One of the best indicators that tell us that we are in an 'initiatory experience' is the unmistakable feeling of internal upheaval.
Things that used to feel normal are different, and our experience of moving through our lives, how we think and perceive all tell us that things have changed, and most of the time, we don't quite understand what is going on.
It happens when we get injured and need crutches to move
It happens when we go from being a child to a young adult.
It happens when we get married or move in together.
It happens when we have a break-up.
It happens when a member of our family passes away.
When these initiatory periods happen, we don't feel 'right' inside, and sometimes, it's a good thing, like starting a new job, but often it's deeply unsettling.
When these feelings start moving through us, many people will do whatever they can to numb out, or medicate, so they don't feel it so intensely. No one likes it when Fear and Anxiety come to the party.
The problem we face in these times is trying to understand exactly how long it's going to take until we 'figure it out' and learn to navigate this new situation, and gain a sense of control.
When it's a broken bone, we actually have a decent time frame. It's 6-8 weeks of healing, followed by a few months of physical therapy and regaining motion, strength and flexibility. We can handle that!
It helps if we know that others have done it before us.
It also helps when we can see that it's getting better.
In our present situation, America is going through it's own initiation, and it's a time of change, instability and chaos. No matter which side or perspective you hold, that is one thing that is true, but it can vary greatly on intensity depending on where you fall on the spectrum of American population and class.
This is new and it's scary. We don't know how long this is all going to last. We don't know what is going to happen next. We are not in control, and it's hard to how how to respond in a way that can help us restore our inner equilibrium and stability.
In the middle of all of this are our children, who are trying to grow up, learn skills, understand how the world works and navigate their feelings and changing bodies and minds. They can sense what is going on, even if they are not scanning the headlines or listening to podcasts or social media. They can feel the cloud of uncertainty, and they also know it's not going away soon.
I know this is a lot of text to read, so I am going to bottom line it here:
If you have kids, or work with kids, stay in the present moment as much as you can.
Get them outside and grounded by the reality that nature and the Earth provides. Make things with your hands, and engage your creativity. Stay connected with each other, and listen to how they are doing and feeling.
The work of Forest Educators is an incredible source of 'restoration' of that inner foundation, even if it's just for a few hours, and it has a tremendous beneficial impact.
Best part is, it will also help YOU! It will give you an awesome sense of confidence in your ability to make a difference, and stem the tide of fear and anxiety. This can't be overstated. It matters for all of you in a big way.
Reach out to parents and let them know if their child is struggling with anxiety or fear. The younger children might not be too aware but the older students might and they mask those feelings very well, because the last thing they want to do is to add to their parent's stress.
We have always known our work is important, but now is the time to show up and set aside our own fear and stress and be present to the needs of our time.
The ripples of this work will move throughout this younger generation and last for decades. It's far more important than any of us fully realize.
Stay safe, everyone. And if you're struggling, please reach out to me or the greater community of educators.
We are all in this together.
- Ricardo Sierra
- Jun 17, 2023
- 2 min read
The first few weeks of a podcast is very critical to it's long term success, because the algorithm determines what is valuable and important to listeners based on Episode Downloads, Episode Listens and also Episode Reviews, too.
Leaving an authentic review, after actually listening to an episode, is huge. Sharing that episode with someone else, is also really awesome and super helpful.
If you are just finding out about this show, thank you for listening and checking it out!
We launched with the first three episodes, and I am including the first two here. I will write more about my interview with Jude Vinton in another post, because she deserves all of the attention, and no distractions!
It's pretty obvious that starting with the definition of a 'Forest Educator' would be a great first step, so I decided to share MY interpretation, and how I see the vast spectrum of nature based educators is maybe different than one coming from, say, an environmental educator, or from a teacher, or summer camp director. I get REALLY WIDE in my assessment, and I am looking forward to bringing some good conversations to you in future shows.
(I guess I'm giving a major hint about who you might expect on one of my upcoming shows!)
My second episode is about MY origin story, from the perspective of my professional journey and my own training and inspiration. I figured it's a good idea to let you all get a peek inside my world, and know a little more about me, so you can have some background and some stories to connect with me other than my voice and questions!
This kind of format is very revealing for me, and while I am not a particularly private person in general, it's always a little awkward to know what I should share, what might be too much, and how to say some things that might be sensitive, if you know what I mean. In today's social world, it's easy to see and know people who have gotten a LOT of attention in a negative way, and I believe in being cautious and caring in my approach, while still being authentic and keeping things real and grounded, etc.
As you listen to some of these shows, please know that I NEVER intend any hurt or harm to anyone, and if I cross the line, I hope you'll let me know, so I can make amends and keep learning and growing. The world is changing very quickly in a lot of ways, and as a member of the older generation of nature based program leaders, it's easy to miss a detail that is important to many of you, unintentionally.
I hope it's clear to everyone that my message and philosophy and view is that we need everyone, from all backgrounds, doing what we can to help make positive change. Even when some are very different from what we are used to, it's all vital that we keep a door open for understanding, for dialogue and healing, so we can all grow together and make it through this powerful time of transition for our culture and species.
Enjoy these first few episodes, and thank you for listening, and for the work you do!
- Ricardo Sierra
- Jun 15, 2023
- 3 min read
Today marks the beginning of an idea, a vision, maybe, that began years ago, shortly after I completed The Wolverine Way Summit on Nature Connection. I had recorded about 28 different educators, naturalists, trackers, ecologists, musicians, writers, environmental workers and other visionaries who were working on the front lines to help us learn to walk on this planet with a little more awareness, more compassion, more intelligence and more long term vision. I wanted to know what they were seeing in their own part of the world, and what they were excited about, and worried about and hear their message, as well.
It was a wonderful experience, and it was eye-opening, and mind expanding. It was also a TON of work to both connect with all of these wonderful people, then develop a relationship with them, set up a time to interview them, then figure out the recording process, have a great interview, then edit everything to make it flow correctly, upload it and so much more. I had to build a website for the Summit, then design the graphics for each interview, and I was learning all kinds of new applications, web based platforms.
it was a gauntlet of effort to keep going.
Let's just say that I was a better Tracker than I was a virtual assistant! That's the short version.
I got a lot of really wonderful feedback from this effort, made some incredible new friends and peers, expanded my circle and much more. It gave me a taste of a much larger world.
However, it was not sustainable, because it wasn't something that I charged for, and when my daily routine of nature programming, timber framing and other work here at Hawk Circle began to need attention, I had to step back and roll my sleeves up and try to catch up with fire wood and lots of other tasks.
I really wanted to keep that effort going, and the thought of doing it as a podcast was exciting but I just wasn't able to figure out how to do all of those details and make it work financially. So, it got shelved but never forgotten.
Flash forward to 2022.
I began to connect with people who were experts in audio editing, and making it easy to for show hosts to concentrate on the content and interviews, and they handle a lot of the back end details. It's has taken me the last nine months to get things off the ground, but I'm finally up and rolling, and it's definitely a milestone for me to see this come together.
This show is FOR forest educators, and ABOUT forest educators, in all of their many shapes and sizes.
It's about having conversations that help us to grow as professionals, to explore subjects that usually aren't covered in the typical 'wilderness survival skills workshops' or 'tracking expeditions', and it's about getting to know people from all over the world who are doing amazing things.
I am also doing a deep dive into various topics that are important to program directors, nature leaders, wilderness instructors and educators, through my 'Forest Spotlight' episodes. In each one, I will offer a synopsis of a topic from my own experience, and offer ideas and stories and strategies to help us all begin to think about our work in ways that lead to better practices and positive solutions.
My hope is to bring you all a useful, inspiring and grounded space to explore this vital work, and help us all to move forward towards a new, powerful and healthy Nature Based World.
If you have any questions, or want to suggest a topic or guest to have on the show, please reach out to me via email or social media. I would love to hear how some of these programs 'land', so to speak, and how its helped you, if it has, or where I could add some nuance or new perspectives, as well. I'd really love to get your input, from your part of the world!
And thank you, for all of the work you do to make this happen. I appreciate you!
You can listen to The Forest Educator Podcast on all major Podcast platforms and apps, streaming now.
