Take Me Outside

Episode 14: Filling gaps in climate ed. according to teens

With Gabriel Gitter-Dentz, Kevin Zhou, and Adam Rudt of Hunter College High School and the Bridging the Carbon Gap podcast

How can students make up for lost time when they haven’t learned much about climate change at school? When is the right time to introduce climate education? How should it be handled? Can gaming be an effective educational tool? These are all top-of-mind considerations for Hunter College High School seniors Gabriel Gitter-Dentz, Kevin Zhou, and Adam Rudt. This trio of teens joined us to discuss their experiences with climate education (or lack thereof), how and when to introduce climate ed., and how their podcast, Bridging the Carbon Gap, came to be. We also somehow got onto talking about a new role that George Clooney could play in a movie about the foundational climate law in the United States.    

Guests (in their own words):

My name is Gabriel Gitter-Dentz. I am a senior at Hunter College High School and live in Manhattan. My favorite subject is Chemistry. Aside from creating the Bridging the Carbon Gap podcast, I play basketball for my school and for fun, and I am an assistant teacher at my synagogue's religious school.

I'm Kevin Zhou, and I'm currently a senior at Hunter College High School. I enjoy studying Math and Physics. Outside of academics, I spend time on my PS4 or playing basketball.

I’m Adam Rudt. I am a senior at Hunter College High School and my favorite subjects are Biology and French. In my free time I enjoy birdwatching, playing basketball, and making podcasts.

Transition music:

"Odyssey" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Episode 13: Talking cli-fi with Guy

With Guy Walton from guyonclimate.com

Have you entered the world of cli-fi yet? If not, join us for this lively conversation with meteorologist and children’s cli-fi author Guy Walton. Guy shares his insights on climate anxiety, “malevolent molecules,” misinformation versus disinformation, balancing hope and reality, and how his series’ central character Thermo came to be. Little Shop of Horrors came up in discussion, too, but you’ll have to listen to find out why…

Transition music:

"Call to Adventure" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Guest:

Guy Walton is a meteorologist who is a 30-year veteran of the Weather Channel in Atlanta, Georgia. He became convinced that humankind was causing climate change shortly after Dr. James Hansen’s testimony in 1988. Guy is a native Georgian who graduated from Florida State University with a bachelor’s degree in meteorology and a minor in mathematics in 1983. He cares about what his generation will leave for the future of humanity. He hopes that his small contribution to climate science will aid others, lighting the way towards a better future for this planet. (From http://www.guyonclimate.com/about-guy/)

Episode 12: Puppetry, upcycling, and a puppet chat!

With Mike Harding of Applefun Puppetry and two of his puppet pals

How can puppetry be used in educational settings? What’s the right balance between entertainment and education in a puppet show? Which recycled materials make for great puppets? In this special two-part episode for Earth Week 2021, Ian chats with puppeteer Mike Harding before having an oceanside conversation with his two new puppet friends, Lobert the lobster and the Purple Pirate. There’s also talk of muppets (Kermit impression included!) and tales of puppet shows where things didn’t go exactly as planned.  

Transition music:

"March of the Spoons" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Guests:

Mike Harding, Chief Puppeteer of Applefun Puppetry, has performed professionally for over 20 years. He has conducted thousands of puppet shows at libraries, schools, and birthday parties. Mike studied Improvisational Comedy at Second City, an experience that allows him to add a unique and spontaneous flavour to his shows. Applefun Puppetry Puppet Shows are characteristically interactive with a high degree of audience participation.

Lobert (AKA “Lob”) is a lobster — specifically, an oven-mitt lobster (and he doesn’t mind if you know that). He likes whales and sea life in general. His boss, the Purple Pirate (AKA “Captain Purple”), has a crew of four(ish) mates who accompany him on his many adventures throughout the world’s oceans. He is currently focused on finding the big purple whale, one of the most mysterious creatures of the deep!  

Episode 11: Boosting the longevity and relevance of school and botanical gardens

With Todd Beasley of the Environmental Education Association of South Carolina and University of South Carolina

Why is horticulture misunderstood in so many schools? What is the largest barrier to sustained success with school gardens? How can botanical gardens become more culturally relevant? To what extent do non-profit board composition and recruitment practices impact the cultural relevance of botanical gardens? These are some of the big questions that Todd Beasley joined us to discuss in our latest episode. More than a few plant puns found their way into the conversation, too!

Transition music:

"Garden Music" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Guest:

Todd Beasley, Green Teacher’s Regional Editor for South Carolina (SC), has 25 years of experience in horticulture and education. Between stops at three botanical gardens, Todd taught 5th-grade Environmental Science and continuing education Horticulture classes. Todd also served as the School Environmental Education Director at Heathwood Hall in Columbia, South Carolina, USA, where his students created a nationally recognized youth gardening program. Todd wrote the proposal that brought the American Horticultural Society’s Annual Children and Youth Gardening Symposium to Columbia, SC in 2016. Todd is currently the owner of Primitive by Design, an eco-friendly garden design firm, and is an Elementary Education professor at the University of South Carolina.

Todd’s article, Richard Headstrom — STEAMING Ahead with STEM 75 Years Ago, appeared in our spring 2021 issue of Green Teacher magazine.

Episode 10: Teaching enviro. ed. using comic books

With Louis Yuen and Charlie Kistler of Infinity Eight Productions

Making research studies on topics like climate change, microplastic pollution, and biodiversity loss relevant and interesting for children is… well… hard. How can it be done without making eco-anxiety worse? Louis Yuen, Charlie Kistler, and the team at Infinity Eight Productions have a solution: comic books! Join us for this wide-ranging discussion about everything from striking the right tone and navigating pushback to finding the “sweet spot” of anthropomorphizing. We also ask what the sun and trees would say if they could talk… 

Click here to learn more about the Noella Environmental Education comic book series.

Transition music by JuliusH from Pixabay

Guests:

Louis Yuen is the creative mind behind Infinity Eight Productions. Before becoming interested in sustainability and climate action, Louis spent a decade as an architect on high end design projects. On a project for the Shanghai Disneyland in 2012 Louis became painfully aware of humanity's pollution problems. That experience encouraged him to create educational materials for kids. Louis now spends his time on his dream of creating animation projects dedicated to environmental preservation and educating himself on current topics in sustainability. He believes animation has the power to enlighten, and his passion is to bring these animation project ideas to life.

Charlie Kistler is a president and producer of Infinity Eight Productions. Charlie, a former camp counselor, ski instructor, lacrosse coach, and mentor has long been interested in teaching and coaching kids. He first became involved in climate issues while volunteering for Chabot Space and Science Center in Oakland. He holds an MBA from UCLA and a BA in Biology from Whitman College and previously worked as an infectious disease researcher and oncology consultant. In his free time, Charlie loves to ski, garden, and go hiking with his dog.

Episode 09: Facilitating children's outdoor play

With Monica Wiedel-Lubinski of the Eastern Region Association of Forest and Nature Schools (ERAFANS)

How can educators and guardians best guide and facilitate hands-on nature play among children? It starts with being hands-off and letting kids explore, experiment, inquire — heck, even make a few mistakes — in an unstructured outdoor environment, big or small. Nature play expert Monica Wiedel-Lubinski joined us to talk about these ideas and more, including the differences between risks and hazards, the value of loose-parts play, and her favourite activities from her new book, which she co-wrote with Karen Madigan.    

Guest:

Naturalist and educator Monica Wiedel-Lubinski is the director of the Eastern Region Association of Forest and Nature Schools (ERAFANS), which builds capacity for equitable nature-based education through professional development. She co-founded the Wild Haven Forest Preschool in 2017 as well as the Notchcliff Nature Preschool at Glen Meadows Retirement Community  in 2019. Monica also works as a keynote speaker and consultant for nature-based schools and natural play spaces. Her book Nature Play Workshop for Families, co-authored with Karen Madigan, was published in 2020 by Quarry Books.  

Episode 08: Climate- and culture-friendly ecotourism

With Roy Jantzen and Laura Choo of the School of Tourism Management, Capilano University

How do wildlife-viewing guidelines differ from one place to the next? What can ecotourism companies do to be more climate responsible? What role do consumers play in this? Roy and Laura discuss these matters as well as share their insights about equitable engagement with local Indigenous communities. Also hear some stories about whales, sea-otters, and dippers!

Guests:

Roy Jantzen is a professor of Natural History, Ecotourism, Tourism and Climate Change, and Environmental Stewardship in the Faculty of Global and Community Studies at Capilano University. He teaches students in Tourism Management, Outdoor Recreation Management, and Global Stewardship. For over two decades, Roy has helped educate the public about the importance of biodiversity and our human place within it. Though he has a passion for local ecosystems and the species that inhabit them, he also has a strong desire to relate the environment to our lives and to larger planetary issues. Roy recently published a book entitled, Active Vancouver: A Year-Round Guide to Outdoor Recreation in the City's Natural Environments. He also leads an ecotourism and consulting company that he began 24 years ago. Roy holds a Master of Environmental Education and Communication from Royal Roads University and asks, “shouldn’t all education be environmental education?"

Laura Choo is a 4^th-year student at Capilano University in the Bachelors of Tourism Management Program. She is also an alumna of the Outdoor Recreation Management Program, which she graduated from with Distinction in 2018. She is passionate about outdoor education, natural history, adventure sports, and especially environmental sustainability. She has worked as an outdoor educator, tour guide, naturalist, and tourism researcher. In December 2020, one of her qualitative research projects, which explored the success of COVID recovery strategies for tourism in the City of North Vancouver, won first place in a city-wide showcase! In 2021, along with completing her undergrad, she is looking forward to working as a research assistant for a project exploring and advocating for diversity and inclusion within tourism restart plans across Canada. If listeners want to connect with Laura with ideas for future projects or collaborations, she would be happy to network through her LinkedIn account.

Episode 07: The role of non-profits in the climate change response

With San Patten of the College of Sustainability, Dalhousie University and San Patten and Associates

How can non-profits fill in the gaps that public and private bodies can't address in our local, national, and international response to climate change? What can we learn from how NGOs helped shift the conversation around HIV and AIDS? How does this apply to the climate crisis? San Patten addresses all this and more, while sharing one of the many impactful stories from her two decades of on-the-ground experience.

Guest:

San Patten teaches at the College of Sustainability at Dalhousie University. San also teaches Social Policy (by distance) at Mount Allison University’s Department of Sociology. With a background in health promotion, specifically focusing on HIV, she brings a human health and social justice perspective to her teaching. San puts heavy emphasis on real-world learning about the role of non-profit organizations in driving social, political, economic, and environmental change. San also runs her own consulting practice, San Patten and Associates, which specializes in HIV policy development, facilitation, program evaluation, and community-based research. 

Episode 06: Using art and storytelling to protect marine life

With Aria Luna of Aria Luna Art

Artist Aria Luna chats about the origins of Bogo Mogo, how the story can be used to help protect oceans from plastic pollution, and why coloring books are such great tools for drawing readers into the creative process. She also tells us about a particularly unique Oregon Junco, her paintings for social justice, and the upcoming Amazonas exhibit.

Guest:

Aria Luna is one of the world’s youngest exhibiting artists. Her traveling exhibit Fusion Tide tells the story of Bogo Mogo. This terrifying plastic monster is the antagonist of the free coloring book story, The Quest to Defeat Bogo Mogo, which was written by Aria Luna’s mom, Birgitte Rasine, with coloring book page illustrations by Luba Rasine-Ortoleva. Aria Luna is a nature-lover and changemaker passionate about marine life, ocean health, and other issues impacting local and global communities. 

Episode 05: Responding to environmental racism

With Dr. Ingrid Waldron of Dalhousie University and The ENRICH Project

We sat down with Dr. Ingrid Waldron to discuss how environmental racism manifests on the ground, specifically in Mi’kmaq and African Nova Scotian communities. Dr. Waldron also discusses the importance of getting community members involved in research from the very beginning, while touching on the role educators play in responding to environmental racism.

Guest:

Dr. Ingrid Waldron is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Health at Dalhousie University and the Director of the Environmental Noxiousness, Racial Inequities & Community Health Project (The ENRICH Project). As the Director of the ENRICH Project, Dr. Waldron has been investigating the socio-economic, political, and health effects of environmental racism in Mi’kmaq and African Nova Scotian communities. The ENRICH Project formed the basis to Dr. Waldron’s first book There’s Something in the Water: Environmental Racism in Indigenous and Black Communities, as well as the 2020 Netflix documentary There’s Something in the Water, which was co-produced by Waldron, actor Elliot Page, Ian Daniel, and Julia Sanderson.