Ep 227 - Inconvenient Resilience

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The Forest School Podcast

Lewis Ames and Wem Southerden

236 episodes

1 week ago

Wem Southerden & Lewis Ames have run Forest School and training centre Children of the Forest since 2017. The Forest School Podcast was born when they wondered if their daily wafflechats and reflections about pedagogy, play and nature connection might be of interest to others. The podcast aims to inform and support educators, parents, outdoor and play practitioners and anyone interested in nature and the outdoors. Through book reviews – interviews with experts, practitioners and authors – sharing our experience as educators and business owners – deep dives on fascinating topics –

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Ep 227 - Inconvenient Resilience

The Forest School Podcast

52 minutes 35 seconds

3 months ago

Ep 227 - Inconvenient Resilience

In this warm, idea-packed episode of The Forest School Podcast, Lewis and Wem move from personal updates to a deep dive on resilience. Using Looby McNamara’s Cultural Emergence and Chris Johnstone’s framing, they explore recovery, adaptive, transformative, and spreading resilience. They challenge the “just power through” myth, contrast perseverance with true resilience, and look at how groups become more sustainable through transparency, shared roles, and flatter hierarchies. Expect practical examples from fire-lighting to policy writing, plus reflections on neurodivergence, school attendance narratives, and how adults can model resilience when there’s a supportive team around them.

⏱ Chapter Timings:
00:00 – Patreon intro and setting the scene for a busy month
01:39 – London “bird orchestra,” road trip vibes, and upcoming FSA plans
04:26 – What the FSA road shows are and why mini-conferences matter
06:03 – Workshop picks: coil baskets, nature connection, and “dangerous toys”
07:24 – A secret embargoed event, outfit chat, and Wem begins a PhD
10:28 – Four types of resilience via Looby McNamara and Chris Johnstone
12:53 – Oxford definitions: beyond “hardness” to bouncing and recovery
20:12 – Adaptive resilience vs perseverance: the fire-lighting example
22:42 – Community resilience: transparency, small teams, and avoiding burnout
41:54 – Modelling resilience, flatter hierarchies, and support networks

🌲 Keywords: Forest School resilience, Looby McNamara, Chris Johnstone, adaptive vs perseverance, community resilience, transparent roles, policies as pearls, neurodivergent perspectives, FSA road shows, outdoor learning practice

🔖 Hashtags:
#ForestSchool #OutdoorEducation #Resilience #CommunityLearning

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