Episode 90 - Forest Educator Spotlight: Staff Training for Nature Programs
04/15/24 • 48 min
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? How do we evaluate our current staff training and know if they are working well, or could use improvement?
This episode dives into the deep end with this subject, because consistency in our forest programs, no matter who we serve and in what setting, is one of the key elements of establishing our work in a professional manner. It keeps us safe, our participants safe and helps us feel confident knowing that our staff can handle the daily issues that pop up on any given day out in the field.
Join the Forest Educator Patreon!
https://patreon.com/ForestEducatorPodcast
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/the_forest_educator_podcast/
Facebook:
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? How do we evaluate our current staff training and know if they are working well, or could use improvement?
This episode dives into the deep end with this subject, because consistency in our forest programs, no matter who we serve and in what setting, is one of the key elements of establishing our work in a professional manner. It keeps us safe, our participants safe and helps us feel confident knowing that our staff can handle the daily issues that pop up on any given day out in the field.
Join the Forest Educator Patreon!
https://patreon.com/ForestEducatorPodcast
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/the_forest_educator_podcast/
Facebook:
Previous Episode
Episode 89 - Teacher, Mentor, Author, Advocate: The Natural Evolution of Amy Butler
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 'Educating Children Outdoors', which is a guide for teachers and educators to achieve outstanding results for students of all ages. She shares stories from her early adventures in earth skills, tracking and nature studies, and her work as a teacher in various roles and educational settings.
We dive into a number of issues that seem to come up for all nature educators when they begin to partner with public schools, and Amy shares her successes from her extensive experience. It is always inspiring and insightful to talk to someone who has been walking the talk for decades, and to hear about her new book.
Amy's Book Educating Children Outdoors: https://www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/book/9781501771903/educating-children-outdoors/#bookTabs=1
Website: https://amybutlervermont.com/
Instagram: @amycoyotevt
@topshackliftie
X (twitter): @amycoyote
Affiliated Organization: northbranchnaturecenter.org
Join the Forest Educator Patreon!
https://patreon.com/ForestEducatorPodcast
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/the_forest_educator_podcast/
Facebook:
Next Episode
Episode 91 - The Last Person Around the Campfire - with Sky Otter
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, health and even healing mental and emotional trauma, which, for Forest Educators, means we usually end up wearing many hats. My conversation with today's guest, Sky Otter, dives into this important topic, and we discuss holding space, program boundaries, working with young or inexperienced staff, emotional first aid and more.
Sky Otter formerly known as Bill Pfeiffer is the founder of Sacred Earth Network (SEN) which implemented leading edge visions for over 25 years. In that time, Sky made Russia a second home having traveled there 44 times assisting the environmental and indigenous movements through SEN. This has given him a rare cross-cultural perspective. He has also led hundreds of spiritual ecology workshops, including men’s and breath work. He has 25 years of experience in Re-evaluation Counseling and Vipassana meditation, and has undergone extensive training with Siberian shamans. Sky has partnered with and designed experiential workshops with Joanna Macy, John Perkins, Llyn Roberts, Cathy Pedevillano, and John Seed. He has also spent much time in the US Southwest learning about Native medicine ways and the crucial importance of the petroglyphs and pictographs. His book, Wild Earth, Wild Soul: A Manual for an Ecstatic Culture has been met with high acclaim.
Connect with Sky Otter:
https://www.sacredearthnetwork.org/
Wild Earth, Wild Soul: A Manual for an Ecstatic Culture:
Join the Forest Educator Patreon!
https://patreon.com/ForestEducatorPodcast
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/the_forest_educator_podcast/
Facebook:
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