Earthy Chats Podcast

Episode 05: Returning to the heart of a river

The Heart of a River is back in print, and author Eileen Delehanty Pearkes joined Ian and Jade to mark the occasion. Here's a sampling of what they discussed:

*being "tapped" to write The Heart of a River and letting the river speak

*the complexity of reconciling with a colonial past

*finding truth in the land (and water)

*encouraging developments for the Columbia River and rivers elsewhere

*Eileen's many relationships with members of the Sinixt community

*finding common ground between two seemingly different spiritualities

Guest: (adapted from edpearkes.com)

Eileen Delehanty Pearkes is a published author and skilled public speaker. Her artistic eye and lyrical style bring Western landscapes and their cultural history to life. She explores landscape and the human imagination in conference presentations, books, essays, and online media.

Born in the United States, educated at Stanford University (B.A., English) and the University of British Columbia (M.A., English), Eileen recently returned to the U.S. after residing in Canada since 1985. Her biography, education, and academic interests, as well as her perspective on landscape, water, and culture, are all uniquely bi-national and firmly grounded in place.

The Heart of a River can be purchased now at Canada's Non-profit Outdoor Learning Store: https://outdoorlearningstore.ca/product/heart-of-a-river/ 

 

Fables from the Field 2021: Field notebooks, sketching, and the art of record-keeping

Do you have to be an artist to make field sketches? Do you have to be a poet to make field notes? How is record-keeping like poetry? In what way does it engage us in creative problem-solving? Ian and Jade discuss these questions, while sharing stories of their own outdoor note-taking experiences, as well as those of their students. Jade also talks about the time David Attenborough was in the next room during a field trip... seriously. 

Fables from the Field 2021: Dip nets, fish massages, and rockpooling (in tidal pools)

Grab a dip net and go! You might soon find yourself inadvertently getting a fish massage. Maybe you'll give rockpooling a go. If you're not sure what rockpooling is, you'll find out after hearing a story of crustacean drama in a shrinking tidal pool on Vancouver Island. Ian and Jade also share their tips for expanding your pond/stream study toolkit, using dichotomous keys to identify macroinvertebrates, and appreciating the beauty of swimming leeches. 

Fables from the Field 2021: Magnifiers, minerals, and charismatic microfauna

How can something as simple and inexpensive as a magnifying glass be such a powerful outdoor learning tool? In what ways can we use magnifiers to engage some students with diverse learning needs? Is getting an up-close-and-personal look at "bugs" a means of helping students overcome their fear of "creepy crawlies"? Ian and Jade covered all of this, while also recounting a story of getting maybe a little too up close and personal with an insect after a rainforest adventure abroad.       

Fables from the Field 2021: Rain, rain jackets, and watersheds

What's "bad weather"? For that matter, what's "good weather"? What learning opportunities open up when the clouds burst? How can we optimize watershed-based education? Jade and Ian unpacked these questions, while sharing stories of flooded jungles (on two different continents) and capping off rainy field work with a visit to a cozy Scottish pub. They also touched on "Beaver Fever," Giant Squid, monsoons, mammal tracking, and "indoor rain."

Fables from the Field 2021: Binoculars and bird (mis)adventures

Our Fables from the Field summer sub-series continues with Ian and Jade discussing times when binoculars factored prominently in outdoor experiences, from observing a perched Bald Eagle with 12 remarkably patient children to receiving the stink eye from a group of birders (or is it "birdwatchers"?). They also dig into the differences between "twitchers" (AKA "listers") and people who simply enjoy birds. 

Fables from the Field 2021: Sit pads and sit spots

In this first episode of our Fables from the Field summer sub-series, Ian and Jade discuss the value of sit spots, slowing down while out in nature, and the usefulness of sit pads. They also share stories from past adventures in Iceland (when a sit pad would have come in quite handy). Also, do you remember how to pronounce the name of the volcano that erupted in southern Iceland in 2010? Jade does. Ian — not so much...

Episode 04: Gardening as an entry point to thinking big

Ft. outdoor and garden educator Kaci Rae Christopher

In the fourth episode of Earthy Chats, co-hosts Jade Harvey-Berrill and Ian Shanahan chatted with outdoor and garden educator Kaci Rae Christopher, author of The School Garden Curriculum! Here's a sneak-peek at what was discussed:

*growing a science mindset through gardening

*finding connections to systems thinking

*how storytelling fits into "garden culture"

*stories of student growth

*dreaming big and starting small (with just a bucket of soil)

*cross-curricular connections

*empowering students by learning local

We also got into some good (bad?) gardening puns, a thorny story of cricket (the sport, not the insect), mystery tomatoes, and hobbits (!?!).

Guest:

Kaci Rae Christopher is an outdoor and garden educator whose passion is fostering a healthy land ethic, personal empowerment, and environmental literacy in children of all ages. She does this through outdoor immersion and skill-building. She was previously the School Garden Coordinator for the Springwater Environmental Sciences School and the Outdoor Educator for ERA. She lives in Sisters, Oregon.

Her book The School Garden Curriculum: An Integrated K–8 Guide aims to sow the seeds of science and wonder and inspire the next generation of Earth stewards. The School Garden Curriculum offers a unique and comprehensive framework, enabling students to grow their knowledge throughout the school year and build on it from kindergarten to eighth-grade. From seasonal garden activities to inquiry projects and science-skill building, children will develop organic gardening solutions, a positive land ethic, systems thinking, and instincts for ecological stewardship.

Episode 03: Braiding Ktunaxa knowledge into learning

Ft. Aboriginal Education Coordinator Faye O'Neil 

In the third episode of Earthy Chats, co-hosts Jade Harvey-Berrill and Ian Shanahan chatted with educator Faye O'Neil of the ?aqam Community in the Ktunaxa Nation! Here's a sneak-peek at what was discussed:

*a childhood in nature

*gaining knowledge from the land

*gaps in the education system and how to fill them

*making partnerships and maintaining open dialogue

*how animals and plants are described in the Ktunaxa language

*ways to achieve grounding in nature

Guest:

Faye O’Neil (Cranbrook) is a member of the ?aqam Community in the Ktunaxa Nation. She is the Aboriginal Education Coordinator for Southeast School District No. 5, and she previously worked in Delta School District as an Aboriginal Support Worker. She sits on the ?aqam Education Committee and Lands Committee, the board for the Columbia Basin Environmental Education Network, and is one of our Indigenous Advisors for our Non-profit Outdoor Learning Store. She also has been actively engaged in supporting educators across the region by helping connect their programs and lessons with Indigenous knowledge, perspectives, and land-based learning.

 

 

Episode 02: Meet the Envirosongsters!

Ft. Envirosongsters Peter Lenton (aka Peter Puffin) and Remy Rodden

In the second episode of Earthy Chats, co-hosts Jade Harvey-Berrill and Ian Shanahan chatted with the Envirosongsters, Peter Lenton (aka Peter Puffin) and Remy Rodden! Here's a sneak-peek at what was discussed:

*the birth of the Envirosongsters collaboration

*Peter and Remy's process for creating EE songs for kids

*the role of storytelling in crafting a live concert

*the cross-curricular benefits of using song and theatre in education

*harnessing the inherent creativity of children

*the global Songs for Environmental Education network

*Peter and Remy's best (live) blooper stories!

A bit about Peter and Remy from the Envirosongsters website:

Guitar-slinger / songwriter Peter Lenton, aka Peter Puffins Whale Tales, has become a legendary addition to the Childrens Entertainer category around kids concert series and Festival circuits. He was awarded a Juno for the Best Children's Album in 2011.

The Alberta-based Lenton was originally a decorated teacher and curriculum specialist. His students responded to his incredible energy with such enthusiasm, that he was inspired to take his singing and guitar playing to the stage full-time and never looked back. Some 15 years later, he is always evolving his storytelling skills, passion for the environment, and unflagging belief in children merging it all together into something fresh and inviting. www.puffin.ca

Eco-singer Remy Rodden — a bilingual, rich-voiced teacher and biologist — is committed to helping children learn about nature. He's a clever songwriter, deeply concerned about the environment, and his wholly entertaining show ignites both the young and the young at heart. Remy’s target is to inspire wonder and foster responsible action with his fun and poignant curriculum-connected songs. 

Remy’s many years as an adventurer, camp leader, educator and entertainer uniquely position him to delight family audiences. He draws on his experience of countless school presentations, travels and performances in all continents (yes, even Antarctica) and a wilderness life in Canada’s Yukon Territory. He has degrees in biology and environmental, outdoor, and experiential education and puts them to full use in his music! www.remyrodden.com

Featured song excerpts:

World Without Fish by Remy Rodden

Kid Hearts by Peter Lenton

What's That, Habitat? by Remy Rodden

Green Kids on the Loose! by Peter Lenton