The Outdoor Learning Podcast

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In this episode, Derek and Chris talk with Gillian, a longtime, friend, educator, mentor, and co-creator of the Let’s Lead – Nikanetan program, about what it really takes to build an outdoor learning program from the ground up. Drawing on years of shared experience, they unpack the journey from early conversations and small collabor...

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In this episode, Derek and Chris sit down with Nicole Turner to explore the realities, challenges, and opportunities of outdoor learning across grade levels.

Nicole shares her journey from outdoor camps to classroom teaching and her work with EcoJustice, along with insights from her master’s research focused on helping teachers incre...

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In this episode of The Outdoor Learning Podcast, we’re joined by Camille S. Edwards and Dan Kriesberg, co-creators of Diversity Education in Nature. Together, they bring decades of experience in DEI work and environmental education, using the natural world as a living classroom to explore inclusion, interdependence, and belonging. W...

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We meet up with Aron Knudsen, teacher in Saskatoon Public this week. 

We talk about Land-Based Learning, the importance of community in the classroom, as well as working with your community to create learning opportunities, and how to get students outside in a high school setting. 

If you would like to contact Aron Knudsen, you can re...

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This week we catch up with Jenn Herrod, teacher in Saskatoon Public. She shares with us her Weather Weaving project that she uses with her elementary students. We also talk Affordances, gush about Robin Wall Kimmerer and chat about why Polar Bear Clubs are awesome and how Jenn works hers. 

Beery, T. (2025). Landscape Pedagogy for Env...

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This week, we connect with Keri Albert, the creator and teacher of IGen, an intergenerational program for grade 6 students that takes place at College Park School and the Sherbrooke Community Center.  She shares with us how intergenerational learning provides “real-life” learning and why it is important for students to learn in thes...

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Today we connect with Ian Wilson, a long time Principal in Saskatoon Public. Ian is a strong supporter of outdoor learning. We chat a bit about his experiences with Outdoor Learning , things that he does to support and encourage outdoor learning in the teachers that he works with, and he shares some ways that teachers can help bring...

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In this episode, we kick off season 2 with a conversation between the two of us about some of the things we have been working on this past summer that are designed to support other outdoor educators in taking their students out of the classroom and into the natural environment.

These include identifying some of the challenges that sp...

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In today's episode we meet up with a former student from Derek's program, Chance Blythe, to talk about his experiences in Outdoor Learning as a student throughout his educational career and how it might connect to his future goals of becoming an educator. 

Chris' Research Corner

Richmond, D., Sibthorp, J., Gookin, ...

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Derek and Chris talk with Maxine and Brianna, a dynamic duo of primary teachers from one of the Nature schools in the Saskatoon Public School Division.

We talk about nature-based learning in the early years and primary context, how to enrich literacy instruction through the outdoors through vocabulary and hands on connection to ideas...

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Chris and Derek join Sandy Chocan to talk about Cree Language, Land-Based Learning, Cultural Camps and students' need to build a connection to the land. Sandy also shares about the Circle of Courage and how Outdoor Learning can help teachers to authentically connect students to all aspects of it.

Chris' Research ...

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Chris and Derek connect with Gabby, a grade 8 teacher in Saskatoon Public who regularly uses Outdoor Learning in her classroom.

We talk about pedagogical choices, how to work through challenges, and finding ways to communicate our intent with outdoor learning with students, admin and parents.

Access the things Ga...

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In this episode we connect with Evan Nienaber, a teacher from Saskatoon Public. We talk about getting started with Outdoor Learning, affordances, relationships, failure and learning and how all those parts are connected. We also talk about releasing control and not always being the expert in the classroom. Evan shares a little about...

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Our guest for this episode is Mandy Cooper who has been teaching for over 10 years and has been teaching Let’s Lead – Nikanetan for the past 6 years.   In our conversation with Mandy, we talk about Project Walk and Talks with Mandy and how she uses them with her students to connect them to the places where they live and make the lea...

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Get Outside 101 Conference
Saturday, October 5
University of Saskatchewan in the Education Building

Head over to https://saskoutdoors.org/event/get-outside-101-saskatoon/ to register for this awesome Outdoor Learning experience! 

You can contact us and access our research, project ideas and more at:
https://engag...

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Our guest for this episode is Nancy Barr who has been teaching for over 20 years, and has used outdoor and out of school learning to build relationships with community members.  In our conversation with Nancy, we talk about learning on and from the land, building relationships both with the land and with each other, and how Nancy pr...

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Just in time for a new school year! 

In this episode we gathered with Nancy Barr, Evan Nienaber, and Skyler Haugen, a group of outdoor educators, for a round table discussion on how we start off our year in a good way. 

We talk about first day ideas, building relationships, and procedures and progressions for taking kids out...

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Our guest for this episode is Brad Watts, an experienced outdoor learning educator, who in his words, has been teaching for about 20ish years.  He literally started his teaching career as a result of being able to take students on a camping trip.  He was one of the teachers in the Let's Lead-Nikanetan experiential leadership gr...

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This podcast is about Outdoor Learning.  Derek and Chris, two experienced outdoor educators, will be having conversations with each other and other outdoor educators about various practical aspects of using outdoor learning.  Our goal is to provide educators who are new to outdoor learning and those who are experienced with ideas on...