Take Me Outside

Colin Harris speaks with Dr. Jenellen Good about issues like climate change, technology, and eco-spirituality. They discuss how these issues are communicated, both societally and educationally, and the role these issues play within the education system.

Dr. Good is currently the Department Chair of Communication, Popular Culture and Film at Brock University in Ontario. She is also a professor at Brock University researching the rol...

With Max Fawcett of Canada’s National Observer

What sorts of narratives about the energy transition are out there? Which ones are developed in good faith and which ones are developed in bad faith? Why is it important that we find the right balance between optimism and urgency? How can we have effective conversations with people who are resistant to the energy transition? Journalist Max Fawcett has long been on the energy beat, and ...

With Claire Underwood of the University of Cincinnati’s Artlitt Center for Education, Research, & Sustainability and Children, Youth, Environments (CYE) Journal

What does empathy look like in young children? How can we nurture it? When do we just need to step back and let children sort through the complexities of the natural world? Claire Underwood recently participated in a Community of Practice centred on using a Two-Worlds A...

With Douglas Tallamy of the Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology at the University of Delaware and Homegrown National Park

What is Homegrown National Park and what does it look like? How can we all do our part — at home — to contribute not just to conservation but also restoration? From where does the fixation on “the perfect lawn” originate? Why is it so important to shift to a mindset of seeing properties as functional a...

With Heather Holm of Pollination Press and www.pollinatorsnativeplants.com

Which common species of native bees can be readily observed in your community? Why do wasps often fly under the radar when it comes to their impact as pollinators? What are some quick and easy tips for observing bees and wasps? Heather devotes much of her time to observing, photographing, documenting, and attracting bees, wasps, and other pollinators. She ha...

With Jess Kaknevicius of Project Learning Tree

What is our responsibility to forests? How can educators help the uninitiated forge connections with forests? Why are tree-light areas still perfectly suitable places for learning about forests? In what ways can we plant the seeds for developing a conservation mindset? Jess helps us unpack these concepts, while sharing some guiding questions from PLT’s Forest Literacy Framework. There’...

With Lorraine Johnson of Project Swallowtail and lorrainejohnson.ca

Why is the concept and practice of ‘regeneration’ such an important companion for ‘sustainability’? What opportunities and challenges exist for folks in urban areas who wish to restore native plants? How about in rural areas? Which questions and misconceptions about pollinators and native plants continuously arise? Lorraine Johnson has spent decades creating habita...

With Rebecca Rolland of Harvard Graduate School of Education and Harvard Medical School

What is “rich talk”? Why is the outdoors such an ideal setting for having meaningful conversations with children? How can we discuss with kids weighty topics like climate change without overwhelming them? Drawing on research and insights detailed in her book The Art of Talking with Children, Rebecca Rolland connects the dots to outdoor and envir...

With Jayne Black of Green Schools Rock, Project WET, and Project WILD

How can educators engage Pre-K learners in outdoor and environmental learning? What are some pitfalls to avoid when working with this age group? Why is student-led learning so impactful? Jayne has worked hard to foster her young learners’ environmental literacy while taking major steps to make her school healthier and more sustainable. This involves the use of ou...

With Zachary Fox-DeVol and Clare Marder of We The Children

What can educators do to spark young children’s interest in climate change? Why is it important to bring levity and lightness to discussions about environmental crises? How can we do this without giving learners false optimism? Student-podcaster Zach and teacher-mentor Clare discuss these questions, while sharing climate/waste solutions that inspire them as well as offering...

With Jesse Hildebrand (and friends) of Exploring By the Seat of Your Pants and Nature For All

Why do personal nature stories move us so much? In what ways does meaningful nature storytelling connect to conservation of wildlife and wild places? Is it enough to focus on the wonder of nature or do we have to communicate its benefits to humans explicit? In the midst of Nature For All’s Storytelling Festival Love Fest, we share nature s...

With Chad Carpenter and Lori York of the Vancouver School Board

In which learning settings is two-eyed seeing most impactful? What are the core components of the LEAF Framework? How is it informed by the First People’s Principles of Learning? Chad and Lori are actively engaged in two-eyed seeing through their implementation of the LEAF framework with students from K to 12 across all subject areas. They share their insights and lear...

With Kerry Crofton of Less Screen More Green and the Global Health Alliance

Why is it so challenging to find a healthy balance between digital time and outdoor time? How can educators address digital overload and excessive screen time? What role does mindfulness play in this discussion? Dr. Kerry Crofton walks us through research — including some from her team at the Global Health Alliance — and shares her experiences supporting ed...

With Chenoa Egawa and Keith Egawa of North Atlantic Books

What is the role of storytelling in today’s fast-paced, digital-heavy world? Why is tone so important when exploring ecological threats with young people? How can stories by adapted for older and younger audiences? Siblings Chenoa Egawa and Keith Egawa wrote and illustrated the book The Whale Child, which combines Pacific Northwest Indigenous teachings with hope, humour, and...

With Allan J. Hesse of AJH Comics & Cartoons

How can comics and cartoons be used in climate change education? In what ways can humour be used to lighten otherwise heavy subject matter? Why is it so important to be honest with young learners about difficult truths? Conservationist and cartoonist Alan Hesse has embarked on a quest to engage students with climate change through visual storytelling centred on his original creation Capt...

With Ian Allan of the Blue Mountains Botanic Garden Mount Tomah

What are some common misconceptions about trees? How can we foster meaningful experiences with them? In which situations does anthropomorphizing work and not work? Arborist Ian Allan spends most of his time among trees in the 200 hectares of the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Wilderness Area that he manages in New South Wales, Australia. He has amassed a treasur...

With Andra Yeghoian of Ten Strands and the California Environmental Literacy Initiative

What does a trauma-informed classroom look like? How does trauma relate the climate crisis? Why is it important to implement a solutions-based approach to teaching climate change? Andra Yeghoian takes us on a deep dive of her work, including the 4-Cs framework (campus, curriculum, community, and culture) and the HEARTS framework, while also shar...

With Ernesto Rodriguez of Nature in the Classroom

What is Attention Restoration Theory? Why do fractals in nature calm us and improve our focus? How can educators incorporate images of nature into lessons? Nature in the Classroom (NitC) installs crystal-clear images of trees (often with the sun peeking through the branches) on classroom ceilings, much to the benefit of educators and learners. NitC’s Founder and Executive Director E...