Talking with Green Teachers

Episode 58: Learning through a forest lens

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’s also talk of Moon Trees, thinking seven generations ahead, spirit trees, and the differences between preservation and conservation.

Guest:

Jess Kaknevicius just completed a term as Vice President of Education at the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI), overseeing Project Learning Tree, an initiative of SFI. She helps to grow a lifetime of learning through environmental education, forest literacy, and career pathways using trees and forests as windows on the world.

Learn more about PLT’s Forest Literacy Framework at https://www.plt.org/forestliteracy.

*Episode edited by M. Angel Goñi Avila

*Episode recorded in March 2023

Episode 57: Regenerating habitat for native pollinators

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 habitat for native pollinators, while writing numerous books on this important and joyous practice. She shares her insights, tips, and stories in this rich conversation… and gives a little love to those oft-misunderstood goldenrods! 

Guest:

Lorraine Johnson has been writing about native plants and habitat regeneration for 30 years, in popular books such as 100 Easy-to-Grow Native Plants for Canadian Gardens; The New Ontario Naturalized Garden; Grow Wild!; and her most recent, co-authored with Sheila Colla, A Garden for the Rusty-Patched Bumblebee. Lorraine is involved in many community organizations, such as Project Swallowtail, and has served on the Boards of the North American Native Plant Society, LEAF, Wild Ones, and other organizations. Her advocacy work includes efforts to reform grass and weeds bylaws in support of biodiversity. What unites her work is the need to reconcile with nature in a healthy relationship. Learn more at https://lorrainejohnson.ca/.

*Episode edited by M. Angel Goñi Avila

*Episode recorded in March 2023

Episode 56: Having richer and more meaningful conversations with children

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 environmental educators in this lively discussion that also touches on the importance of embracing moments of silence, the characteristics of a global citizen, engaging with people who have different perspectives, and meeting young learners where they’re at when it comes to temperament.   

Guest:

Rebecca Rolland is a lecturer at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and serves on the faculty at Harvard Medical School. She also served as an oral and written language specialist in the Neurology Department of Boston Children's Hospital. As a nationally certified speech-language pathologist, she has worked clinically with populations ranging from early childhood through high school and has provided teacher professional development. She has an Ed.D. from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, an M.S. in Speech-Language Pathology from the MGH Institute of Health Professions, an M.A. in English from Boston University, and a B.A. in English from Yale.

*Episode edited by M. Angel Goñi Avila

Episode 55: Pre-K environmental ed.

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 outdoor learning spaces, including two school gardens where wonder and curiosity are allowed to flourish.

Guests:

Jayne Black is a Pre-K teacher, Founder of Green Schools Rock, a free inclusive program that is shaping kids to be green leaders in their schools and communities. Jayne is Mrs USA Earth Eco 2023 and serves as an ambassador for Beauties for a Cause, a 501 (c)3 non-profit organization, committed to environmental advocacy and education. Jayne serves as a commissioner of her city’s sustainability commission. She is a certified facilitator for Project WET and Project WILD, a certified green schools classroom professional, and a green schools mentor for Illinois Green Alliance. Jayne is actively working on clean air legislation for schools in Wisconsin.

Learn more about Green Schools Rock Awareness Day here!

*Episode edited by M. Angel Goñi Avila

Episode 54: Engaging children in climate/waste solutions

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 practical advice for young people and their educators. We also touch on the necessity of collective action and policy engagement on the road toward decarbonization.

Guests:

Zach Fox-Devol (in his own words): In 2020, my teacher suggested that we write a podcast script. I began writing and narrating the podcast called Rule of The Bark. Funny interviews and helpful tips are shared. In December 2021 I started We The Children, the podcast where kids talk climate change! In each episode, we meet climate warriors who are working to protect our planet. We have wacky weather reports, play fun trivia games, and feature an Action Step of the week. I have a dog named Ewok, a cat named Pax, and two moms. When I'm not working on podcasts, you can find me working on magic tricks, chess, and my Rubik's cube.

Clare Marder is an educator in Los Angeles, California, USA. Originally from the Boston area, she has always had a deep appreciation for nature. Clare went to Sarah Lawrence College (New York) and Pepperdine University (California). She lives with her husband and two-year-old son, Jack.

*Episode edited by M. Angel Goñi Avila 

Episode 53: The power of nature stories

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 stories and get to the heart of engaging people’s hearts and minds during a time where inspiring actions to preserve nature are giving us very real reasons for hope. There’s also some talk of rewilding, biophilia, public wolf howls, and the majesty of Gros Morne National Park.

Guests:

Jesse Hildebrand is the VP of Education at non-profit Exploring By The Seat of Your Pants, where he coordinates 40+ monthly broadcasts featuring scientists and explorers worldwide. He's the founder of Canada's Science Literacy Week, the former producer of Toronto's Story Collider show, and he coordinates the global BackyardBio nature campaign!

Storytellers:

Alysa McCall is a staff scientist and director of conservation outreach at Polar Bears International. She supports educational initiatives and scientific research across the Arctic, with a focus on Canadian projects. Alysa is working to further wild Polar Bear coexistence and conservation from her home in (Polar Bear–free) Whitehorse, Yukon.

Jai Sharma is a National Geographic-certified Nature and wildlife educator and member of IUCN, CEC, and Nature For All. He is a passionate Naturalist cum trainer guiding students and community to develop passion for nature conservation and a better and healthy planet for our future.

More people have walked on the moon than visited many of the places Jill Heinerth has explored on Earth. From the most dangerous technical dives deep inside underwater caves to swimming through giant Antarctic icebergs, Heinerth’s curiosity and passion for our watery planet is the driving force in her life. 

Learn more about Nature’s For All’s Storytelling Festival Love Fest here!

Episode 52: Two-eyed seeing

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 learning stories, which include botanical explorations in bogs, creating gifts for residential school survivors, and watching students take ever-greater leadership roles.     

Guests:

Chad Carpenter (Lheidli T’enneh), resides on the traditional unceded territory of the xwməθkwəy̓ əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱ wú7mesh (Squamish), and Sel̓ íl̓ witulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. Chad is an Indigenous Education Enhancement Worker in both elementary and secondary school settings. He supports Indigenous students and classroom communities to continue our learning journeys toward Truth & Reconciliation and to and learn, acknowledge, and honour our beautiful and diverse Indigenous cultures.

Lori York, Med., resides on the traditional unceded territory of the xwməθkwəy̓ əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱ wú7mesh (Squamish), and Sel̓ íl̓ witulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations where she researches the intersections between environmental education and Indigenous pedagogy. She works as a District Curriculum & Assessment Mentor for the Vancouver School Board. She specializes in environmental and fine arts education. Her work is focused on training non-Indigenous educators to explore ecological and Indigenous frameworks. She offers professional development workshops on LEAF Pedagogy, Place-Based Learning, and weaving environmental and Indigenous pedagogies together. To learn more about LEAF programming, contact her at lyork@vsb.bc.ca.

See Lori’s article The LEAF Project from Green Teacher 131 (Spring 2022) here.

Episode 51: Balancing screen time and green time

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 educators in this timely exploration of the upsides and downsides of digital technology in learning settings. Digital tools have an important place in education, but knowing when and how to use them are key considerations for educators in the 21^st century. (If you listen to the end, you’ll hear a reading of an original song written by Kerry!)  

Guest:

Kerry Crofton, PhD, is founder and director of the Canadian charity, Global Alliance for Brain & Heart Health (Global Health Alliance). Her international team of environmental health experts are dedicated to nurturing the physical and mental wellbeing of children, youth, and families in this digital age. Her 45 years of professional work includes developing and delivering wellness programs for teachers, parents, nurses, physicians, cardiac patients, air traffic controllers, commercial and fighter pilots, and others in high-stress occupations. She is the author of The Wellness Guide for the Digital Age as well as Less Screen More Green: The Mindful Tech Plan on the powers of nature, mindfulness, and being truly connected. Kerry is a nature-loving mother and grandmother, and once worked as a teacher. These days she offers Pro D Less Screen, More Green programs for other teachers, as well as The Mindful Tech Plan™, The Family Tech Plan™, and The School Tech Plan™.

Waterfall sound effect by SoundsForYou from Pixabay

Episode 50: Navigating ecological threats with storytelling

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 clear-eyed honesty about various ecological challenges facing the planet. They joined us to share their insights about storytelling as an educational tool as well how traditional knowledge has informed their work.

Guests (from www.northatlanticbooks.com):

Chenoa Egawa is the owner of Swan Clan Productions. Egawa is a traditional Native singer, storyteller, ceremonial leader, and medicine carrier. She has served as a Lummi delegate and an interpreter in Central and South America and for the UN. She has also served as Indian Education liaison in public and tribal schools, promoting racial equity through art and education.

Keith Egawa is a graduate of the University of Washington’s Creative Writing program and author of the novel Madchild Running (Red Crane Books Inc. 1999). Egawa’s extensive work experience in the fields of Children and Family Services and Indian Education Reform has provided him with both inspiration and insight into his subject matter. Egawa has been awarded several artists grants, including the ARTs Up grant through the Seattle Arts Commission, which was used to conduct a series of writing workshops for Native youth in the Seattle area.

Episode 49: Comics, cartoons, and humour for climate change ed.

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 Captain Polo — an intrepid Polar Bear who travels the world hearing stories from those most affected by climate change. A tremendous amount of research and thought has gone into this ever-expanding series of comics, and we were delighted that Alan joined us to share his insights about his journey so far.

Guest (adapted from https://alanhesse.com/about/):

Born in Pakistan from Anglo-French parents, Alan J. Hesse practically grew up in a suitcase; his father's international soil scientist career led him to all sorts of unusual places, some of them to live for a couple of years at a time. Alan can safely say he is a seasoned traveler. This has shaped his identity and has increased his understanding and respect for different cultures around the world. Alan loves to reflect this appreciation in his cartoons and comics. Since age 12 Alan knew he wanted to somehow be surrounded by wildlife and nature. He was able to fulfill this objective after helping to set up and join a university expedition to the Bolivian Amazon. What started out as a 3-month adventure turned into a 20-year residence. Alan currently lives in Ecuador, where he continues to develop the Captain Polo book series while deepening a newfound vocation for climate education.