Outdoor Classrooms: Nature-Based Teaching and Learning for Educators and Parents

Episode 222: Vivalina Grows a Gourd! From Garden to Classroom with Graham Ottoson & Ann Kumpf What if one tiny seed could inspire a world of creativity, curiosity, and outdoor learning? In this episode of The Outdoor Classrooms Podcast , host Victoria Hackett welcomes Graham Ottoson , artist, author, and founder of Gourdlandia in Ithaca, New York, and Ann Kumpf , outdoor educator and nature-ba...

Episode 221: Farm School’d: Bringing Forest School to Every Child with Dr. Jean Lomino What if the principles of forest school weren’t limited to forest schools? In this episode of the Outdoor Classrooms Podcast, I’m joined by Dr. Jean Lomino , founder of the Forest School Teacher Institute, co-founder of Tennessee’s first forest kindergarten, and a longtime leader in nature-based education. Jean...

Episode 220: Winter Friends: Cultivating Wonder Through Nature with Peter Dargatz What happens when we slow down, step outside, and give children time to truly notice the natural world around them? In this episode of The Outdoor Classrooms Podcast , I’m joined by educator, nature kindergarten teacher, and author Peter Dargatz to celebrate his new children’s book, Winter Friends . Peter is also the...

Episode 219: What Becomes Possible: Celebrating Our Outdoor Classrooms Teacher Certification Graduates What happens when educators are given a framework, a community, and permission to see their outdoor spaces through a different lens? In this special episode of The Outdoor Classrooms Podcast , we’re celebrating the newest graduates of the Outdoor Classrooms Teacher Certification Program and the i...

From Overgrown Land to Outdoor Learning: Inside W.I.S.E. Forest School in Japan What happens when you look at an overgrown piece of land and see possibility? In this special Tour & Talk episode of The Outdoor Classrooms Podcast , I’m joined by Robert from W.I.S.E. Forest School in Wakayama, Japan , for a conversation about creating a place where children can learn, explore, take risks, and bui...

September in the Outdoor Classroom: Notice, Adjust, Simplify, Repeat September is full of new routines, new children, and plans that don’t always work quite the way we imagined. But what if that doesn’t mean something is going wrong? What if September is simply giving us information? In this episode of the Outdoor Classrooms Podcast , Victoria explores how small systems can make teaching outdoors...

The Seasons of an Outdoor Classroom: How to Adapt, Grow & Teach Through Change What happens when you plan the perfect first day in your outdoor classroom…and then it rains? In this episode, I’m taking you into the Secret Gardens Outdoor Classroom, where our first day back became a lesson in pivoting, noticing, and embracing what the season gives us. We’ll explore how changing weather, falling...

Episode #215: Look Up: What Teaching Outdoors Can Teach Us About Attention, Screens & the Culture We Create What if one of the greatest gifts of teaching outdoors is simply learning to pay attention again? In this episode, Victoria begins with an ordinary moment: sitting on the couch, surrounded by screens, and feeling frustrated that "together time" didn't actually feel very together. Then ca...

The Power of Being in the Room: Why Nature-Based Educators Need Each Other Have you ever felt like you’re swimming upstream as a nature-based educator? You believe in getting children outside. You see the learning, confidence, curiosity, and connection that happen there. But when you’re constantly explaining—or even defending—why this work matters, it can be easy to start questioning yourself. In...

The Messy Middle of Your Outdoor Classroom: Permission to Start Small What if your outdoor classroom doesn’t need to be finished—or even close to perfect—to be meaningful? In this episode, we’re talking about two permissions every outdoor educator needs: permission to start small and permission to embrace the messy middle. It’s easy to look at a beautiful, established outdoor classroom and think y...

Taking the Leap: What a Hut-to-Hut Trek in Sweden Taught Me About Outdoor Classrooms & Community What happens when you say yes before you feel completely ready? In this episode, I’m taking you along on my hut-to-hut trek through Sweden—and sharing the unexpected lessons I brought home about courage, Outdoor Classrooms, and community. Along the trail, I was reminded that we don't need to see th...

Clara’s Curiosity: Foxy Friends, Nature & Wonder with Karen Belanger-Richmond What happens when a child’s curiosity leads her outside—and she discovers a family of foxes? In this episode of the Outdoor Classrooms Podcast , I’m joined by children’s author Karen Belanger-Richmond , author of Clara’s Curiosity & Her Foxy Friends . Karen shares the inspiration behind Clara’s story and how a re...

Episode 210: Inside Nature Forward Nature Preschool: Carlos Duque on Curiosity, Confidence & Belonging What happens when we give children the time, space, and freedom to follow their curiosity? In this episode of the Outdoor Classrooms Podcast , Victoria Hackett sits down with Carlos Duque , Preschool Director at Nature Forward , to explore how nature-based education helps children develop con...

Raising Wild Little Wonderers: How Nature Shapes Curious, Confident Children with Sophie O'Borne What if the greatest gift we can give children isn't another activity—but the freedom to wonder? In this episode of the Outdoor Classrooms Podcast , Victoria Hackett welcomes Sophie O'Borne , founder of Wild Little Wonderers , for a heartfelt conversation about raising children who are deeply connected...

Episode 208: The Life We Model: What Children Learn from the Way We Live As outdoor educators, we spend a great deal of time thinking about what children need—but how often do we pause to consider what they are learning simply by watching us? In this reflective episode, I explore the quiet lessons we teach through the way we live. As I prepare for an upcoming hut-to-hut trek through the Swedish Hi...

What happens when we trust children, trust nature, and trust ourselves enough to do education differently? In this episode of the Outdoor Classrooms Podcast, Victoria Hackett sits down with Mel Merchand, founder of Oro-Medonte Forest School, to explore what it really takes to build a thriving forest school and nature-based learning community. Going beyond the basics, Mel shares the behind-the-scen...

Nature According to Children: Voices from the Secret Gardens Outdoor Classroom What do children really think about nature? In this special episode of the Outdoor Classrooms Podcast, we turn the microphone over to the children of Secret Gardens Outdoor Classroom. Through a series of mini-interviews, children share their thoughts about being outdoors, their favorite nature experiences, and what they...

Episode # 205: Nature, Neuroscience & Meaning: What We’re Learning About Connection, Awe & the Developing Brain In this episode, I explore the connection between nature, neuroscience, and meaning-making in early childhood education . Inspired by Dr. Lisa Miller’s work, I reflect on what research is beginning to show about how nature supports regulation, attention, and a sense of connection...

Nature in the Classroom with Ernesto Rodriguez: Creating Calmer, More Focused Learning Spaces What if supporting children's focus, well-being, and learning could begin with the spaces where they spend their day? In this episode, Victoria Hackett sits down with Ernesto Rodriguez, founder of Nature in the Classroom, to explore how nature-inspired learning environments can help children feel calmer,...

Episode 203: Summer Outdoor Classroom Ideas Across Four Teaching Gardens Summer brings a powerful shift in the outdoor classroom—but many educators find themselves wondering how to move beyond maintenance into intentional, meaningful outdoor learning. In this episode, we explore how to reimagine your outdoor classroom for summer through four “teaching gardens” that support curiosity, exploration,...

From Mud Kitchens to College Graduation Outdoor Learning, Childhood & the Growth We Don’t Always See This episode connects a deeply personal moment—watching a son graduate from Cornell University—with reflections on childhood, parenting, and the long arc of development. From mud kitchens to outdoor classrooms, it explores how children grow in ways that are often invisible in the moment—but und...

Episode #201: Turn Back Time with Lisa Burris: Reclaiming Childhood Through Outdoor Learning What happens when children are given time, space, and freedom to connect deeply with nature? In this inspiring episode, I sit down with Lisa Burris, founder of Turn Back Time, to explore the transformative power of outdoor learning, connection, and childhood wonder. Lisa shares the story behind Turn Back T...

Episode #200: Aging Well Through Nature: Lessons from My 93-Year-Old Mother’s Garden This Mother’s Day, I visited my 93-year-old mother and spent time in her garden—a living, breathing oasis filled with flowers, birds, sunlight, and the quiet rhythm of seasonal change. As I watched her move through this familiar space, I found myself reflecting on something we often overlook: nature is not just fo...

The Legacy You’re Already Living: Nature-Based Education, Outdoor Learning & the Power of Attention What if legacy isn’t something we leave behind—but something we build every day? In this episode, we explore how nature-based education shapes children through attention, connection, and repeated experiences outdoors. Through a story from the Secret Gardens Outdoor Classroom, a simple puddle bec...

🎧 Beyond the Front Door with José Bergeron: Small Shifts That Transform Family & Classroom Life Outdoors What if the most meaningful learning—for both families and classrooms—begins just beyond the front door? In this episode, I’m joined by José Bergeron , author of Beyond the Front Door: Embracing Nature for a Happier and Healthier Family , to explore how simple, everyday moments in nature c...