Let’s Talk Outdoors

Leah and Mike connect with David Pratt to chat about Indigenous connection to land, treaty rights, and reconciliation. David is the first Vice-Chief of the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations (FSIN) . 

Kristine Levesque joins Mike and Leah to discuss her involvement with the DePave Paradise Project. Kristine shares about a successful project at Walter Murray Collegiate in Saskatoon where they transformed a run-down tennis court into a space for outdoor learning and food education.

Join Mike and Leah as they chat with Skyler Haugan about respect, time, and adventures. Skyler runs an organization called The Moment Outdoors which focusses on encouraging people to put down their digital devices and explore Saskatchewan's landscape. 

This episode, join Leah and Brooklyn as they chat with Annika Mang from Born to Be Adventurous . Topics covered include ideas for getting families outside on adventures, breastfeeding in the backcountry, wild life precautions, the TrailCollectiv app, food ideas, and her book, Hikes for Families . 

Mike and Leah connect with Zoe Arnold from Wildernook Fresh Air Learning . Zoe shares about risky play, using tools, and supporting both outdoor and garden education.

This week, Mike and Leah are joined by Mary Smillie. Mary is a farmer located near Davidson, Saskatchewan and is a leading member of the Treaty Land Sharing Network. Tune into the conversation as they chat about sustainable agriculture, reconciliation, and allyship.    For further information, check out the Globe and Mail's article about the importance of the Treaty Land Sharing Network and the Re...

Join Mike and Leah as they talk with Ann Coxworth about her lifetime of work in the environmental sector, her early years and our place in the world.  Learn more about the Saskatchewan Environmental Society .

Join Mike and Leah as they talk with Samantha Gunn about her journey as an outdoor educator.  Samantha works at Brightwater Science, Environmental and Indigenous Learning Centre and leads the Climate Educator’s Network.  We talk about connection to the land, solo time, and shifts in educational programming. Also mentioned is the One School One Farm project.  You can listen back to our interview ab...

Join Leah and Mike as they talk to Jen Mason about Forest Schools, child led learning, play, and the Child and Nature Alliance of Canada. Jen shares what led her to becoming an outdoor educator and her philosophy of play and learning.

Elizabeth Bekolay is the founder of One School One Farm Shelterbelt project. Her background is in biology and ecology and she specializes in outdoor education of all kinds. She works as an interpreter at the Brightwater Science, Environmental and Indigenous Learning Centre and has her hand in a plethora in environmental initiatives in Saskatchewan. For more information about the One School One Far...

Mike and Leah connect with Claire Miller from Wildernook, as she shares with us why we all should visit Little Red River Park in Prince Albert. She also talks about the North East Swale in Saskatoon, and how we can connect with and take care of these areas. We also get a glimpse into Wildernook and why we should celebrate and enjoy winter rather than hibernate away from it.  Claire shares ideas fo...

Joyce Belcher is a biologist, life coach, and writing teacher. She has spent a good portion of her life being inspired by “big skies, intact prairie grasslands and forest trails.” Join Heather and Derek as they chat about Joyce’s time in the prairies and her way of connecting to nature. If you'd like to connect with Joyce and learn more about her work, check out her website: https://www.joycebelch...

Leah and Mike caught up with Canadian Wildlife Federation's Wild Outside Youth Leadership Specialist, Raea Gooding, for this special summer episode. Join the conversation as Raea talks about environmental youth programming in Saskatoon and Saskatchewan while giving tips and helpful hints on where to hike and how to prepare for your next solo trek or group adventure in the outdoors. If you love pad...

Dr. Janet McVittie is a recently retired Assistant Professor at the University of Saskatchewan and a 2021 Bernie Melanson Award Winner for lifetime achievement in education. Join us as we discuss place-based education, Janet’s work with pre-service teachers, and Janet’s thoughts about what would make the world a better place.

June is the Saskatchewan Parks and Recreation Association's Parks and Rec Month. To celebrate outdoor enjoyment in our province, we asked our board and staff about their favourite memories from Saskatchewan parks. Younger family members got involved too and the result is a four season celebration of recreation in Saskatchewan. This special bonus episode contains stories about hiking, skiing, schoo...

Today Heather & Mike chat with Ric Driediger. Ric is a canoe enthusiast who is an expert of the Churchill River. He is the owner and operator of Churchill River Canoe Outfitters, where paddlers from all around North America travel out of their way to tell stories around Ric’s campfire. Ric recently released a book: “Paddling Northern Saskatchewan: A Guide to 80 Canoe Routes.” In this episode, we’r...

Heather and Derek join Saskatchewanian Michelle Wohlberg to talk about her experience as a contestant on season 6 of History Channel's, Alone. She shares her experience spending 48 days alone in the bush in the sub arctic. We dig into what it's really like to be alone that long, skills to survive, and the difference between what actually happened, and what ends up on TV, and how to get started get...

Join Leah and Derek as they chat with Rebecca Basset from Back40 Wilderness First Aid. We chat about advice for taking your family out adventuring, leading groups of students, and going out with friends. Gear and first aid ideas, along with lots of actionable advice on how to make sure you're prepared for what might come your way.  Connect with Rebecca online: https://www.back40training.com/ https...

If you have ever been to a bookstore in Saskatchewan, you have probably seen the travel books written by writers Robin and Arlene Karpan. They are the award-winning writers behind The Great Saskatchewan Bucket List. In this episode, Robin and Arlene talk about their lifelong work as travel writers, photographers, and book publishers, while focusing on their own Saskatchewan adventures and their lo...

Join Leah & Derek as they chat with Land-Based Learning teacher and new musher Garrick Schmidt about what it's like running land-based programming during the pandemic. Garrick also shares advice about getting started, and talks about his experiences running dogs and how he got started with dog sledding! 

Ashlyn George is the award-winning adventurer and writer behind  The Lost Girl's Guide to Finding the World  blog. She is the go-to travel expert in Saskatchewan but is no stranger to trips abroad. Having travelled solo through more than 60 countries on all 7 continents, she's a passionate storyteller in pursuit of excitement, learning and discovery. When not on the road, you can find her adventur...

Leah & Derek sit down with Kevin Lewis about Land-Based Learning, stories from the boreal forest, making birch bark canoes, connections between Cree language and the land, and where and how you might look to get started for yourself. Kevin is both knowledgeable and entertaining as he weaves together teachings and stories in this episode. Check out some resources Kevin recommends in the episode for...

Heather and Derek catch up with Jeff Moore. Because of his own nature-immersed childhood, Jeff has a lot of recommendations for parents and families about getting outdoors and fostering a love for nature. Join us for ideas for getting started with getting outdoors, and some great words of wisdom from Jeff for all parents. 

Derek & Leah chat with Andrea Nelson about the Leave No Trace Seven Principles: Plan Ahead and Prepare Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces Dispose of Waste Properly Leave What You Find Minimize Campfire Impacts Respect Wildlife Be Considerate of Other Visitors Resources: https://www.leavenotrace.ca/home https://www.adventuresmart.ca/  

This week Heather and Derek sit down to chat with Chris Clark to talk about Outdoor Learning. Join us for a discussion about about research and how Outdoor Learning is different from Outdoor Ed, discussions on some barriers, and ultimately some great ideas for roads in to getting started with Outdoor Learning in your own classroom. Learn more about Chris here: https://engagedstudent.weebly.com/out...