In this heartfelt and inspiring conversation, we reconnect with Julie Stonefelt of Wild Homestead Living—park ranger, nature mentor, cancer survivor, and long-time member of the deep nature connection community. Julie shares her powerful personal story of transformation, from teenage struggles and early mentorship with Jon to her path through illness, healing, and the creation of a slow, connected life on a rural homestead.

We explore the roots of Wild Homestead Living, a vision born not just of longing for simplicity, but of intentional reciprocity with the land and the more-than-human world. Julie offers intimate reflections on how nature supported her through life-altering challenges and how she now supports others in their own reconnection journeys—whether through sit spot practice, gardening alongside local wildlife, or simply noticing the breeze on your skin.

We also talk about ego, control, and decolonizing our approach to land and learning. Julie shares how observation, curiosity, and story are at the heart of her teaching—and how small acts, like growing sprouts in a jar, can spark a deeper relationship with life itself.

If you've ever wondered how to begin (or begin again) in relationship with nature—especially in our fast-paced world—this episode is your invitation to slow down, listen, and remember.

"Slowing down and having those connections—it's simple, but it's not easy."

About Wild Homestead Living

If you’re craving a life that’s more connected to nature, rooted in simplicity, and aligned with your values, you’re in the right place.

Founded by Julie Stonefelt and Kevin Mack, Wild Homestead Living offers practical tools, heartfelt inspiration, and a supportive community to help you create a sustainable lifestyle—whether you live in the city, the suburbs, or off the grid. From patio gardens to permaculture homesteads, you’ll find resources to help you start small, grow slow, and live deeply.

Ready to begin? Explore their free courses and guides »

About Julie Stonefelt

Julie grew up with salt in her hair and sand between her toes, falling in love with nature along the shores of Puget Sound in the Great Pacific Northwest. That love led her to The Evergreen State College, where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree specializing in environmental education, cultural history, and wildlife rehabilitation.

For over 28 years, she’s been helping people connect with the wild world around them, whether through her work as a Park Ranger or here at Wild Homestead Living. She believes that nature isn’t just something out there—it’s part of who we are. And no matter where you live, there’s always a way to bring a little more of it into your life.

--

Tracking Connections Podcast is a production of Connection 1st, an organization that helps you deepen your connection with nature, other people and yourself. Learn more

The transcript of this episode is available here.

This episode is all about motivation. How do we motivate our students, and ourselves, to practice our skills, be more consistent in our routines, and deepen our connection to the natural world? Jon and Sarah are joined by Jack Durtnall, based in the UK, and an experienced naturalist, musician, and mentor, to explore these questions and share stories about what Tom Brown Jr did when mentoring Jon and his peers, and what Jon, Jack, and Sarah have applied in their own work, and in their own routines. Enjoy!

About Jack Durtnall

Jack Durtnall is a musician and nature connection facilitator living in the south east of England. His music can be found under his solo name and also as part of the band Shoal and the Seabird. Jack enjoys the rich musical and nature connection culture locally, and founded Hopjam, a long running groove-based jam night in 2022. Jack also gets to play at folk night with dear friend and colleague Anna Richardson frequently! Jack has been inspired by 8 Shields, Connection 1st, and the Art of Mentoring camps (2017 at Burnicombe Farm, Devon, and 2019 in Scotland) and loves the world that has opened up by being part of this wider collective culture.

Jack works with the following organizations:

Cultivating Curiosity - Children's Nature Connection Programs Learn more

Kinship in Nature - Forest School in East London Learn more

Children's Forest - A movement to inspired and enable children to plant healthy forests Learn more

The Earth Stewardship Apprentice youth program at Sacred Earth Learn more

--

Tracking Connections Podcast is a production of Connection 1st, an organization that helps you deepen your connection with nature, other people and yourself. Learn more

The transcript for this episode is available here.

Today’s episode is all about relationships, and how putting people first and valuing connection helps us build a conscious legacy in our families and in our work. Our guest, Peter Johnson, is a long time financial and estate planner, the co-founder of Family Nature Retreats, and the author of The Little Book of Family Treasure. He joins us to share how the principles of Connection 1st have influenced his work, helping him to heal families and build loving legacies that last.

“We’re all ancestors in training, meaning, we’re all either leaving a conscious legacy or we’re leaving a shadow legacy.”

We discuss how our legacy is our culture, the wake that we leave behind our boat, and how the wellbeing of our family culture is so influential on the wellbeing of the individual that it’s indistinguishable. Peter shares about the power of nature connection to put us into a peaceful state of being, which enables us to successfully navigate the difficult conversations that come up in families around legacy. Most of all, you will feel the loving kindness that emanates from Peter and informs all of his work with people, and be moved and inspired by what it is possible to heal when we come together from that place of love.

“Money comes and goes, but the relationships and the skills and the knowledge, and the wisdom, and the desire to be of service to others, these are the things that really drive human behavior and determine outcomes.”

The Little Book of Family Treasure

What if the greatest threat to your family's legacy isn't poor investments or estate taxes, but the invisible walls that keep family members from truly connecting? Learn more about Peter's book here.

Family Nature Retreats

Family Nature Retreats rekindles the magic of life and connection for families seeking to create sustainable legacies and design purposeful estate plans. We assist client families in discovering and realizing their highest aspirations and potential — together — by combining facilitated conversations led by world-class, inter-disciplinary teams with proven healing nature connection practices.

Estate Planning

If you are interested in working with Peter and his team for your own family, visit https://pwjohnson.com/ to learn more.

About Peter W. Johnson

For over 25 years, Peter has served individuals and families with their wealth and financial planning needs. His own experiences with his family of origin fuel his commitment to family peacemaking, mentoring and connection. Peter’s deep respect and passion for nature connection and awareness, as well as other transformative practices, has led to the creation of Family Nature Retreats℠, which creatively combine proven, multi-disciplinary practices in a uniquely rich, integrated program. Peter has been an active leader in the development of Collaborative Practice Trusts & Estates since it began in 2012, and his writing has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, The Journal of Practical Estate Planning, The Journal of Financial Planning, and Black Enterprise.

Visit https://www.livingconnection1st.net/ to learn more about our work.

Since he was a child, Richie Rivera Booth has dreamed of being a protector of the natural world. In 2007, he embarked on a journey that would lead him to becoming just that, when he discovered a nine-month intensive program at Wilderness Awareness school, called The Immersion.

In this episode, we discuss the transformation that is possible through immersing ourselves in deep nature and people connection with a small group of people that depend on each other. Participants often sign up for the program because of their interest in nature and the outdoors, but wind up getting so much more than they expected, including a lifelong community, and a sense of purpose and service to the future generations and the natural world.

We explore how pushing the boundaries of our knowledge and comfort zones together in nature, combined with witness each other's stories, leads to a deep self assuredness and healing connection to each other. We discuss how participants emerge as natural leaders and mentors, and share stories of what graduates have gone to create in their communities. Finally, we discuss the legacy of Wilderness Awareness School over 40+ years, Ingwe's vision for the sacred fire on their land, and how that connection has rippled out to thousands and thousands of people over the years.

About Richie

Richie Rivera-Booth has been a core instructor for The Immersion program for 11 years, and he finds this work to be the most meaningful way he can give back, by empowering others on their own path. Read his full bio here.

The Immersion at Wilderness Awareness School - accepting applications for Fall 2025

Imagine waking up in the morning, excited to go to class where you'll deeply connect with the natural world and see yourself evolving into a new kind of human.

Imagine being an important part of a nature-connected community committed to supporting your growth.

Imagine yourself after nine months of connecting with the natural world on physical, intellectual, and emotional levels, after expanding your comfort zone—leaving you capable of so much more than you've ever imagined.

The Immersion is a transformative, holistic learning experience focusing on eight core areas of study. The power of The Immersion lies in the integration of these subjects as an immersive experience.

Students finish this training with an end-of-year rite of passage, resulting in a greater understanding of their purpose and a lucid awareness of their passions and vision for their lives.

Based in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, The Immersion is a nine-month transformative journey of deep nature connection, wilderness skills, and self-discovery within a supportive community.

Learn More

Empowering the Connection Journey

Free Online Event - Mon, Mar 24, 6-8pm PDT

Join Jon Young for an evening to learn what nature can teach us when we hone our awareness, and how to empower this connection while finding a deep sense of purpose in relationship with the natural world. Sign Up Now

"I love that survival mentality; the will to solve problems…It gives you the confidence to tackle so many things…You believe in your resourcefulness and those around you."

Jason Knight is the founder of Alderleaf Wilderness College, best-selling author of The Essential Skills of Wilderness Survival, a Kamana graduate, and has been teaching nature connection, tracking, and survival for more than 25 years.

In today's episode, we explore Jason's lifelong interest in survival, his unlikely path to meeting Jon, and how that led to being mentored by him and ultimately to Jason starting the first year-long nature connection immersion program for adults. We reflect on how much the influence of Jon and Jason's work has spread across the world over the past 25+ years and the hope that brings, while remembering how much there is still left to be done. We also reflect on the inspiring power of learning survival skills and the confidence we gain from them, and how our deepening connection to nature tends to lead us to be called to mentor others in these same teachings. We hope you enjoy!

Essential Wilderness Survival Skills - Online Course

What You Need to Know to Stay Alive in the Outdoors

Learn the core skills of survival - shelter, water, fire, and food - in a format that allows you to participate at home and at your own pace. Come away with practical life-saving skills, a deeper relationship with nature, greater confidence, and resources to share with your family & friends for fun and in emergencies.

In this course you will:

• Understand the survival mindset
• Learn how to build natural shelter
• Experience how to make fire from friction
• Learn how to find and purify water
• Understand how to safely forage for wild foods
• Know how to better prevent and prepare for emergencies

Jason is offering Tracking Connections Podcast listeners a special price, with Connection 1st as an affiliate partner.

The course normally sells for $397 but it's available for $97 if you sign up by March 4th. Your purchase will help support Jason's work and ours.

Learn More or Sign Up Here

About Jason Knight

Jason is passionate about helping people learn wilderness survival skills. Since 1997, he's taught thousands of people, including training hundreds of adults to become survival instructors. He has consulted as a local wilderness skills expert for the Discovery Channel and has been featured on NPR. He is a cofounder and instructor at Alderleaf Wilderness College, one of the leading outdoor schools in the United States offering courses on wilderness survival to the general public and a broad range of clients including the US Forest Service, the Seattle Mountaineers, and the cast of the award-winning film Captain Fantastic. Jason is also the author of the best-selling book, The Essential Skills of Wilderness Survival.

--

Our next episode will release on Mar 12, 2025.

The transcript for this episode is available here.

"It doesn’t matter how long it's been since I've had an experience with nature. As soon as I show up, nature is there for me."

Maria Buitenhuis is a host and facilitator of the upcoming online course Ecological Homecoming, based on the 8 Shields. She has extensive experience supporting people to deepen their connection to nature, including our own inner nature as part of the larger natural landscape. She is the co-founder of GIFT (Global Institute of Forest Therapy) and the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy.

In this episode, we explore how the natural world welcomes us into connection, the power of names, ways in which the trees can transform our perspective, nature's capacity to receive our emotions, and the message that the starling brings. It is a wide-ranging, magical conversation that will inspire you to go outside and find a few quiet moments to connect with the natural world. Enjoy!

--

Maria's upcoming program, Ecological Homecoming, begins March 19th. Learn More

--

Visit Living Connection 1st for more information about our work in nature connection and people connection.

--

Our next episode will release on Feb 26, 2025.

The transcript for this episode is available here.

"Someone said to me, ‘We have all the tools and techniques we need for widespread earth repair at the moment.’ Ok, so why is that not happening then? And the answer is always about people."

Looby Macnamara leads a productive career as a pioneer of permaculture and co-founder of Cultural Emergence. She is an author, facilitator, designer, gardener, mother, and has written 4 books; Cultural Emergence, People & Permaculture, 7 Ways to Think Differently and Strands of Infinity. ​

In this episode, Looby joins us on a Design Adventure. We discuss the nature of vision, how we are all visionary, and how Looby's Design Web helps us to discover our vision in different areas of our lives and move into action in a flowing, easy way.

View the Design Web and learn all about Design Adventures here

If you're looking for a simple way to get started with Design Web, check out Looby's Design Your Week course

View Looby's bio here

--

Visit Living Connection 1st for more information about our work in nature connection and people connection.

--

Our next episode will release on Feb 12, 2025.

The transcript for this episode is available here.

"The message of healing you bring to attend to individual and cultural wounding is paradoxically undermined or attacked by the very same wounding you would seek to heal.”

What about deep nature connection work, and mentoring for connection, brings about this paradox? Why do we rebel against our mentors? How do our own wounds prevent us from fully sharing our gifts? In this episode, we dig deeply into these questions, inspired by the quote above, and explore it from many angles with Dr. Bill Sutherland.

Note: This topic came about as a result of a conversation Jon and Bill had, back in Dec 2024, as part of their Renewal of Creative Path process. If you want to learn more about the Renewal of Creative Path process, listen to Episode 36 - Renewal Routines for Connection.

Learn more about some of Dr. Bill's work at https://www.complexitymedicine.org/

--

Visit Living Connection 1st for more information about our work in nature connection and people connection.

--

Our next episode will release on January 29, 2025.

The transcript for this episode is available here.

"The vision is the journey, and the journey is now.” -Tom Brown Jr.

In today's episode, we take a look at the power of renewal routines as a tool for deepening connection with ourselves. Jon shares a process he learned from Tom Brown Jr, which he has named Renewal of Creative Path, and the benefits that process has had on his life since he was a teenager. Sarah and Aidan share their own experiences and reflections on renewal routines, and what they have gained from integrating these routines into their lives on yearly, monthly, or even daily basis.

Renewal of Creative Path can be a very in-depth process that takes multiple weeks and many hours of reflection and conversation to complete. However, it can also be a shorter process. The following is a very quick look at the steps in the process, which Jon shares in greater detail during the podcast.

1. What connects us in our lives to nature, ourselves, and other people?

2. What are the obstacles to connection in our lives?

3. Tracking patterns of synchronicity and help from nature

4. Inventory of gifts, passions, and talents

5. Backtracking the stepping stones of visions and gifts

6. Release expectations and offering forgiveness

Pause, gather from steps 1-6, and reflect. Repeat as needed until you feel complete.

7. Create the ideal scene

8. Reflections with ancestors and future generations

--

Visit Living Connection 1st for more information about our work in nature connection and people connection.

--

Our next episode will release on January 15, 2025.

The transcript for this episode is available here.

"My life’s work is connecting people deeply to nature, each other and themselves. Through over 50 years of mentoring, I’ve seen that deep nature connection changes us on a profound level. Deep connection rewires our nervous system and boosts our wellbeing and potential. "

In today's episode, Jon shares about the 512 Project, which is a culmination of more than four decades of research into the cultural practices that foster connection, resulting in a video series that looks closely at each of these 64 Cultural Elements and shares stories of their benefits and how we can integrate them into our own lives.

Bonus Audio - At the end of the episode, we have included the complete audio of Greeting Customs, which is the first part of the series. You can also watch it on Youtube and share with friends and family.

Click here to learn more about the 512 Project and view the 512 Project map of all 64 videos.

Our next episode will release on January 1, 2025.

The transcript for this episode is available here.