Forest Educator with Ricardo Sierra | A Podcast for Revolutionary Conversations about Nature-Based Education

If there is a defining moment for nature education in the past five years, it always seems to be found during the Covid Pandemic.  It was in this time that we see major shifts in the way we work, teach, learn and grow, as it accentuated the many changes that children, youth, families and adults were already showing prior to the coronavirus, and virtually all nature programs felt the effects.    In...

There is one thing that is certain in our world, whether or not we 'believe' in climate change, and that is that our lives and the lives of our young students, is going to change.  A lot.   Being adaptable, fluid, responsive and creative are key necessary ingredients to have if we want to be able to handle change in a positive way.  Most people struggle with even minor changes in their lives, espe...

I've always been able to quickly tell the difference between someone with years of actual hands on experience in bushcraft, nature skills or crafts, from those with just a little.  It's seen mostly in the way that skills are presented, or how the preparation is put in, or in the choice of words in a social media post or photo description.  When four or five tiny things begin to add up, I start pay...

Some Forest Educators seem to create amazing program and organization names effortlessly, with titles that evoke strong feelings, qualities and almost magnetic pull that draws in people excited to participate.    Some of us have to work REALLY HARD to get names that are 'fair' or serviceable, after a long process and hours of crystal ball gazing.    The fact is, finding a great name is both an art...

In a small town in Texas near Fort Worth, there is a program that seems to do everything.  On the surface, they seem like a typical summer camp, but they do so many other special things that serve the local community:  Bereavement camps.  Project Wild education.  Fishing & Angler Education.  Private Retreats for Adults.  Off Season School Groups. Wilderness Survival or Science Themed Summer Camps...

When it comes to nature awareness and personal awareness, I've found it useful to see and perceive it in a few different ways.    Sometimes I see it in a mythological or 'rite of passage' perspective, and other times, I see it more from an 'awareness and perception' perspective. In this episode, I share some of the stages of awareness my campers, or students or staff have gone through in their jou...

When we remove all of the 'non-teaching stuff' that surrounds our profession, we educators are left with an opportunity- to connect with the 'still maturing' mind of our young students.   We can have all the trappings and bells and whistles and laptops or digital projectors or classroom props and decorations, but if we don't have the ability to make a real, personal, one on one connection to these...

There is no question that being in nature is 'healing' in both a practical and therapeutic sense, because this has been demonstrated in an impressive list of nature focused studies by researchers in several different countries from reputable academic institutions.    In this episode we dive into the different 'layers' of healing, from several different perspectives, and discuss how nature educatio...

When we remove all of the 'non-teaching stuff' that surrounds our profession, we educators are left with an opportunity- to connect with the 'still maturing' mind of our young students.   We can have all the trappings and bells and whistles and laptops or digital projectors or classroom props and decorations, but if we don't have the ability to make a real, personal, one on one connection to these...

There are so many powerful learning elements that are part of the expansive topic of 'Food', it's hard to know where to start.    When it comes to nature based learning, campfire cooking and 'hearthcraft', we can start with campfire circle design, hardwood vs softwood firewood, cooking utensils and the like.   Or we can just jump right into the cooking, and get our flavor receptors firing with mor...

This episode explores the powerful role that communication and visibility skills play in the overall long term success of our nature programs.    It's not a reach to say that they are absolutely essential for us to master, and they are also the skills that we probably are the most reluctant to practice.      Nature Educator April Zajko M.Ed. and I dive into these concepts and we share stories abou...

The problem with 'awareness' is that it is 'on' even when we would prefer it wasn't.    Once we open that capacity, it helps us see the world in new ways-both the beautiful and the painful. In addition to noticing the incredible birdsong or wildflowers, we also see the trash littered across the landscape, or the ragged destruction caused by wanton development.     We know the joy of our personal r...

I have a penchant for the term 'Unsung Hero', because I believe it's an accurate assessment of so many of us 'nature educators' who plug away at their work, day in and day out, rarely getting accolades or even credit for their contributions to the field.     I'm going to use it again here with this episode's guest, because he's earned it many times over through the decades of his innovation, free...

After doing fifty interviews with incredible educators and also fifty solo 'spotlight' episodes, I thought it was worth a moment to share some of my biggest 'aha' moments, surprising discoveries and also where this podcast might be going in Year Two.       Doing two episodes a week has been an honor and a privilege, and also exhausting at times, too!    I am not sure how I managed it, some months,...

It's never easy to be 'the first' in a pioneering effort.  There is always a constant push to communicate the value, and the need, and the positive outcomes to people who may not even know they are missing out on something amazing and important.    Each generation that follows has it a little easier, because they are arriving and standing on the foundations that the first pioneer laid, for the ben...

I've always been drawn to areas that are desolate, open and devoid of human presence, and this episode explores the power of our desert landscapes through my own stories and experiences.     Deserts are far more than sand and cactus, and most people speed through them as fast as humanly possible.   There are gifts to be found if we learn how to approach these unique places in ways that change us i...

Sometimes, nature education can be 'up close and personal', like a walk in the woods, or picking raspberries.  Sometimes, it's more about paradigm shifts, technology strategies and learning to avoid being manipulated by intellectually dishonest players in our current systems.    In this conversation with author and educator Jeff Share, we talk about some of the fundamental problems around climate...

According to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, 1 out of 5 U.S. children ages 3-17 has a mental, emotional, behavioral or developmental disorder. Anxiety disorders are the most common psychiatric conditions in children and adolescents, affecting nearly 1 in 12 children and 1 in 4 adolescents. This means that it's almost a certainty that if you are working with children, teens or adult...

I am pretty sure I would have enjoyed my high school chemistry classes more if they had been taught by my guest Peter Kindfield, who shares his methodology and approach in outdoor learning.  His experiences demonstrate again how important our work is, for all of us in this field, and to discuss these topics, because I believe we are piloting the future models of early childhood, elementary and mid...

One of the very first challenges educators have today is finding a way to connect with students, and then inspiring them to engage with the activities and experiences offered because THEY want to, not because they HAVE to.   Without that key ingredient, we can't really go anywhere.  Full stop.   If you have experienced difficulty with this, you will know exactly what a problem it is, and how excru...

Many Forest School Leaders begin their educational nature journey in the fields of Bushcraft, and ancestral skills.  Some come from a background in public education, while others get their start in Special Education.  Others still come from an occupational therapy or mental health background.  All seem to respond to the needs of children, and a desire to help them grow and thrive. Most of us don't...

In every program, just like in life, there are things that are clearly defined, established and understood, and then there are the 'grey areas'.  These are places where expectations can grow, issues can be unmet and problems can hang out, in the twilight gloom of our nature school or forest kindergarten. Left unchecked, these grey areas can create enough friction and frustration that it can someti...

It's not uncommon at the end of a meaningful nature program to see one person who is still sitting at the campfire, reluctant to leave.  The impact to our participant's lives can be significant, and it's difficult for some to return to their everyday lives, which can be lonely or filled with unsatisfying relationships.    Nature work often intersects with community building, personal growth, healt...

The field of nature education is incredibly diverse, and this can make designing good staff training programs difficult, especially for new program directors or leaders. What are some of the problems that come up when we try to deliver and download a lot of information to people in a short period of time?  How do we emphasize important topics and make them 'sticky' so they will be clear if needed?...

One of the goals of this podcast is to shine some light on the accomplishments and hard work of amazing naturalists and educators like Amy Butler.  Her tireless work in the northern heart of Vermont has led to nature based programs for youth, wonderful staff training, public school partnerships and a thriving North Branch Nature Center. In our conversation, Amy shares details about her book 'Educa...