Today, I spent the whole day with two buses full of teens up Mt. Washington, What a gift! I had the pleasure and privilege of accompanying skilled teachers in the act of taking children not only outside, but on great adventures that were challenging, risky and potentially dangerous, and it was an incredible success, except for the fate of a … Read More
What you eat matters!
I believe that what we eat matters… don’t you? What we choose to consume determines our future, our health, the health of our children and relationships. Doesn’t everyone want to live a vibrant life? Recently I have been having many conversations about food security, and what I find even more important is the nutrition density of the food we consume… … Read More
He walx like a fox.
Yep, you read it right. He walx like a fox! Today was such an inspiring day, I had to write a post about it. I feel so privileged and blessed to be an Adventure Interventionist with trust and permission from family and education system to get a child outside every week! For over 5 years, I have worked with the … Read More
Hummingbird Guides Training – coming soon!
Hummingbird Guides Training is coming soon! Thanks to The Nature of Play Conference – Hosted by the Nanaimo Child Development Centre – Oct 5, 2016 It was a real privilege and pleasure to attend this highly educational and professional conference this weekend. I knew it was going to be motivational and educational because Hilary Leighton and Dave Segal are incredible people … Read More
Jamie Black as a child in nature: An autobiography
Jamie Black as a child in nature: An autobiography. “Why can’t we build a fire here?” I would ask mom. “Good question!” she would reply, and then provide space for hands-on learning to ingrain the awareness and the knowing that my actions have consequences, and that nature needs to be protected. Being nature aware is second nature to me because … Read More
Facilitating Storymaking
Tonight I just had an epiphany about my role as a facilitator. I thought I was a storyteller, but it turns out I am a facilitator of storymaking. I am in the midst of my data analysis for my Masters Research. I have been working on this baby for over a year now, and in the last three months I have been … Read More
Stuck In The Mud
For one so young, there is no thought as to what may happen after acting on an impulse. To a young girl, a ditch full of thick, wet mud looks like a great deal of fun; but what happens after the fun? Out for a walk on a cloudy day (I added this: with the Wild Craft Play group and … Read More
A Little more about Caving…
After the first taste of caving, the yearning begins. With each caving adventure… …the desire gets stronger and stronger until it is a ravenous hunger waiting to be fed. Although caving is an exciting sport, it can also be risky. Imagine going into a cave, crawling down at a slight decline, then coming out into a huge cavern. It takes … Read More
History and Adventures of Donna, The New Intern
The History and Adventures of our New Intern, Donna States My name is Donna States and I have recently joined the Wild Craft Play team. I will be writing blogs such as this one and working out a campaign for the Wild Craft Play creation. I currently have two dogs and a cat. I work 22 to 42 hours a … Read More
Gratitude for Community Storytellers
Saturday, December 12, 2015 was our VERY FIRST Community Quest and it was EPIC! It was an epic adventure for many reasons. One can only assume it was due to the new experiences, the familiar faces, the curious merchants, the real gold, the quests, the storyteller, and of course the wind, the rain, and the community engagement of businesses and … Read More
Tell us your vision for your children
Welcome to the first post for Wild Craft Play. Thank you for taking the time to read and follow us! We would like to know your vision for your children. I have been studying children in play for over 15 years, and now, as I finish my Masters Thesis in Adventure, I have just come across a Ted Talk from the … Read More
This day couldn’t get any better
“This day couldn’t get any better could it?” asks 8 year old Paula, as we walked barefoot in the rain in the woods in October. Then she says “or could it?” Just then I hiked up my skirt, and said “let’s run!” She let out a gleeful squeal, igniting my inner child and we splashed through the puddles in our bare feet. There … Read More
Seeking Corporate Sponsorship
Seeking Corporate Sponsorship is necessary these days! And is a skill that takes practice. This post will slowly grow based on experience and sharing. For now, it’s just steps and following other people’s advice… soon it will be filled with all sorts of goodness 🙂 Step 1: Create the pitch. Know what we are selling and what the options are. … Read More
2014 in review
The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2014 annual report for this blog. What a stylish way to share with the world that my writing has staying power. It looks like blogging will be more of a focus for 2015! Enjoy! Here’s an excerpt: A San Francisco cable car holds 60 people. This blog was viewed about 680 times in 2014. … Read More
Moved to tears by all of you
This weekend I was moved to tears by all of you. You people who come together for a common good. A common healing, with wholesome intentions and good connections. And then just now, I watched this post I guess this guy who calls himself the “Goshfather” recognizes a moving experience too, and not only did he acknowledge it, he added to … Read More
“I smile” by Jamie Black
It is time that I slow down, and be in gratitude. Gratitude for all that is, all that was, and all that will be. This past weekend, I had a very grounding journey in a friend’s VW Westfalia. I just know that someday soon a Westfalia will be gifted to me, so that I may do my masters … Read More
The Essence of Exploration in Nature vs MineCraft
The essence of exploration lies in the unknown. August 30th 2014, my sister, mom and I embarked on an adventure to Jedadiah Island, in this great archipelago near Nanoose Harbour off Vancouver Island. Although it was a short three day, two night outing, the essence of exploration became apparent in regards to my research proposal. I have decided to start blogging about my … Read More
Seeing Mind Traps as Opportunities as a Director
Seeing Mind Traps as Opportunities as a Director is a skillful way to affect change. In environments involving human interaction, traps and miscommunications are inevitable. We may go into an environment with the best of intention, and yet our own motives may skew our view of a common goal. Meadows (2008) defines these traps and offers the way out that … Read More
Simulation Models for a simple mind
What is situational modeling anyway? When I was reviewing the class notes and learning about situational modeling, I didn’t understand why anyone would want to graph what they were graphing. I didn’t understand how you could turn something into data related to an X and Y axis that was worth looking at and deciphering. Maybe this makes me simple-minded, but … Read More
Do what you need to do
If it was meant to be, there would be no question, so do what you need to do, because that is what you will do anyway… I need to let go of control, and connect at your level, if I am going to connect at all. Then I need to let go of hope and just be in the moment … Read More
“In the cosmic scheme, people are vital” Wade Davis
I have to keep reminding myself, why am I doing this Masters? Why am I stressing myself, expanding my brain, understanding, then not understanding, knowing and then not knowing, and then feeling overwhelmed? Then I remember the drive that urged me to sign the application form. I have a dream… that people are the solution. By create more opportunities … Read More
Nature is my meditation… my medicine.
Yesterday, my head was spinning from all the worry, the change, the anxiety, the uncertainty the embarrassment and the fear. Something reminded me to go outside, into the unknown, the unimpeded beauty of nature. So I went to James Bay in Victoria and walked this beach. Ocean crashing… … Read More
Raccoon Medicine by Jamie Sams and David Carson
This is a brief quotation from the book called “Medicine Cards” written by Jamie Sams, and David Carson, illustrated by Angela Werneke. Copywritten in 1999 by Angela Werneke. New York, N.Y. The reason for quoting these words is to support my Masters work, as these stories, teachings and medicine of the animals in this book are furthering my self awareness … Read More
harmonious Humanness
Harmonious Humanness… Consensual Coordination Doing things together in language, move and coordinate with each other. How does one read the new circumstances and change the Once the occurrence creates enough of a regularity over and over again, and once it is determined, does one coordinate it’s new actions based on that display of behavior? What if my current actions are … Read More
I am Full-on… good luck with me… Universe!
Thank you for providing clues to this quest of life, and for giving me the ability to be aware, and receive these gifts of awareness. Awareness of self and awareness of others. Dear… Universe…? I am sorry it has taken me so long to still my mind, and quiet my thoughts enough to be grateful for the gifts that have … Read More
Who am I being that your eyes are not shining? Ben Zander
Who am I being that your eyes are not shining? Just in the past couple of days I have watched the sparkle leave your face. What have I done? I do not want to live that way! Ben Zander’s TED TALK has tickled my senses and I feel more aware: helped this concept hit home for me, and I am … Read More
Compassion for Schizophrenia
Today I was reading my class readings in my Masters of Arts in Environmental Education and Communication, for EECO 504 Course, Systems with Pille Bunnell. Her website is http://www.sympoetic.net/Cognition/coordination.html and this week the topic is Cognition as Coordination Closed Nervous system Relational domains Emotioning Boy are these ever striking a painful cord in my heart. Cognition. Nervous Systems. Relation/Relating. Emotions. And then … Read More
Humanness in it’s messiness
I love that my prof Pille Bunnell has a website called “Ecology of Humanness as a Matrix of Ideas” This to me implies that there are no right/wrong answers, and that it is a process of understanding that will never end, a matrix that is just created, developed morphed, changed and then interpreted in all sorts of different ways. Just … Read More
Why can’t we call it Magic?
Why can’t we call it Magic? Why does it have to be scientifically proven, or based on a belief structure. Why can’t the magic of nature be just that? Why am I on this journey of a Masters to “prove” the magic of nature, and how it alters lives? With over 13 years of experience in the field, I have … Read More
The physics of the quest… Eat Pray Love
I have watched Eat Pray Love over and over and over and OVER again. I am obviously trying to get something. I am on a quest to find what I am looking for, and I don’t know what I am looking for. It is funny… I feel pretty balanced in my world for me with me as me. “The Physics … Read More