Episode 46 - Forest Educator Spotlight: Big Questions Facing Forest Education
11/13/23 • 29 min
The future of nature based learning looks bright, due to a growing awareness of the benefits of time spent outside.
It's an exciting time to be an educator right now, and there is a lot of reason to have a very real sense of hope that has been a long time in coming.
There are tens of thousands of nature educators who have been working for decades to help make this happen, and that generally has happened with low pay, long hours and self-created curriculum and activities. It's truly a grassroots process that deserves it's 'moment' in the greater field of education, both private and public.
However, there is a big jump from grassroots to legitimate public education partner, and that jump is not without risk and challenges.
In this episode, I share some of the biggest questions I have had running through my head as I contemplate this process, and how it might succeed (or fail) in the coming years. Right now, there are more questions than answers, but asking the right things can help us find options and solutions so we don't have to reinvent the wheel or 'wing it' when the stakes are high.
I'm hoping this audio can help stimulate YOUR big questions, and maybe generate some ideas and solutions along the way. After all, it's going to take ALL of us sharing our thoughts and opinions to find some different, unique models for urban schools, or older grades, or staff and teacher training. Part of the vision of this podcast is to bring us together and hear lots of different and unique voices and perspectives, and celebrate them all.
Connect with Ricardo:
https://www.foresteducator.com/
https://www.theforestboxforkids.com/
Linkedin:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ricardo-sierra-5980931/
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/wolverineway/
Facebook:
The future of nature based learning looks bright, due to a growing awareness of the benefits of time spent outside.
It's an exciting time to be an educator right now, and there is a lot of reason to have a very real sense of hope that has been a long time in coming.
There are tens of thousands of nature educators who have been working for decades to help make this happen, and that generally has happened with low pay, long hours and self-created curriculum and activities. It's truly a grassroots process that deserves it's 'moment' in the greater field of education, both private and public.
However, there is a big jump from grassroots to legitimate public education partner, and that jump is not without risk and challenges.
In this episode, I share some of the biggest questions I have had running through my head as I contemplate this process, and how it might succeed (or fail) in the coming years. Right now, there are more questions than answers, but asking the right things can help us find options and solutions so we don't have to reinvent the wheel or 'wing it' when the stakes are high.
I'm hoping this audio can help stimulate YOUR big questions, and maybe generate some ideas and solutions along the way. After all, it's going to take ALL of us sharing our thoughts and opinions to find some different, unique models for urban schools, or older grades, or staff and teacher training. Part of the vision of this podcast is to bring us together and hear lots of different and unique voices and perspectives, and celebrate them all.
Connect with Ricardo:
https://www.foresteducator.com/
https://www.theforestboxforkids.com/
Linkedin:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ricardo-sierra-5980931/
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/wolverineway/
Facebook:
Previous Episode
Episode 45 - The Amazonian Rainforest Adventures of Joe Flowers: Creating life changing experiences in the Jungles of South America
There are a lot of different and unique ways to enter the field of nature education, and you'd think that designing knives wouldn't be one of them. But that's exactly the way Joe discovered a passion for wilderness, bushcraft and native culture.
In this episode, we discuss the safety issues that come along with the process of leading jungle experiences, from poison dart frogs to piranhas and more. He shares how people respond to spending time in this diverse and rich ecosystem, learning not just from Joe but also the native peoples of that region who are willing to share their unique connection to rainforest life.
It's always exciting to learn and hear about how forest education differs around the world, and I am very excited to share our conversation with you about Joe's work!
Connect with Joe:
https://www.instagram.com/joe_flowers_bushcraft_global/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCg3e3sv8kE56jN1wHvbyPDg
Connect with Ricardo:
https://www.foresteducator.com/
https://www.theforestboxforkids.com/
Linkedin:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ricardo-sierra-5980931/
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/wolverineway/
Facebook:
Next Episode
Episode 47 - Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Forest Education with Todd Davis
My guest today is Todd Davis, a professor at the Delta State University down in the Mississippi Delta region. As an educator in an area with a very split population when it comes to racial and economic demographics, diversity, equity, and inclusion are topics that are at the forefront of Todd's work. In this episode, we are talking about cultural heritage and the outdoors, diversity and representation in outdoor recreation marketing, race inequality and allyship in a small Mississippi community, mental wellness, and so much more.
Connect with Ricardo:
https://www.foresteducator.com/
https://www.theforestboxforkids.com/
Linkedin:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ricardo-sierra-5980931/
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/wolverineway/
Facebook:
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