Last week I shared some initial thoughts about the use of storytelling as an excellent mentoring technique. I explained some common limitations in how most mentors & educators think about telling stories, and shared a more unconventional approach that’s actually easier to do and gets better results. You can read the complete part one here… (I recommend you do because today’s post probably … [Read more...] about Part 2: Storytelling And Mentoring
Articles
Why The World’s Best Mentors Use Storytelling
The ability to use storytelling for mentoring and educating is one of the closest things to real magic that exists in human life. The right story can weave spellbinding fantasies with the power to set you free or keep you permanently stuck in a rut. Stories are an essential ingredient to how people understand the world. But unfortunately, most mentors & teachers don’t realize the most … [Read more...] about Why The World’s Best Mentors Use Storytelling
7 Robin Calls Everyone Should Know For Bird Language
Getting to know the different Robin calls is definitely a most important skill if you want to identify these birds quickly and understand what they're saying. Robins are one of the most common birds in all North America, which makes them the ideal introduction to identification by sound. Plus: if you understand what their calls mean, they have amazing things to say about the … [Read more...] about 7 Robin Calls Everyone Should Know For Bird Language
Essential Mindsets For Animal Tracking Success
Does animal tracking play a central role in your naturalist toolkit? I see this a lot with educators, naturalists, survival & outdoor enthusiasts. They aren’t using tracking skills to amplify their understanding of nature. Often it’s because they hold certain misconceptions about what tracking is, or they don’t realize how easy it can be to flex your animal tracking muscles (no, you don't … [Read more...] about Essential Mindsets For Animal Tracking Success
How To Improve Naturalist Intelligence
Naturalist intelligence… It’s one of the most basic human intelligences that almost nobody develops. Think for a moment about the last time you spent quality time outside - what was your experience? Did you use that time to flex your naturalist muscles? What could you tell me about the patterns in plants, birds, trees & animals you encountered? If I were to quiz you on what you heard, … [Read more...] about How To Improve Naturalist Intelligence
How To Walk Silently In The Woods
You can tell a lot about a person by how they walk. From their personality & emotional state, to how mindful or aware they are of the surrounding environment. So what does it say when you can’t walk in the woods without causing a huge disturbance of noise & frightened wildlife? Most people never learned how to walk silently in the woods, but this is a basic naturalist skill that has very … [Read more...] about How To Walk Silently In The Woods
Nature And The Mind-Body Connection
One of the reasons I love nature mentoring is because it bridges the gap between mind, body & spirit. By this I mean simply that nature awareness skills aren't a purely intellectual or recreational exercise. When done properly, your nature connection experiences will have massive personal benefits for mental & physical health & functioning, leading to greater success in all areas of … [Read more...] about Nature And The Mind-Body Connection
7 Edible Plants Anyone Can Grow At Home (Easy perennials you can eat!)
Sometimes simplicity is the best way to live in harmony with nature. Edible plants are a perfect example of this. Have you ever felt that in order to live a green & healthy lifestyle, you need to quit your job and retreat to the wilderness, never to be seen again? The problem is... that's not quite as simple as it sounds. Many naturalists & lovers of the outdoors get caught in a bind … [Read more...] about 7 Edible Plants Anyone Can Grow At Home (Easy perennials you can eat!)
How To Increase Curiosity With Nature
What do Sherlock Holmes, Albert Einstein, and the Bushmen hunter gatherers of the Kalahari all have in common? They all use the power of curiosity to achieve success! Human beings are learning machines, driven by the urge to explore, wonder, ask questions, and get curious about the world. If you ever doubt this fact, just watch any 2 year old child in action and observe what they do. All … [Read more...] about How To Increase Curiosity With Nature
How To Observe An Ecosystem: Examples & tips for ecological observation
Our planet is a sensitive ecosystem. You’ve heard this right? But what does it really mean? Probably every kid who has gone through elementary science class has heard the term “ecosystem”. Here’s a basic definition: An ecosystem is a collection of living and inorganic landscape elements coming together to occupy the same space and interacting together.” It’s a nice concept, but how does this … [Read more...] about How To Observe An Ecosystem: Examples & tips for ecological observation