Natureversity Podcast

Jason Sabala is an entrepreneur and local Austin advocate for health, fitness and pushing yourself out of your comfort zones on a daily basis. He is the founder of the Lumber Society, an organization dedicated to providing an opportunity to adults who may have missed out on all the wild adventures growing up as a kid. Jason is also the founder of Squatch Frontier Fitness that focuses on more than just physical wellness, it's about experiencing a full circle of lifestyle benefits.

Melinda is the co executive director of Austin Youth River Watch, a non profit organization based in Austin Texas that combines peer mentoring with intensive environmental education, and engage youth through nature-based and experiential service-learning programs in environmental science. Listen as Melinda sits down to chat about rivers, getting kids outside, how AYRW works for families and why getting involved sooner rather than later in conservation efforts is a must for Austin.

Shelia Hargis is the organizer of the Purple Martin Parties here in Austin Texas run through the local Travis Audubon Chapter for birding. Listen as she describes how she discovered the joy of birding and why everyone should put on their bucket list, the Purple Martin Party in Austin.

Shannon Brown is the founder of Ecosystem Regeneration Artisans (ERA) Landscapes based out of San Marcos Texas. ERA was built to help unite talented land stewards on outdoor projects that help realize the vision of creating healthy ecological communities. Listen as Shannon tells her story of how she discovered her passion for healing the land after her local wetland and forest playground was destroyed for a suburban housing development and why she is now on a mission to help restore our native plant species to help ensure our local wildlife has a future.

Nicole Netherton is the executive director for the Travis Audubon, an organization dedicated to conserving wildlife habitats and the ecological balance necessary for healthy, sustainable, and habitable communities. Listen to her story of how she discovered birding through a trip to Antartica where she found her passion for environmental stewardship and sharing nature with others.

Ginger Webb has been practicing herbalism for nearly 30 years, as a community herbalist, clinical herbalist, herbal medicine maker, teacher, wild plant lover, botanist, and teacher. She makes and sells herbal medicine through her company Texas Medicinals, and has trained scores of people to be herbalists through her programs at Sacred Journey School of Herbalism. Listen as she talks about all things herbs and what started her on her path to sharing her passions with others.

Isaac is the found of Nurture Nature Within based out of Galveston Texas. NNW offers the opportunity for individuals or groups to reconnect with themselves through nature in a way that supports healing and growth using tools and practices from the combined experience of Nature Guides, Survivalists, and the teachings of the Kripalu Mindful Outdoor Leadership program. Listen as he tells his story of how he came to help others reconnect with their inner wild animal.

Sarah Coles is the Executive Director of the Texas Children in Nature Network. She has been working within the informal education system for almost two decades. Listen as she describes how working at an institution focusing on EcoHistory (the study of how humans have adapted and influenced their environment), brought her to sharing her passions for reconnecting children and families with nature at TCiNN.

Widely regarded as one of the country's foremost educators in Stone Age living skills, David is a frequent lecturer, author, songwriter and consultant on primitive technologies, edible/medicinal plants, and pre-Columbian culture. He served for 18 years as head instructor at BOSS and was education director of Anasazi, a wilderness program for teens. David has served as a consultant for products such as Cast Away, Survivorman, Man vs. Wild, Road Rules, and numerous others, and was most recently featured on No Man's Land, a History Channel production.

Author and songwriter Robin Blankenship is the owner and director of Earth Knack and has been working in the outdoor education field since 1978. Robin has been an instructor for Larry Dean Olsen, National Outdoor Leadership School, Outward Bound and a multitude of primitive skills gatherings across the country. She is also the founder of Creston Charter School in Colorado.

Angel Schatz radiates passion for understanding the ecosystem of central Texas and making mycology education accessible to anyone who shares interest. She is the education and outreach specialist for the Central Texas Mycological Society based in Austin Texas. Formally an experience designer and animator in the tech world, she hopes to inspire more people dial into the wood-wide-web by offering classes, workshops and more.

Layla is community tree planter with TreeFolks based out of Austin Texas. TreeFolks is dedicated to empower Central Texans to build stronger communities through planting and caring for trees. Listen as Layla discusses the history of TreeFolks as well as how they're helping get people outside by cultivating a community of passionate nature lovers.

Tim Smith is the owner and founder of Jack Mountain Bushcraft School in Masardis, Maine on the banks of the Aroostook River. Tim is an avid outdoorsman and has been a Certified Maine Guide for over 23 years. He's been on numerous shows about survival as well as written books, blogs and articles on the world of wilderness living skills. Hear his story and more on this week's episode of the Natureversity Podcast.

Tammy is the owner of Hamilton Pool Farm & Vineyard located in Dripping Springs Texas. HP Farm & Vineyard is dedicated to restoring the land by increasing soil fertility and the interconnection of all life on the farm, from people to animals to insects to plants to soil microbes. HPFV offers classes for children in ways of gardening, nature connection and living with the land. Listen as Tammy tells her story of how the farm came to be and what unique opportunities Texans have to experience their magnificent vineyard.

Braden is a certified Xchange Guide and nature connection facilitator whose been working in the field for over a decade. He is the founder of 'Work Shift' which is dedicated to bringing corporate folks to the outdoors to benefit their health, focus, and productivity. Braden also runs Fire Scouts here in Austin which is an after school program dedicated to showing youth how to thrive inside the woods and out.

Melissa is the Greenhouse Manager at Tillery Street Plant Company located here in Austin TX. Tillery is dedicated to the sale and propagation as well as the education of a wide variety of homegrown heirloom herbs and vegetables, perennials and annuals, cold hardy cactus, Citrus, and trees. Listen as she discusses all things plants and gardening during this hour long chat with Natureversity.

Dave has been a soap maker for over 25 years. He's been a teacher at wilderness and primitive skills gatherings such as Wintercount and Rabbitstick since 2013. Listen as Dave discusses the gatherings, soap making history and how making soap brought together his community within the gatherings.

Tony Pike is the owner of Ancient Wisdom Survival School based out of Nevada, Missouri. AWSS teaches students the primitive living skills that are necessary to survive both short and long term in the wilderness. Listen and hear all about how Tony got started and what it takes to survive in the wild.

Phillip is owner and founder of Primitive Wilderness Survival based out of Chico Texas. PWS offers classes on primitive hunting, archery and bow building, flintknapping and so much more. Phil's goal is to get people outdoors while ensuring that they stay safe and comfortable when traveling, exploring and adventuring in the wild places.

Jessica is the Programs Director for the Austin Nature and Science Center here in Austin Texas. She has worked for over 17 years in the world of environmental education and discusses what it's been like working for the ANSC during that time. Listen as she tells stories of major changes that have taken place, animal encounters, school offerings, the history of our Austin Nature and Science Center and so much more.

Eric Paulus is the Operations Director at Ecology Action's Circle Acres Nature Preserve located in East Austin near Roy Guerrero Park. Before joining Ecology Action, Eric owned a small farm and plant nursery called Regeneration Eco-Farm. Listen as he tells his story of how Circle Acres and Ecology Action revitalized 10 acres from a trash dump to a gorgeous natural preserve area for the public to visit.

Gabby is an instructor and outdoor wilderness guide at Natureversity here in Austin Texas. Her background in Environmental Studies has helped her create an exciting life filled with taking kids out on wilderness expeditions across the Central Texas Hill Country.

Shae and Ashley are the Executive and Assisting Directors for Havenwood Nature School located in Dripping Springs Texas. Havenwood offers high-quality early childhood education through a wide-range of imaginative, collaborative, hands-on lessons. Their nature-based curriculum cultivates confidence, resilience, and creative problem-solving skills that lead to greater independence and a lifelong love of learning.

Hayley is the Executive Director of Austin Wildlife Rescue here in Austin TX. Whether its training staff to answer inquires from the public about wildlife, supporting qualified rehabilitators to provide care for animals or helping create educational programs designed to mitigate conflicts between animals and humans, Hayley helps oversee it all. Listen as she talks all about what it's like to run a Wildlife Rescue center in Texas.

Greyson is one of Natureversity's very first students from back in 2013. Now, all grown up, Greyson details how nature has affected his life from an early age and what he's done with his life departing from school and Natureversity. From raising captive reptiles to building trails in national parks with the AmeriCorp, Greyson has many stories to share all about his time spent in the wild places.

Allison was one of Natureversity's first teachers back in 2013 and has since gone on to become a powerful force in nature connection. From helping individuals over stress with forest therapy, to helping contribute to citizen research in tree climbing in Panama and finally helping people get fit through the MovNat organization.

Hope Carr is Austin Zoo's education manager and outreach coordinator. Listen as she talks all about what its like to work and care for animals while at the zoo here in Austin.

Carter and Taylor Liston are twins who both work at Natureversity Outdoor School in Austin Texas. Carter and Taylor discuss what its like being a teacher, how their childhood shaped their passion for the outdoors and what their experience has been while working at Natureversity.

Lee Burton is the owner and founder of Naturalist Studies, an education organization dedicated to advancing the foundational skills of wilderness living and wildlife tracking. Lee has been a practitioner of outdoor skills for over 10 years and has a primary focus of wildlife tracking and bird language study.

Ellie Rome is a certified weight loss and emotional eating coach. She is also the founder of Comfort Zone Retreats - an organization dedicated to building community, pushing through comfort zone, mental and physical wellbeing, healthy food, personal growth, nature, yoga, breath-work, ice-baths, ecstatic dance, camping, adventuring and being able to spread love.

Jesse Wordon is an avid wilderness survival practitioner and has been an outdoor educator for youth and adults at Primitive Pursuits in Ithaca New York since 2020.

Cameron Johnson is an outdoor and wilderness skills instructor here at Natureversity Outdoor School in Austin Texas. Listen as Cameron shares his story about how he became a wilderness skills educator and dreams to one day be on Alone.

Kelly Magleby is a primitive potter and outdoor skills instructor. She is the Organizer of the Wilderness Instruction & Skills Exchange Group that organizes primitive skills courses based out of Utah.