and she's incredibly knowledgable. She and I chat all things mushroom foraging where she shares her best tips and tricks for safely finding delicious edible mushrooms while avoiding the handful that can make you sick. Jaime offers several kinds of classes/resources including in-person classes, private hunts, and online classes. If you want to start your foraging journey, contact Jaime here. Also, be sure to follow her on social media here!

This episode is so much fun. Justin Bakken and Molly Moilanen started adventure racing as Team WEDALI (We Eat Dust and Like It) over a decade ago and went on to win multiple national titles. Now, as parents, they are raising their kids into the fun, adventurous, outdoor sport of adventure racing/orienteering. In this episode, I chat with the whole family after their first family adventure race. If you've ever thought orienteering or adventure racing sounds exciting, give this one a listen. Molly, Justin and their kids show us how we can get our kids on the trails and having amazing outdoor adventures. 

If you want to learn more about orienteering/adventure racing but don't know where to start, check out these great resources:

Minnesota Orienteering Club

Orienteering USA

United States Adventure Racing Association

Have you ever dreamed of buying a farm but still living close enough to the city so that you can visit your friends? That's exactly what Christy and Steve Oswald did. Their kids are grown now, but Christy and Steve moved to a small homestead just 30 mintues outside of Green Bay, WI when they were still young. In this episode, Christy and Steve share how they made homesteading while staying connected to the city work. They also share some great stories along with the benefits their family experienced by choosing a more connected, intentional, and season-driven life. In addition to being homesteaders, Christy and Steve also co-host the Homeschool Loftcast 2.0 which is a great resource for anyone who's currently homeschooling or has been thinking about homeschooling. Check them out and be sure to leave them a good review!

David and Carlee are old friends from Arizona and they do a lot of really amazing things with their family in the outdoors. In this conversation, they share tons of wild stories and some tips and tricks for how to make some wild stories of their own. Also, Carlee is a nurse and David is a firefighter, so they share their recommendations for how to make sure your family is safe on your next outdoor adventure.

This is a great episode if you have kids, even if you don't homeschool. Tina is the author of 8 Great Smarts for Homeschoolers: A Guide to Teaching Based on Your Child's Unique Strengths and is the co-host of the Loftcast 2.0.

In this episode, Tina shares about how homeschooling allows you to bring schooling into the outdoors. More importantly, she shares about how Howard Gardner's multiple intelligences framework can help you help your kids flourish. We spend a lot of time talking about how to know if your kids are "nature smart" and what to do if you they might be. It's a really interesting conversation - one that I enjoyed as much for myself as for you all! If you'd like to get Tina's homeschool roadmap - a free list of resources available to homeschool families, email her at [email protected].

Growing up, I was really overweight and was more interested in playing the tuba (I'm not joking!) than I was in athletics. As I got older, I was able to lose most of the weight but still struggled with it and never quite figured out the "fitness" equation. Granted, I was still able to do a lot of cool things: backpacking, hiking, leading outdoor trips with kids. But it was always HARD. A few years ago I started "training" (exercising with purpose) regularly. It didn't happen all at once, but after a year of consistently showing up, I noticed that not only were my outdoor experiences easier - they were more fun! In this episode, I share how fitness has completely changed my experiences in the outdoors, how it's made me and our family more safe when we're outdoors, and share some crazy stories. Check it out!