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Outdoor Classrooms PodcastCultivate Learning Gardens and Nature-Based Curriculum Author: Victoria Hackett, M.Ed: Learning Gardens and Nature Based Curriculum
The Outdoor Classrooms Podcast is the podcast for teachers and parents and anyone interested in cultivating learning gardens and nature-based curricula for children. Its a show that will help you transform your outdoor space and will offer seeds of inspiration for playful learning outdoors. Each week, Victoria Hackett and her guests will share tips and actionable strategies that you will need in order to set in motion, manage and grow your Outdoor Classroom. Youll learn how to implement the 5 Phases of Teaching Outdoors, all while providing a new way of learning for your children! Studies have shown that children who learn outdoors in all seasons develop a sense of self, independence, confidence, creativity, decision-making, problem-solving skills, empathy towards others, motor skills, self-discipline, and initiative. Victoria Hackett is the founder of Outdoor-Classrooms.com, The CIRCLE Membership community, and The Secret Gardens Demonstration Outdoor Classroom. You can follow her on Instagram and Facebook. To learn more, head on over to our virtual playground at outdoor-classrooms.com. Language: en Genres: Courses, Education, How To Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it Trailer: |
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163: Deep Wellness - Science, Spirit & Community with Sarah Hutchinson
Tuesday, 9 September, 2025
In this episode, Sarah delves into the integration of scientific principles with spiritual practices in nature-based education, highlighting a holistic approach that nurtures both mind and soul. She discusses how scientific research informs our understanding of developmental stages from childhood to adulthood, complementing spiritual growth. Nature is portrayed as a bridge between scientific inquiry and spiritual exploration, offering transformative experiences. Sarah explains how combining scientific insights with spiritual practices can turn life's challenges into opportunities for self-understanding. The episode also explores the role of mindfulness and meditation in development, supported by scientific findings. Furthermore, Sarah emphasizes the enhancement of community through a dual lens of science and spirituality in education. Practical advice is offered for incorporating these elements into nature-based learning. Finally, Sarah shares promising new discoveries and practices that point towards the future of nature-based education.Meet Sarah: Sarah was born in Boston in 1954 between two hurricanes. In third grade, inspired by her teacher Mrs. Wamsley, Sarah won a prize at her school for a bird's nest collection. Her family lived in the forest in Dover, Massachusetts, next to the 1,200 acre Hale Reservation which, rain or shine, was her playground and sanctuary. In addition Sarah's grandparents had a summer home on Narragansett Bay where she roamed freely, feet cut by barnacles, eyes stinging with salt water, hundreds of sunburns, ticks and poison ivy, Sarah loved it all.Sarah sailed across the Atlantic at age 17, then took to the mountains as an instructor for NOLS and Outward Bound. Her inherited skills as a teacher blended with her love for the outdoors as she made her way across the American West and Alaska taking students of all ages into the alchemical opportunity that nature based adventure, and education, provides.In 1976 Sarah was couch surfing in Lander Wyoming, waiting for winter to pass so she could get back out into the field with a paycheck. To pay her bills, Sarah took a paid training course at the local hospital to become a Certified Nursing Assistant. A kind and competent RN took Sarah under her wing and encouraged her to consider nursing school. Sarah graduated in 1979 as an RN. Her love for nature merged with the health sciences as she stepped into the best career she can imagine. In her 46 year career as an RN Sarah has worked in rural healthcare clinics, regional hospitals, schools and third world countries. She has worked as a midwife, ER Nurse and Critical Care Nurse and everything in between. Raising three children and 12 hour hospital shifts was a recipe for burn out. This is when Sarah found yoga as a potent stress management tool. Yoga led her to its sister science, Ayurveda, the oldest healthcare system on the planet. Sarah now combines modern medicine with the time tested wisdom and science of Ayurveda to teach deep wellness. Deep wellness is a protective state of body, mind and soul that can be present even when we are challenged by poor health and aging. She is a multi-certified yoga, Ayurveda and meditation teacher, Enneagram Coach and grandmother to three adventuresome growing children. She lives on the skirt of a mountain in Western Colorado with thousands of acres of National Forest a few miles up the road. Connect with Sarah: Website: https://yogabeyondtheposes.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yogabeyondtheposes/CONNECT WITH VICTORIA:WEBSITE:
