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

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ricardo-sierra-5980931/

Linkedin:

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/wolverineway/

Facebook:

Episode 65 - Choosing Wholistic Nature over Corporate Culture - with Rimi Chakraborty

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

01/18/24 • 73 min

When Rimi and her husband chose to 'Take the Leap', it didn't seem TOO difficult. Leaving a good corporate job with a decent nest egg and opening an island retreat center in the Azores seemed relatively safe.

Everything sounds good in theory. In your living room in Massachusetts.

However, things can go south in a hurry when 'island time' and contractors and language barriers all combine into a perfect storm. That living room feeling can seem impossibly far away.

Hard times show us who we are inside, but they can also just be SO hard to navigate, and there are many who lose their way when the chips are down.

In this episode, Rimi shares her story of resilience, of reinvention of self and heart, and the power of creativity and healing that led to her development of amazing Retreats that combine nature, yoga, island cuisine and deep renewal. Black sand beaches, hot springs, volcanic energy and local foods and fruits all work a powerful magic that she harnesses to point in a different direction for our lives, one that can have a lasting impact on all of us for generations.

Connect with Rimi:

Website: https://www.minuvida.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rimichakra_/?hl=en

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/minuvida_azores/

Rootsilience Book: https://www.rootsilience.com/book

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rimi.chakraborty/

Leadership Mastermind (free): https://www.rootsilience.com/courses/mastermind

Join the Forest Educator Patreon!

Connect with Ricardo:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ricardo-sierra-5980931/

Linkedin:

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/the_forest_educator_podcast/

Facebook:

http://foresteducator.com/bonuscontent

Episode 149 - Forest Educator Spotlight: Strategies and Guidelines for Working with Adults in Nature

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

11/11/24 • 62 min

Working with adult learners in the realm of nature and wilderness skills is profoundly complex. It's a world I've inhabited for many years, and one that has taught me the importance of constantly adapting and evolving my approach. When you've spent the bulk of your career teaching children and young adults, it can be easy to assume that the same methods and strategies will translate seamlessly to an older, more experienced audience. But as I've learned, that couldn't be further from the truth.

The key is to never take anything for granted. Just because someone is an adult, functioning member of society, doesn't mean they possess the foundational skills and knowledge that we might expect. It's a lesson I've had to learn the hard way, through experiences like the stories I share in this episode. When working with adults, we sometimes find ourselves with a stark choice – do I forge ahead with the program, assuming the adult will be able to handle himself, or do I pause and ensure the safety and well-being of the group? It's a decision that underscores the delicate balance we must strike as educators, between respecting the autonomy of our adult students and providing the guidance and structure they may desperately need. I've learned to err on the side of caution, covering the basics with meticulous attention to detail, no matter how tempting it might be to skip ahead. It's a philosophy that has served me well, and one that I hope other nature educators will embrace as they navigate the unique challenges of working with this dynamic and diverse population.

Forest Educator Bonus Content Page:

Join the Forest Educator Patreon!

Connect with Ricardo:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ricardo-sierra-5980931/

Linkedin:

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/the_forest_educator_podcast/

Facebook:

https://heidibarr.substack.com/

Episode 73 - Collisions of Earth & Sky: Seeking Truth through Poetry & Nature with Heidi Barr

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

02/15/24 • 58 min

The path of a writer and poet is a solo journey. We navigate winding, circling loops of our own stories, sitting in the caves of our memories , reliving the places that changed our understanding, sometimes forever. These offerings to the world expose our inner world, demanding that vulnerability as payment for finding our authentic voice that echoes across the canyon walls.

My guest is Heidi Barr, and she shares her own path from a childhood in South Dakota to far flung places and back to the prairies. Our conversation is enhanced from poems from her new book, Just Wild Enough, (available in April) and her insights as a keen observer of nature and self.

In nature, we find solace, but more than that, we find a place that can open our hearts and show us pathways of intimacy and connection that might be the 'magic' that we are all seeking in this modern world. Heidi Barr is our guide, and she already knows the way.

Bio: Heidi Barr is a writer and wellness coach whose work is founded on a commitment to cultivating ways of being that are life-giving and sustainable for people, communities, and the planet. She is the author of several books of creative nonfiction, including Collisions of Earth and Sky and Woodland Manitou, and co author of 12 Tiny things. She’s also authored two poetry collections, one cookbook, and is editor of “The Mindful Kitchen,” a wellness column in The Wayfarer Magazine. One of the inaugural Poets of Place for the lower St. Croix Valley, her poetry has been featured in numerous publications, including the St. Paul Almanac and South Dakota in Poems. She lives with her family in Lindstrom, where they tend a large vegetable garden, explore nature, and do their best to live simply. Her next book of poetry, Just Wild Enough is due out in April.

Connect with Heidi:

https://heidibarr.com/

https://www.instagram.com/heidicbarr/

https://www.facebook.com/HeidiBarrwriter/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidi-barr-3884107/

Book Link: Collisions of Earth & Sky https://www.broadleafbooks.com/store/product/9781506482545/Collisions-of-Earth-and-Sky

Join the Forest Educator Patreon!

Connect with Ricardo:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ricardo-sierra-5980931/

Linkedin:

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/the_forest_educator_podcast/

Facebook:

Episode 98 - Forest Educator Spotlight: Desert Solitaire

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

05/13/24 • 51 min

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 inside forever.

Join the Forest Educator Patreon!

Connect with Ricardo:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ricardo-sierra-5980931/

Linkedin:

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/the_forest_educator_podcast/

Facebook:

Episode 90 - Forest Educator Spotlight: Staff Training for Nature Programs

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

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!

Connect with Ricardo:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ricardo-sierra-5980931/

Linkedin:

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/the_forest_educator_podcast/

Facebook:

https://billpfeiffer.org/

Episode 91 - The Last Person Around the Campfire - with Sky Otter

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

04/18/24 • 70 min

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:

https://amzn.to/4bhMj7R

Join the Forest Educator Patreon!

Connect with Ricardo:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ricardo-sierra-5980931/

Linkedin:

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/the_forest_educator_podcast/

Facebook:

Episode 80 - Forest Educator Spotlight: Moving the Needle-Equity, Education & Changing the System

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

03/11/24 • 68 min

This episode is an exploration of some of the critical issues we encounter as nature based educators when we enter the public education system. The road to Forest Education for all seems to point to a relationship with public schooling, and it's been my experience that going in with our eyes wide open is a great strategy. I use several analogies for the massive bureaucracy that makes up the public system, including The Cargo Ship and the Sail Boat, and The Borg from Star Trek, (You too, will be assimilated by The Borg!) and a few others, so hopefully I don't come across as too harsh. You'll have to be the judge and let me know if I crossed any lines!

We have some big challenges ahead, we're underfunded and we're small, but we have an incredible ally called Nature. We have biology and genetics and some ancestral heritage on our side to boot, and we have some learning models that deliver powerful results. I'm not sure exactly how we are going to make this happen, or how long it's going to take, but I'm really excited to see what happens next.

Join the Forest Educator Patreon!

Connect with Ricardo:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ricardo-sierra-5980931/

Linkedin:

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/the_forest_educator_podcast/

Facebook:

Episode 47 - Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Forest Education with Todd Davis

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

11/16/23 • 62 min

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.linkedin.com/in/ricardo-sierra-5980931/

Linkedin:

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/wolverineway/

Facebook:

Episode 106 - Forest Educator Spotlight: Are Nature Educators 'Healers'?

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

06/10/24 • 51 min

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 education can have significant positive impacts on both adults and children. There are a lot of different ways that people experience healing, on the physical level, emotional and mental health levels and when they appear in our programs, it can be difficult to know what to do if we are unprepared or unaware.

My own journey and experiences with healing, both traditional, modern or alternative have helped me to understand some basic principles that have helped both me and my staff throughout the years. Our world and humanity needs all of the healing we can get, on all levels, and this topic is one that can offer some hope for us all.

Join the Forest Educator Patreon!

Connect with Ricardo:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ricardo-sierra-5980931/

Linkedin:

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/the_forest_educator_podcast/

Facebook: