The Outdoor Education Podcast With Rob Carmichael

Rob Carmichael
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The Outdoor Education Podcast explores stories, ideas, and people shaping outdoor learning and its impact worldwide.

  1. Ep. 13 Designing Transformational Learning Beyond the Classroom with Haena Kim

    MAR 14

    Ep. 13 Designing Transformational Learning Beyond the Classroom with Haena Kim

    In this episode of The Outdoor Education Podcast, Rob Carmichael speaks with Haena Kim, a global leader in experiential education and a driving force behind WildChina Education and Beyond Classrooms. Haenna shares how her early experiences in education sparked a lifelong passion for immersive learning and how she began designing programs as a teenager. The conversation explores how experiential education operates in a globalized world, the importance of cross-cultural engagement, and how thoughtfully designed field programs can deepen learning outcomes for students. Haenna also discusses the realities of running experiential programs at scale, from safety systems and risk culture to building trust with schools and parents. They also dive into service learning, and why honest engagement with communities, rather than romanticized narratives, is key to meaningful global citizenship programs. Finally, Haenna reflects on the future of experiential learning in an AI-driven world and why embodied, real-world experiences may become more valuable than ever. In this episode, you’ll hear about: How early outdoor experiences can shape lifelong learning journeysDesigning experiential programs that support real academic outcomesBuilding global citizenship through cross-cultural engagementThe difference between service learning and transactional volunteeringManaging safety, risk, and scale in international experiential programsWhy experiential education may be more important in an AI-driven futureIf you care about outdoor education, global learning, and the power of experiences beyond the classroom, this episode offers practical insights and inspiring ideas.

    42 min
  2. Ep.12 Teaspoons of Change: How Small Actions Shape a Global Future with d'Arcy Lunn

    FEB 28

    Ep.12 Teaspoons of Change: How Small Actions Shape a Global Future with d'Arcy Lunn

    What if real change doesn’t start with massive policies, but with a teaspoon? In this episode, Rob Carmichael sits down with global educator and sustainability leader d'Arcy Lunn, Group Head of Sustainability and Global Citizenship at Education in Motion and founder of Teaspoons of Change. From mountaineering in Kyrgyzstan to working on polio eradication in South Sudan with UNICEF, dArcy’s journey reveals how tiny, intentional actions can ripple outward into systemic impact. Together, Rob and dArcy explore: What global citizenship really means (without defining it) Sustainability vs regenerative practice — and why it’s not a competition How to embed global perspectives in any classroom Leading by example (yes, even running to conferences!) Why optimism is a discipline, not naïvetéThis conversation is an invitation to act, imperfectly, consistently, and collectively. Because sometimes, two drops… are enough to change the world.

    42 min
  3. Ep.11 Culture Before Content: Building Brave Spaces with Nick Haywood

    FEB 14

    Ep.11 Culture Before Content: Building Brave Spaces with Nick Haywood

    In this episode of The Outdoor Education Podcast, Rob Carmichael talks with educator, leadership facilitator, and coach Nick Haywood about why relationships and culture must come before curriculum. Nick shares how his journey from Outdoor Education in Tasmania to international education and leadership work with CHanGe has shaped his belief that trust, connection, and “brave spaces” are the foundation for deep learning and wellbeing. Together we explore practical ways to build culture, balance challenge with psychological safety, and embed routines that help teams and students thrive. If you’re an outdoor educator or leader looking to strengthen group culture, this episode offers simple, human-centred practices you can use now. Connect with Nick Haywood: 🌐 https://www.nickhaywood.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-haywood-98071b2b0/

    40 min
  4. Ep.10 Learning With Nature: Regeneration, Mindfulness & Ecology with Dr. Pierre Echaubard

    JAN 23

    Ep.10 Learning With Nature: Regeneration, Mindfulness & Ecology with Dr. Pierre Echaubard

    In this episode of The Outdoor Education Podcast, Rob Carmichael is joined by Dr. Pierre Echaubard,  ecologist, educator, and founder of Nature Mind-ED, a Thailand-based organisation blending ecology, mindfulness, and outdoor experiential education. Pierre shares his journey from academic research into community-based conservation, regenerative education, and hands-on outdoor learning. Drawing on his work in southern Thailand, from restoration sites turned into living classrooms to the creation of the Rewild Festival, Pierre explores how education can move beyond sustainability as a buzzword and toward genuinely regenerative practice. Together, Rob and Pierre unpack: The shift from sustainability to regenerationWhy connection must come before conservationWhat it means to learn with natureHow mindfulness deepens ecological learningWhat gives hope in the face of today’s ecological “wicked problems”This conversation is an invitation to rethink education, reconnect with place, and remember that caring for the natural world begins with relationship.

    40 min
  5. Ep 9. Beyond the Classroom: Joy, Stewardship, and Learning Outdoors with Emma Wilson & Jeff Morey

    JAN 16

    Ep 9. Beyond the Classroom: Joy, Stewardship, and Learning Outdoors with Emma Wilson & Jeff Morey

    In this episode of The Outdoor Education Podcast, Rob Carmichael speaks with Emma Wilson and Jeff Morey,  educators at UWC Thailand, about creating learning environments where curiosity, care, and connection thrive outdoors. From jungle classrooms and mangrove stewardship to bee boxes, field guides, and family learning, Emma and Jeff share how outdoor learning isn’t an “extra” — it’s simply good learning. They reflect on joy, risk, student agency, collaboration, and how children grow socially and emotionally when given space to explore. This episode is an invitation to rethink what a classroom can be and who learning is really for. Key themes:  Outdoor classrooms & inquiry Risk, resilience & reflection Stewardship & student agency Community & generational learning

    53 min
  6. Ep.8 Rethinking Risk in Outdoor Education with Dr. Clare Dallat

    JAN 2

    Ep.8 Rethinking Risk in Outdoor Education with Dr. Clare Dallat

    Episode 8, Rethinking Risk in Outdoor Education with Dr. Clare Dallat In this episode of The Outdoor Education Podcast, Rob Carmichael sits down with Dr. Clare Dallat, Founder and Director of Risk Resolve, to explore how outdoor educators can move beyond blame and build safer, more meaningful learning environments through systems thinking and a strong safety culture. Drawing on more than two decades of experience and a PhD in Human Factors and Accident Prediction, Clare reflects on how growing up in Northern Ireland shaped her belief in the power of outdoor learning to connect people. She also shares how her work across Australia, the United States, and Asia has influenced her thinking, challenging traditional approaches to risk, leadership, and accountability. This conversation is essential listening for outdoor educators, school leaders, risk managers, and anyone responsible for learning beyond the classroom. 🔗 Links to Clare’s research and Risk Resolve below Risk Resolve Website: https://riskresolve.net/ Paper mentioned: “The Silence Is Deafening: Exploring the Impacts of Serious Incidents on Practitioners Across the Outdoor and Adventure Programs Work System” https://www.researchgate.net/publication/392742848_The_Silence_Is_Deafening_Exploring_the_Impacts_of_Serious_Incidents_on_Practitioners_Across_the_Outdoor_and_Adventure_Programs_Work_System

    58 min
  7. Ep.7 Out There Together: Leadership That Listens with Martin Foakes

    12/20/2025

    Ep.7 Out There Together: Leadership That Listens with Martin Foakes

    In this episode of the Outdoor Education Podcast, Rob Carmichael is joined by Martin Foakes, Chair of the Board for OFFSEAS, a fast-growing community of outdoor educators across Asia. Martin shares how his love for being outdoors started in childhood, and how that passion evolved into a career in schools, expedition leadership, and ultimately regional governance. Together, Rob and Martin explore what good leadership looks like in outdoor education: leading with humility, listening well, and creating a culture where people feel safe enough to share both successes and failures. They also dig into how OFFSEAS has grown from a small roundtable into a major regional forum, the challenge of building sustainable systems beyond a single “passionate champion,” and why teaching risk management (not removing risk) may be one of the most important skills we can give young people. Key ideas Leadership that listens (and doesn’t “boss people around”)Building sustainable outdoor programs that outlast individualsOFFSEAS: growth, community, and collaboration across schools + providersRisk, resilience, and responsibility: “I’ve got you” in the outdoorsWhy belonging matters, and how culture shapes the way we handle adversity

    51 min
  8. Ep.6 Fearless by Nature: Leadership, Inclusion, and the Outdoor Journey with Yuen Li

    12/12/2025

    Ep.6 Fearless by Nature: Leadership, Inclusion, and the Outdoor Journey with Yuen Li

    What does it take to build an outdoor culture where everyone belongs — not because they fit in, but because the outdoors makes room for all of us? In this episode, Rob Carmichael sits down with Yuen Li Chan, founder of Nomad Adventure and one of Southeast Asia’s pioneers of outdoor and adventure education. Together, they explore what it means to lead with courage, care, and conviction, even when there’s no roadmap to follow. From learning to climb on the limestone walls of Malaysia to opening the country’s first climbing gym, Yuen Li’s story is one of passion meeting purpose. She shares how fax machines, first ascents, failed assessments, and unexpected mentors shaped her leadership. And she reflects on why the outdoors became her place of belonging as a woman, a queer person, and a young Malaysian forging a new path in an emerging industry. Rob and Yuen Li dive deep into why outdoor learning matters — not because it removes risk, but because it teaches us how to understand it. They talk about building teams that challenge us, creating cultures where care is a skill, and why a child’s smile in a rapid can be as transformational as any summit. Whether you’re an educator, guide, leader, or lifelong adventurer, this conversation is an invitation to step into discomfort, listen deeply, and rediscover the small moments of wonder that keep us human. Key ideas: 🧭 Fearless leadership: making values-driven decisions when no playbook exists 🧗 Belonging in the outdoors: gender, identity, and the “great equalizer.” 🌊 Risk competency vs. risk elimination: why adventure requires responsibility 🤝 Building culture: caring as the foundation of professionalism 🌱 Wonder in the small things: transformation through incremental moments

    37 min
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The Outdoor Education Podcast explores stories, ideas, and people shaping outdoor learning and its impact worldwide.

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