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PODCAST

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

Welcome to the Forest Educator Podcast hosted by Ricardo Sierra. Join Ricardo as he engages in enlightening conversations with educators from across the globe who are revolutionizing nature-based education. Drawing on his 35 years of experience in wilderness education, Ricardo shares practical insights, tools, and best practices to inspire and support forest educators and camp staff worldwide. Tune in twice a week for interviews with passionate educators and skill spotlights that delve into the

sports wilderness

All Episodes

56:06

Episode 63 - The Power of Making Baskets by Hand in...

Forest Educator with Ricardo Sierra | A Podcast for... ·

2024/01/11

This episode explores the work of the Natural Artists, the Crafters and the Makers, and all of those who make useful and beautiful things from nature. Sandra Kehoe weaves experiences with her students like the willows they bend, their fingers full of the rich scent of green bark and tree sap. There is a longing by many women to form something that will last, but that impulse is paired with the feeling of warmth and connection that occurs when women share their lives in these classes.

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48:56

Episode 62 - Forest Educator Spotlight: Five Nature...

Forest Educator with Ricardo Sierra | A Podcast for... ·

2024/01/08

It's understandable that most nature program directors or entrepreneurs are better trackers, or basketmakers, or wild foods gatherers than they are at marketing and promoting their programs. Those things are what we are passionate about, so it makes sense. At the same time, if we want students and income from our educational programs, we need to find ways to to communicate the value of what we do. If we don't, our programs can be in trouble. This episode dives into the five biggest elements of

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65:59

Episode 61 - Leadership, Brotherhood & Inclusion in...

Forest Educator with Ricardo Sierra | A Podcast for... ·

2024/01/04

The loneliness and struggle that young men experience, especially young men of color, is one that happens silently, almost invisibly every day. The opportunity to connect with older men and new friends and peers in the wild is literally life changing for them, and for the leaders and guides as well. This episode shares the extraordinary journey that Manny discovered through finding his own healing in a circle of peers in Brooklyn. When men of color share their gifts and strategies for resilience

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64:38

Episode 60 - Forest Educator Spotlight: Building...

Forest Educator with Ricardo Sierra | A Podcast for... ·

2024/01/01

Probably the most unexpected thing that people realize while attending a nature program is how GOOD it feels to share the experience in the company of interesting, positive, and motivated participants. Yes, the skills learned are important and the crafts made are the things that entice people to come and learn, but in my estimation, the 'community' aspect of these programs is what creates a kind of magic that is very transformative. It doesn't always happen, but when it does, it makes all of

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48:22

Episode 59 - The Challenges and Joys of Forest...

Forest Educator with Ricardo Sierra | A Podcast for... ·

2023/12/28

The magic and power of 'forest school' programming and pedagogy has spread far and wide, from the Scandinavian origins to Europe, Turkey, North America, Australia, South Korea and now into Southeast Asia. Sharon Cortez founded The Forest School of the Philippines, and has been on a mission to bring the benefits and positive results of this model of pre-school, kindergarten & younger grades to communities throughout her country. Sharon shares her journey, starting with her epiphany and

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53:34

Episode 58 - Forest Educator Spotlight: Entering the...

Forest Educator with Ricardo Sierra | A Podcast for... ·

2023/12/25

During the early years of my wilderness skills training and practice, I began to notice something interesting when I would venture out into the forest. I spent a lot of time in nature to gather materials for making tools and crafts, or foraging for wild foods, and it seemed like I could do these things in two different ways. One was going in when I was hurried, distracted or very 'goal oriented'. At these times, the agenda was all about ME. I needed some willow to make a pair of tongs or a

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41:45

Episode 57 - The Equitable Power of Forest Education...

Forest Educator with Ricardo Sierra | A Podcast for... ·

2023/12/21

David Alexander is a naturalist, bushcrafter, Adirondack Guide, wild foods forager and avid hunter and fisherman who also serves the youth of New Jersey in environmental education. He's developed innovative nature programs for lots of different ages, homeschoolers, and local groups through his work with the New Jersey Parks & Recreation Department, winning the Employee of the Year in 2023 recently for his commitment to excellence. It takes effort, energy and creativity to build bridges in schools,

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62:42

Episode 56 - The Forest Educator Spotlight: Cold...

Forest Educator with Ricardo Sierra | A Podcast for... ·

2023/12/18

Fear of being uncomfortable lurks behind almost every outdoor experience when we are first learning to deal with nature's 'moods'. The purifying intensity of cold scours the world when it moves across our landscape, unstoppable and pervasive. All the animals, trees, birds, insects and plants respond in different ways to survive, including all of us human mammals too. Dealing with the mental aspects of cold is part physical preparation, part mental adjustment and part acceptance and gratitude for

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47:04

Episode 55 - Going Off-Grid & Into the Canadian Wild...

Forest Educator with Ricardo Sierra | A Podcast for... ·

2023/12/14

There's an almost mystical longing for the wild expanse that stretches north into the Arctic, with small birch trees, firs and spruces, mazes of unnamed rivers and lakes, and a landscape almost devoid of people. My thirst for that wild probably began with Jack London, Call of the Wild, White Fang and To Build A Fire, and then deepened with writings of Farley Mowat and the film Never Cry Wolf. Wherever it comes from, I just know that my imagination burns brightly when I see those places in my mind

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51:52

Episode 54 - The Forest Educator Spotlight: Seven...

Forest Educator with Ricardo Sierra | A Podcast for... ·

2023/12/11

I started my Hawk Circle Wilderness Camp in the summer of 1989, but it had been a dream of mine for about four years earlier. It was glorious, and it was amazing. It was also a process of trial and error, and I made a lot of mistakes, mostly minor, but still, mistakes all the same. Despite being a relatively quick learner, it still took years to really hone the 'recipe' and build something that created consistent results. Once the program was in a good place, there were hundreds of

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63:04

Episode 53 - Connecting to Nature Through Plants,...

Forest Educator with Ricardo Sierra | A Podcast for... ·

2023/12/07

One of the things I love most about this podcast is getting to have conversations with amazing people who love to dive deeply into their chosen field of study. Some of these individuals do work that greatly improves the entire field of study, like Dr. Kersey Lawrence with Tracking, or Mark Elbroch and Sam Thayer with Field Guides. These contributions have far reaching consequences that help us all to grow and learn and 'do better'. In this interview, Sam Coffman shares his journey with plants &

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64:37

Episode 52 - Forest Educator Spotlight: The Problem...

Forest Educator with Ricardo Sierra | A Podcast for... ·

2023/12/04

If you've ever tried to talk about the meaning and value of an experience in nature with someone who's never experienced something similar, it can feel like talking to a brick wall. Our insights, and sense of wonder, or magic can sound ridiculous when spoken out loud. It can be painful when something we share has so much value to US, but completely is misunderstood by our listeners. The problem isn't with us, or with everyone else, but it's built into the language of our culture, and with the

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58:34

Episode 51 - The Long and Winding Road from China to...

Forest Educator with Ricardo Sierra | A Podcast for... ·

2023/11/30

Some of the best educators are shaped through a lifetime of not quite 'fitting in'. They see the world differently than most, and push back against the status quo, sometimes in creative ways. It can take a while, honestly, and it's not always easy. Especially when you are busy learning Mandarin in a new and radically different culture. When it comes together, though, the struggle is all worth it, even when it's born in the middle of a pandemic. We all figure it out in our own way. In this

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58:04

Episode 50 - Forest Educator Spotlight: Exploring...

Forest Educator with Ricardo Sierra | A Podcast for... ·

2023/11/27

This episode dives into the more 'intuitive' and 'feeling' areas of nature education, and how we can support our students/clients/children to have experiences that go beyond an intellectually based understanding of our world. This topic is tricky to navigate, so I do my best to be fully transparent and authentic, and be validating to lots of different forms in which these experiences can be shared. There are things that happen in nature that are difficult to describe and understand, and I have had

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46:10

Episode 49 - Himalayan Treks, Transformation and...

Forest Educator with Ricardo Sierra | A Podcast for... ·

2023/11/24

Helping the Indian people have access to hundreds of hikes, treks and nature exploration is an ambitious, constantly evolving vision that has seen amazing success for the IndiaHikes organization. In this episode, I am talking with Lakshmi Selvakumaran, director of training and research and she shares the origin story of IndiaHikes, as well as details about who they serve, how they build the culture of their team of leaders and much more. When I discovered them through Instagram, I thought it

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62:52

Episode 48 - The Forest Educator Spotlight: How To...

Forest Educator with Ricardo Sierra | A Podcast for... ·

2023/11/20

We're talking about the business of forest education again today in this week's Forest Educator Spotlight. How do we determine the value and appropriately price our programs? This may not be as fun as sharing stories about sitting under the trees and building shelters, but it has an important impact on our industry as a whole. Connect with Ricardo: https://www.foresteducator.com/ https://www.theforestboxforkids.com/ https://www.hawkcircle.com/ Linkedin:

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62:27

Episode 47 - Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in...

Forest Educator with Ricardo Sierra | A Podcast for... ·

2023/11/16

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,

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29:09

Episode 46 - Forest Educator Spotlight: Big Questions...

Forest Educator with Ricardo Sierra | A Podcast for... ·

2023/11/13

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

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52:32

Episode 45 - The Amazonian Rainforest Adventures of...

Forest Educator with Ricardo Sierra | A Podcast for... ·

2023/11/09

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

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52:44

Episode 44 - Forest Educator Spotlight: Coming of Age...

Forest Educator with Ricardo Sierra | A Podcast for... ·

2023/11/06

The transition from childhood to young adulthood is full of intense change and growth in a relatively short period of time. It can be rough for parents as well, and for eons, earth based cultures had cultural rituals and customs that supported everyone through this initiation. However, in today's rapidly changing world, those customs have been largely lost in that upheaval, and we are left on our own to figure it out. Fortunately, the natural world offers help, (again), that are substantial

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