Podcast

Episode 12

Whitney Blaisdell and the importance of play

Join Mike & Leah as they chat with Whitney Blaisdell about her non-profit, Play YQR. Whitney discusses how to prioritize and increase access to play for all ages. Listen in as Whitney talks about the importance of play! 

For more information on Whitney, visit her University of Regina Student Spotlight.  Checkout Megan Zeni with Room to Play on Instagram for more outdoor play content. 

Episode 11

megan gurski & Teaching outdoors

Join Mike & Leah as they chat with Megan Gurski, SaskOutdoors' former Outdoor Play Coordinator, teacher, and owner/operator of NW25 Outdoor Learning Co. Teachable moments outdoors, risks and hazards, and barriers to taking students outdoors are only a few of the topics touched on during their conversation.

Episode 10

kyle harrison & his #exploresask parks road trip

Join Mike & Leah as they chat with Kyle Harrison about winning the 2021 #ExploreSask Parks Road Trip. Be inspired by Kyle's storytelling; his stories may help you choose where to go camping and exploring throughout the year!

Episode 9

Louise de Lannoy & Outdoor Play

Join SaskOutdoors as they chat with Louise de Lannoy about Outdoor Play in Canada.

Louise continued to ponder our conversation after recording and wanted to add to her response to "What one thing would you change about the world?": I think what really matters is making the outdoors the easy choice. Just like placing stairs in a more convenient location than the elevator: make the outdoors the easy, more convenient choice. This is something we need to figure out to actually affect change.

Episode 8

Connection to the Land, Treaty Rights, & Reconciliation with David Pratt

Leah and Mike connect with David Pratt to chat about Indigenous connection to land, treaty rights, and reconciliation. David is the first Vice-Chief of the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations (FSIN). 

Episode 7

The Depave Paradise Project with Kristine Levesque

Kristine Levesque joins Mike and Leah to discuss her involvement with the DePave Paradise Project. Kristine shares about a successful project at Walter Murray Collegiate in Saskatoon where they transformed a run-down tennis court into a space for outdoor learning and food education.

Episode 6

skyler haugen & the moment outdoors

Join Mike and Leah as they chat with Skylar Haugan about respect, time, and adventures. Skylar runs an organization called The Moment Outdoors which focusses on encouraging people to put down their digital devices and explore Saskatchewan's landscape. 

Episode 5

Getting Families Outdoors with Annika Mang

This episode, join Leah and Brooklyn as they chat with Annika Mang from Born to Be Adventurous. Topics covered include ideas for getting families outside on adventures, breastfeeding in the backcountry, wild life precautions, the TrailCollectiv app, food ideas, and her book, Hikes for Families.

Episode 4

zoe arnold & risky play

Mike and Leah connect with Zoe Arnold from Wildernook Fresh Air Learning. Zoe shares about risky play, using tools, and supporting both outdoor and garden education.

Episode 3

Mary Smillie & The Treaty Land Sharing Network

This week, Mike and Leah are joined by Mary Smillie. Mary is a farmer located near Davidson, Saskatchewan and is a leading member of the Treaty Land Sharing Network. Tune into the conversation as they chat about sustainable agriculture, reconciliation, and allyship.

For further information, check out the Globe and Mail's article about the importance of the Treaty Land Sharing Network and the Regina Leaderpost's article about Mary Smillie's discovery of the importance of what grows on her farm.

Episode 2

Ann Coxworth

Join Mike and Leah as they talk with Ann Coxworth about her lifetime of work in the environmental sector, her early years and our place in the world.  Learn more about the Saskatchewan Environmental Society.

Episode 1

Samantha Gunn and Outdoor Education

Join Mike and Leah as they talk with Samantha Gunn about her journey as an outdoor educator. Samantha works at Brightwater Science, Environmental and Indigenous Learning Centre and leads the Climate Educator’s Network. We talk about connection to the land, solo time, and shifts in educational programming. Also mentioned is the One School One Farm project. You can listen back to our interview about One School One Farm with Elizabeth Bekolay. You can reach Sam at gunns@spsd.sk.ca. We talk about connection to the land, solo time, and shifts in educational programming.

Episode 3

FOREST SCHOOLS AND OUTDOOR LEARNING WITH JENNIFER MASON

Join Leah and Mike as they talk to Jen Mason about Forest Schools, child led learning, play, and the Child and Nature Alliance of Canada. Jen shares what led her to becoming an outdoor educator and her philosophy of play and learning.

Episode 2

One School One Farm with Elizabeth Bekolay

Elizabeth Bekolay is the founder of One School One Farm Shelterbelt project. Her background is in biology and ecology and she specializes in outdoor education of all kinds. She works as an interpreter at the Brightwater Science, Environmental and Indigenous Learning Centre and has her hand in a plethora in environmental initiatives in Saskatchewan.

Note: There were a few audio glitches during this episode that affect the quality, but bear with us, the learning is worth it!

Episode 1

Little Red River Park, Wildernook & Winter Adventures with Claire Miller

Mike and Leah connect with Claire Miller from Wildernook, as she shares with us why we all should visit Little Red River Park in Prince Albert. She also talks about the NorthEast Swale in Saskatoon, and how we can connect with and take care of these areas. We also get a glimpse into Wildernook and why we should celebrate and enjoy winter rather than hibernate away from it. Claire shares ideas for integrating education in the outdoors as well as why it's a great location to visit. 

Episode 3

Connecting To Place With Joyce Belcher

Joyce Belcher is a biologist, life coach, and writing teacher. She has spent a good portion of her life being inspired by “big skies, intact prairie grasslands and forest trails.”

Join Heather and Derek as they chat about Joyce’s time in the prairies and her way of connecting to nature.

Episode 2

Hiking, Canoeing, And Getting Outside With Raea Gooding

Mike & Leah sit down with Raea Gooding from WILD Outside. They talk about hiking; where to go, what to bring, how to train, how to get started. They also talk about the Churchill River Canoe Whitewater Festival, and about Raea's work with WILD Outside. 

Bonus Episode

Our Favourite Saskatchewan Parks With SaskOutdoors Board And Staff

June is the Saskatchewan Parks and Recreation Association's Parks and Rec Month. To celebrate outdoor enjoyment in our province, we asked our board and staff about their favourite memories from Saskatchewan parks. Younger family members got involved too and the result is a four season celebration of recreation in Saskatchewan. This special bonus episode contains stories about hiking, skiing, school trips, hidden fishing camps, and unicorns (!). We also talk about some of the outdoor mistakes we have made, proving that the best memories weren't always the smoothest in the moment.

Episode 5

Paddling Northern Saskatchewan With Ric Driediger

Today, Heather & Mike chatted with Ric Driediger. Ric is a canoe enthusiast who is an expert of the Churchill River. He is the owner and operator of Churchill River Canoe Outfitters, where paddlers from all around North America travel out of their way to tell stories around Ric’s campfire. Ric recently released a book: “Paddling Northern Saskatchewan: A Guide to 80 Canoe Routes.”

In this episode, we’re talking paddling, relationships, and why Kraft Dinner is not the ideal choice for your next long adventure.

Episode 4

48 Days Alone With Michelle Wohlberg

Heather and Derek join Saskatchewanian Michelle Wohlberg to talk about her experience as a contestant on season 6 of History Channel's Alone. Michelle shares her experience spending 48 days alone in the bush in the subarctic. We dig into what it's really like to be alone that long, skills to survive, and the difference between what actually happened, and what ends up on TV, and how to get started getting outside.

Episode 3

Trip Preparedness With Rebecca Bassett

Join Leah and Derek as they chat with Rebecca Bassett from Back40 Wilderness First Aid. We chat about advice for taking your family out adventuring, leading groups of students, and going out with friends. Gear and first aid ideas, along with lots of actionable advice on how to make sure you're prepared for what might come your way. 

Episode 2

The Great Saskatchewan Bucket List With Robin And Arlene Karpan

If you have ever been to a bookstore in Saskatchewan, you have probably seen the travel books written by writers Robin and Arlene Karpan. They are the award-winning writers behind The Great Saskatchewan Bucket List. In this episode, Robin and Arlene talk about their lifelong work as travel writers, photographers, and book publishers, while focusing on their own Saskatchewan adventures and their love for the Athabasca Sand Dunes.

Episode1

Pandemic Land-Based Learning & Dog Sledding With Garrick Schmidt

Join Leah & Derek as they chat with Land-Based Learning teacher and new musher Garrick Schmidt about what it's like running land-based programming during the pandemic. Garrick also shares advice about getting started, and talks about his experiences running dogs and how he got started with dog sledding!

Episode 7

Winter Adventures & World Travels With Ashlyn George

Ashlyn George is the award-winning adventurer and writer behind The Lost Girl's Guide to Finding the World blog. She is the go-to travel expert in Saskatchewan but is no stranger to trips abroad. Having travelled solo through more than 60 countries on all 7 continents, she's a passionate storyteller in pursuit of excitement, learning and discovery. When not on the road, you can find her adventuring in her own backyard as well as online @thelostgirlsguide. Join Heather and Mike as they talk about Ashlyn’s world travels, what brought her back to SK, and what kind of activities she recommends for this winter.

Episode 6

Land Based Learning With Kevin Lewis

Leah & Derek sit down with Kevin Lewis about Land-Based Learning, stories from the boreal forest, making birch bark canoes, connections between Cree language and the land, and how you might get started for yourself. Kevin is both knowledgeable and entertaining as he weaves together teachings and stories in this episode.

Check out some resources Kevin recommends in the episode:

• https://www.wicihowin.ca
• https://indigenouslanguage.ca
• https://www.ikwc.org
• https://sicc.sk.ca
• http://www.otc.ca

Episode 5

Getting Families Outdoors For Jeff Moore

Heather and Derek catch up with Jeff Moore. Because of his own nature-immersed childhood, Jeff has a lot of recommendations for parents and families about getting outdoors and fostering a love for nature. Join us for ideas for getting started with getting outdoors, and some great words of wisdom from Jeff for all parents.

Episode 4

Leave No Trace With Andrea Nelson

In episode four, Derek and Leah chat with Andrea Nelson about the @Leave No Trace Canada Seven Principles: Plan Ahead and Prepare, Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces, Dispose of Waste Properly, Leave What Your Find, Minimize Campfire Impacts, Respect Wildlife, and Be Considerate of Other Visitors.

If you'd like more information about Leave No Trace, check out: www.leavenotrace.ca and www.adventuresmart.ca.

Episode 3

Outdoor Learning With Chris Clark

This week Heather and Derek sat down to chat with Chris Clark to talk about Outdoor Learning. Join us for a discussion about research and how Outdoor Learning is different from Outdoor Ed, discussions on some barriers, and ultimately some great ideas for roads into getting started with Outdoor Learning in your own classroom.

Episode 2

Citizen Science & Conservation With Kenton Lysak

Kenton Lysak’s enthusiasm and passion for our beautiful province is infectious. Join Mike, Leah, and Kenton in their conversation about citizen science, environmentalism, conservation, and everything outdoors in Saskatchewan - and mainly the Saskatoon area.