Earthy Chats Podcast

Grab a dip net and go! You might soon find yourself inadvertently getting a fish massage. Maybe you'll give rockpooling a go. If you're not sure what rockpooling is, you'll find out after hearing a story of crustacean drama in a shrinking tidal pool on Vancouver Island. Ian and Jade also share their tips for expanding your pond/stream study toolkit, using dichotomous keys to identify macroinverteb...

How can something as simple and inexpensive as a magnifying glass be such a powerful outdoor learning tool? In what ways can we use magnifiers to engage some students with diverse learning needs? Is getting an up-close-and-personal look at "bugs" a means of helping students overcome their fear of "creepy crawlies"? Ian and Jade covered all of this, while also recounting a story of getting maybe a...

What's "bad weather"? For that matter, what's "good weather"? What learning opportunities open up when the clouds burst? How can we optimize watershed-based education? Jade and Ian unpacked these questions, while sharing stories of flooded jungles (on two different continents) and capping off rainy field work with a visit to a cozy Scottish pub. They also touched on "Beaver Fever," Giant Squid, mo...

Our Fables from the Field summer sub-series continues with Ian and Jade discussing times when binoculars factored prominently in outdoor experiences, from observing a perched Bald Eagle with 12 remarkably patient children to receiving the stink eye from a group of birders (or is it "birdwatchers"?). They also dig into the differences between "twitchers" (AKA "listers") and people who simply enjoy...

In this first episode of our Fables from the Field summer sub-series, Ian and Jade discuss the value of sit spots, slowing down while out in nature, and the usefulness of sit pads. They also share stories from past adventures in Iceland (when a sit pad would have come in quite handy). Also, do you remember how to pronounce the name of the volcano that erupted in southern Iceland in 2010? Jade does...

Ft. outdoor and garden educator Kaci Rae Christopher In the fourth episode of Earthy Chats, co-hosts Jade Harvey-Berrill and Ian Shanahan chatted with outdoor and garden educator Kaci Rae Christopher, author of The School Garden Curriculum ! Here's a sneak-peek at what was discussed: *growing a science mindset through gardening *finding connections to systems thinking *how storytelling fits into "...

Ft. Aboriginal Education Coordinator Faye O'Neil  In the third episode of Earthy Chats, co-hosts Jade Harvey-Berrill and Ian Shanahan chatted with educator Faye O'Neil of the ?aqam Community in the Ktunaxa Nation! Here's a sneak-peek at what was discussed: *a childhood in nature *gaining knowledge from the land *gaps in the education system and how to fill them *making partnerships and maintaining...

Ft. Envirosongsters  Peter Lenton (aka Peter Puffin) and Remy Rodden In the second episode of Earthy Chats, co-hosts Jade Harvey-Berrill and Ian Shanahan chatted with the Envirosongsters , Peter Lenton (aka Peter Puffin) and Remy Rodden! Here's a sneak-peek at what was discussed: *the birth of the Envirosongsters collaboration *Peter and Remy's process for creating EE songs for kids *the role of s...

Ft. Dr. Gillian Judson of imaginED and the Faculty of Education at Simon Fraser University   The premier episode of Earthy Chats has arrived! Co-hosts Jade Harvey-Berrill and Ian Shanahan chatted with Dr. Gillian Judson of imaginED and the Faculty of Education at Simon Fraser University . Here's a sneak-peek at what we discussed: *the role of imagination in meaningful learning for learners of all...