Raising Wildlings

Latest Episodes:

S2E18: Educated by Nature with Daniel Burton May 10, 2021

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In today's episode we travel to the other side of the country to chat with Daniel Burton, CEO and co-founder of Educated By Nature. I am really excited because these nature immersion programs inspired so much of what we do at Wildlings. Settle in for an enlightening show!
👉 Daniel shares

The story of how Educated by Nature began
What made him step away from formal education and start a business
The importance of time as a resource for nature play
Three key values to persuade educators to embrace nature pedagogy
Why mentors are essential and how nature supports that framework
About rites of passage for children
Some of the challenges of running a play-based business
The unseen benefits of nature play
Risky play’s vital place in childhood
His favourite aha moments

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👉 Resources & References

https://educatedbynature.com/

Linked In

Twitter

Facebook

Insta @educatedbynature

Campfire Conversations

Blog

👉 Guest Details

Daniel is the CEO of Educated by Nature, a qualified teacher and nature connection mentor. He considers himself an advocate for connecting children with the natural world, following children’s inbuilt sense of wonder and curiosity as the vehicle to inspire the process of inquiry-based learning. He is passionate about empowering children and providing authentic opportunities for them to grow mentally, physically, socially and emotionally.

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If you enjoyed this episode and the Raising Wildlings podcast generally, we have a favour. Please take two minutes to subscribe, and to write a rating and a review. You can do that on Apple Podcasts right now by clicking here. If you are an Android user, you can follow the podcast on Spotify here and Google Podcasts here. Those actions will help the podcast reach more people, and we would be truly grateful. Thank you so much!

Welcome back to Raising Wildlings — where we explore raising brave, resilient, curious kids who feel at home outdoors.

If you're an educator ready to bring more nature play and child-led learning into your Early Years program, our Bush Kindy Professional Development Workshops are for you. You'll walk away with practical tools, risk-benefit strategies, and the confidence to take learning outside in a way that's safe, meaningful, and genuinely exciting for

You know this podcast is just a small part of what we do at Wildlings Forest School. So if you want to find out more about our range of programs for children, our professional development workshops for educators, our free downloadables, blogs or our online store, just head to wildlingsforestschool.com. It's all there waiting for you. Come and join the village.

S2E17: Disrupting Education With Peter Hostrawser May 04, 2021

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In this episode, we’re traveling to Chicago, Illinois to talk with business teacher, father and podcast host Peter Hostrawser about how and why he’s on a mission to disrupt education.

👉 Peter shares with Nicki

About his learning journey, and his most memorable moments in school and out
The importance of confidence and making connections
His experience that led him on this path of disrupting education
How he coped in a system that wasn’t going to change immediately
The best advice he received in helping him connect with students from a different background
Where he is currently working and what made him choose this school
About the exciting changes he is seeing in education in the States
About the funding disparities and inequity in the American school system
What he is seeing in the Outdoor Learning space

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Free Downloadables
Autumn Song Sheets

👉 Resources & References

Website
Disrupting Education Podcast
Instagram
LinkedIn
Facebook

Book Recommendations

Creative Schools - Sir Ken Robinson
Indistractable - Nir Eyal

👉 Guest Details

Peter Hostrawser has been a business educator in the Chicago area for over 20 years and founded the OPRF School of Business at Oak Park and River Forest High School in Oak Park, Illinois. He is an entrepreneur and change agent for traditional educational systems as well as a business coach. Peter has helped hundreds of entrepreneurs start and continue their paths to success. Peter is the host of the Disrupt Education Podcast where creative and non-traditional learners share their stories and thoughts on how to change education. He currently teaches business at Amos Alonzo Stagg High School in Palos Hills, Illinois, USA and is an eLearning Curriculum Developer for HallPass Education.

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Welcome back to Raising Wildlings — where we explore raising brave, resilient, curious kids who feel at home outdoors.

S2E16: Nature is Within Us with Vicky Mateau Apr 27, 2021

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Come with us on a virtual travel adventure all the way on the other side of the globe, where we find out about how Forest Schooling is done in Spain with Forest School Leader and fellow unschooling mother, Vicky Mateau.

👉 Vicky shares with Vicci

What led her to make the choice to homeschool her two children
About the homeschooling community in Spain
About the program she created and how they name their groups
About the dynamic wild space she uses
The benefits of connecting children with a changing environment
About running her program in a National Park in Spain and how the bureaucracy and red tape compares
How her children discovered autonomy
What unschooling life looks like for her and the beauty of the present moment
Her advice for other families about the individual journey and flexibility of this lifestyle
About her contextualised training in the UK, and how she had to adapt her training to be more relevant to her forest school in Spain.
About “Wildcrafting” in Spain
How they include indigenous and ancestral learnings in their programs
About the deeper themes of learning in nature and how they translate in communication and relationships between adults and children

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👉 Links and Resources

vickymateusimeon@gmail.com

www.pasdinfant.org

Book Recommendations:
Robin Wall Kimmerer- Braiding Sweetgrass
Annie Davy- A Sense of Place
Song Sheet Downloadables

Guest Details

Vicky Mateu has specialised in child development, education and emotional intelligence. She is a Forest School leader in Catalonia, Spain and also offers parenting support for families. She lives in a small farmhouse at the Natural Parc of El Montseny where her family is unschooling their children Nara (9) and Saüc (7).

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S2E15: How to Get Your Partner Onboard with Scotty Farrell Apr 19, 2021

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Today is going to be a little more personal than usual. In fact, I think I can feel a little vulnerability hangover coming on already because today, we’re chatting with my husband. He is an ex Primary School, Special Education and Behaviour Management Teacher, the co-founder of an online triathlon and endurance racing coaching business, T:Zero Multisport, and a homeschooling father, the myth, the legend, Scotty Farrell. Scotty is here to answer one of our FAQs about home/un schooling- how to get your partner onboard.

👉 Scotty Shares

His own schooling journey
How he got started teaching and his transformative first year
How he reached the students who didn’t want to be there
His perspective on the research of homeschooling
Why they choose time over money and how time as its own currency can set you free
Why his children’s lives are better out of school
Why he isn’t worried about his children falling behind
The benefits he sees for his family
How he stays sane spending so much time with his wife and kids
The challenges of unschooling
His perspective on uni
How he reframes the socialisation argument

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👉 Links and Resources

Episodes Referred To

E1S28: Nicki’s Journey to Wildschooling

Resources & References

http://sirkenrobinson.com/

https://www.garyvaynerchuk.com/

http://carolblack.org/a-thousand-rivers

Peter Gray

The Over Story by Richard Powers

@coachscottyfarrell

https://www.tzeromultisport.com/

Guest Details

Scotty Farrell began coaching triathlon around 12 years ago. Coaching part-time alongside his main job as a primary school teacher for many years allowed him to fine tune his skills through study, and trial and error. After leaving teaching in 2012 to pursue Nutrition and Dietetics at the University of Sunshine Coast, he became much more involved with coaching and shortly after finishing his Nutrition Degree, decided to dive in 100% and make coaching endurance athletes his full-time job from 2014 onwards. Combined with a very active role in parenting and homeschooling his two young boys and managing his coaching team at T:Zero, his main role is as a proud Head Coach to a group of committed, hard-working, humble athletes – who are all in the process of becoming masters of the process and chipping away at some super inspiring goals.

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S1E14: Survival, Paternal Connection and Adventures with Rick J Peterson Apr 12, 2021

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In this episode we are talking with my beautiful friend, an ex SAS soldier, gum leaf whistler, fire starter, survival skills expert and all around good bloke, Rick Petersen. We find out what Rick has been up to since he got back from the desert, his top tips for survival, what he never leaves home without and why he is on a mission to bring fathers and sons together outdoors. Let's hear from the man behind the beard.

👉 Rick shares

His profound life story
About his business in connecting with men, survival skills and collaboration
Where his wealth of knowledge came from
The benefits of his workshops
The benefits men receive by connecting with other men
The beauty of “The Talking Log” method
About the philosophy of fear
What in his EDC “Every Day Carry” Survival Kit
A few of his survival top tips

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👉 Guest Details
Rick Petersen was born the eldest son of a lighthouse keeper, living on Tasman Island for the early years of his life. Rick later joined the Military and was selected to serve with the elite Australian Special Air Service Regiment (SAS).
Utilising many of the soft and hard skills that the Military equipped him with, as a self-defence instructor, advanced combat first aider and survival instructor, Rick has lead Kokoda treks in Papua New Guinea and taken fathers and sons into the jungles of Sumatra Indonesia.
He recently returned from Central Australia where he worked alongside Pitjantjatjara speaking “Anangu People” at the iconic Australian landmark Uluru, gaining much knowledge and respect from the desert mob. He developed a deep interest of indigenous culture, creating a passion for traditional hunting techniques, tool making and fire lighting techniques along with university studies in Parks and Wildlife and receiving distinctions in Ethnobotany.
Rick is now committed to his rock solid vision of helping other fathers and sons rediscover their connection, character and capability under the banner of “Men of Change Australia” along with running bush immersions weekends and workshops on Survival, Bushcraft, and Adventure Treks under the Banner of “Southern Exposure Survival”.
Rick now resides on the Sunshine Coast with his wife Neryl and two sons “Arnhem” and “Tasman”.

👉 Links and Resources
info@rickjpetersen.com
https://rickjpetersen.com
15% discount off for Wildlings Forest School families that book into Survival and Bushcraft events
Social media @rickjpetersen
ABC Interview
Book Recc: Jay Shetty- Think Like a Monk

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👉 Did You Enjoy This Episode?
If you enjoyed this episode and the Raising Wildlings podcast generally, we have a favour. Please take two minutes to subscribe, and to write a rating and a review. You can do that on Apple Podcasts right now by clicking here. If you are an Android user, you can follow the podcast on Spotify here and Google Podcasts here. Those actions will help the podcast reach more people, and we would be truly grateful. Thank you so much!

Welcome back to Raising Wildlings — where we explore raising brave, resilient, curious kids who feel at home outdoors.

Let Them 'Loose Parts' Play with Nicki Farrell and Vicci Oliver Apr 06, 2021

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Here’s the scenario, you stumble across an intricate formation in your garden, rocks lining a maze of dens and caves and paths with other items, maybe leaves, scattered across the space and it feels like you have been transported to a little magical world, one that was created by a child. This is just one example of loose parts play, and what we are going to discuss on today’s episode.

👉 Nicki and Vicci share

What “loose parts” are exactly
Why we should encourage loose parts play
The benefits of loose parts play
Examples of natural loose parts and man-made loose parts
How to manage expectations and behaviour during loose parts play
How to frame a risk assessment for your child
About their City Makers project at the MET
How Wildlings can help you set up a loose parts program

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👉 Resources & References

Professional Development with Wildlings Forest School
Shop Loose Parts Resources in the Wildlings Forest School Online Shop
Make Do

Guest Details

Vicci Oliver and Nicki Farrell are adventurous nature play makers, risk-takers, children’s rights advocates and the co-founders of Wildlings Forest School. We are the hosts of the ‘Raising Wildlings’ podcast and we put the dirt back in childhood.

During any Wildlings Forest School program, you are likely to find Wildlings up trees, sliding down mud slides, whittling with pocket knives, lighting fires and building rafts. We let kids, be kids - because children can’t learn to protect nature if they’ve never had a childhood in it.

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Welcome back to Raising Wildlings — where we explore raising brave, resilient, curious kids who feel at home outdoors.

S2E12: Wildschooling with the Wilder Child Creator Nicolette Sowder Mar 29, 2021

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In this episode, we’re talking to Nicolette Sowder, founder of the global nature play movement, Wilder Child, about Wildschooling, creating an online nature connection movement and running a business. Prepared to be so inspired, this girl is golden.

👉 Nicolette talks with us about

Her story and how she got started
Wildschooling and the trifecta behind it
The benefits she has seen in her family from Wildschooling
Why it is so important to have an online presence for an outdoor movement
The biggest lessons she has learned as a business woman
Her advice to parents considering making the leap to homeschooling
Her exciting projects coming up!

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Happy Easter! Head on over to download your FREE Easter Bilby printable that you can take with you and the kids can then decorate with flower petals, leaves, grass and any other treasures you find on your daily dose of Vitamin N, while you sit back and relax.

👉 Links and Resources
Website
Facebook
Instagram
https://www.simplelivingcollective.com/
Book Recs
Raising Free People- Unschooling as liberation and healing work by Akilah Richards
Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell
Hatchet by Gary Paulsen

Guest Details

Nicolette Sowder is the creator of Wilder Child and Wildschooling. Nicolettés passion and heart’s mission is to help families step back into the circle of wild things and bond with Mother Nature. She believes that when we are rooted in that relationship and ancient connection, we heal, we flow, we fly.

In 2013, Nicolette, her husband and one-year-old daughter (The Wild Child) took a first step in realizing their dreams and moved to North West Michigan to start Honeybird Farm, a 60 acre farm based on regenerative agriculture principals.

They had no conscious idea of how much living that close to nature would transform them. Nicolette originally started Wilder Child to help record and lend words to the deep, familial bonds they were forging with the Wild that surrounded them.

But it was her community, their stories, voices and support that encouraged her to share more and begin serving as a nature-connection guide and conduit for families who wanted to walk side by side barefoot down the dirt-lined path. What is now a passionate, mud-loving, free community spanning the globe.

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Welcome back to Raising Wildlings — where we explore raising brave, resilient, curious kids who feel at home outdoors.

S2E11: Awaken to Art, Connection to Country and Racism with Jandamarra Cadd Mar 22, 2021

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In this episode, we’re talking with first custodian artist Jandamarra Cadd about connection to country, art as therapy and how to talk to your kids about racism. Settle in and get ready to be inspired, informed and awakened.

👉 Jandamarra shares

About his life story and when he first picked up a paintbrush.
How his spirit was awakened.
About connection to country as such an important part of culture and why and how all families might benefit from a strong connection to country.
His suggestions for those people who are disconnected from country and nature, or perhaps were never given the opportunity to connect or may be afraid of nature can get to know their country.
About his lovely walking on country practice with his girls and what he does with his girls on those days.
About intergenerational trauma and his loving role in raising his girls.
About the current education system and how we can help improve it.
How last year impacted him and his family.
About systematic racism and the beauty of Indigenous culture that has been hidden.
How he talks to his kids about privilege, race and racism and his tips on how white parents can talk to their kids about racism.
About a joyful project he is working on now.

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👉 Links and Resources

Insta: @jandamarrasart
jandamarrasart.com/prints
facebook.com/jandamarrasart

👉 Guest Details

Jandamarra Cadd is a Yorta Yorta and Dja Dja Warung descendent, artist and father. Jandamarra is an inspirational man with many stories to tell. His artwork is emotive and insightful – and is a powerful medium to bridge the story telling divide between Aboriginal and mainstream Australia.
Painting has been a way of life that has enabled him to express his creativity and storytelling and in many of his paintings of the human condition, he seeks to be a peaceful voice for unity. Jandamarra uses a variety of styles and mediums; with his unique blend of traditional aboriginal art techniques along with his own signature contemporary portraiture.
Jandamarra has not only been a finalist in every major Portrait Art Prize in Australia, but is also in very high demand as an Inspirational Speaker and Ambassador. We are very, very lucky to have him on the show.

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Welcome back to Raising Wildlings — where we explore raising brave, resilient, curious kids who feel at home outdoors.

Revitalise Risky Play with Charlotte Lucas Mar 15, 2021

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In this episode, we’re talking to Charlotte Lucas of Free Rangers Forest School about Risky Play, educating parents on the importance of outdoor learning and battling red tape. Like us, Charlotte started out teaching, then undertook her Level 3 Forest School Leader’s qualification. Since then she has swapped an indoor classroom for an outdoor one and has enjoyed facilitating learners’ journeys in natural surroundings so much that she decided to embark upon the Free Rangers’ adventure with the belief that children learn best from learning through play within an outdoor environment.
👉 Charlotte shares

All the details on Free Rangers including where they are based, what ages they teach, how many children they have, and what programs they run
The best things about teaching outdoors and the hardest things about working in the Forest School industry in the UK
Why learning outdoors is better for children
The benefits of Risky Play that she has seen in her own program
What she would show or tell people, in particular parents, to demonstrate why Forest School is so important
What she would like to see changed in schools in the future

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👉 Resources & References

www.freerangers.org.uk
www.thewildspace.co.uk
http://www.freerangers.org.uk/our-shop/i-see-free-rangers-book
Facebook.com/freerangersnursery
Instagram: @freerangersnursery @thewildspacecommunity
Pintrest: Free Rangers Nursery

Guest Details

After completing a BSc at Southampton University, Charlotte Lucas became a hockey coach at All Hallows Preparatory School where she realised she wanted to enter into teaching and education. She completed her GTP whilst at All Hallows and became a fully fledged Primary Years Teacher in 2004. After a few years teaching Year 3, she undertook her Level 3 Forest School Leader’s qualification. From her teaching background, she feels that the forest school training spoke deeply to her and opened up a new lens with regards to the best place children should be learning, a place that speaks holistically to them and that place is in natural surroundings.

At Free Rangers, they recognise their individual responsibility to ensure that their environment is one of kindness, enthusiasm and empathy and are committed to ensuring each child’s happiness and wellbeing is nurtured on a daily basis within a natural environment.

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Welcome back to Raising Wildlings — where we explore raising brave, resilient, curious kids who feel at home outdoors.

Maternal Ambivalence with Dr. Margo Lowy Mar 09, 2021

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If someone asks you about your role as a mother, you may be quick to say it is the most rewarding experience of your life right? But is it? Do you always feel that way? Motherhood brings us to the depth of all our emotions. Mothers have many varying and contradictory feelings that are not talked about publicly. As well as experiencing love, most experience fleeting feelings of hate. These difficult feelings actually strengthen and fuel a mother's love for their child. Today we explore the idea of maternal ambivalence with Dr. Margo Lowy.

👉 Dr. Margo unveils the truth about

What ambivalence truly means
Motherhood ambivalence
The social and personal expectations surrounding mothers and motherhood and the impacts of these expectations
Mother myth busting
Undoing the societal conditioning about mothers being on their “best behavior” all of the time
How we fuel our growing love for our child

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👉 Links and Resources

https://www.drmargolowy.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-margo-lowy-a88a91200/

https://www.facebook.com/margo.lowy.9/

Insta @drmargolowy

Media Release

Beyond blue

👉 Guest Details

Dr. Margo Lowy is a psychotherapist with an interest in mothering and women’s reproductive health. She completed her PhD and her Research Masters at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia, investigating the fields of maternal ambivalence and infertility. Her doctorate, completed in 2017, was titled "Maternal experience: Encounters with ambivalence and love" and followed by a book of the same name released late last year. In the book, Dr. Lowy disrupts the accepted maternal discourse by insisting that uncomfortable feelings, including hatred, are an inescapable part of most mother’s experiences, and fuel her love for her child. Dr. Lowy is now working on her second book aimed at new mothers and their support groups.

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Welcome back to Raising Wildlings — where we explore raising brave, resilient, curious kids who feel at home outdoors.