Forests and Teams: What do they share?

Why should you take your coaching conversations into nature? Why would you offer nature-based leadership coaching to your teams?

With Nature-Based Leadership Coaching, the coaching conversation takes place in nature. Either the client is in nature and the coach is not, the coach and client are both in nature together, or the coach and client are in nature in different places talking on the phone. A client might go into nature to reflect and then have a coaching call around that experience afterward.

Nature is part of the coaching process. It allows your team members to experience coaching in a new way, away from a screen, outside of the four walls. Away from colleagues. And in a place where our brains can be free from the constant to do list.

We put our assumptions on nature — how it works, what it is, what it means. An example is that some assume nature is about kill or be killed, organisms fighting for finite resources. What we are learning though is that isn’t really what’s happening. We need to look deeper to see what is really going on. I’ve thought of trees as ‘fighting’ for the sunlight; trying to beat each other out of limited nutrients. I found Fantastic Fungi, a documentary about the amazing underground communication between fungi and trees, to be helpful in my understanding of what is really going on underneath the surface in the forest.

What we are starting to understand is that trees share nutrients, they communicate with one another, they thrive off one another, and the forest operates as a single organism. There is symbiosis that we humans can’t see unless we zoom in and study it. Suzanne Simard’s TED Talk explains this. She notes that the more diverse the forest, the more resilient it is. And when information and nutrients are shared between organisms, the more resilient the forest becomes.

Can you look at your team as nourishing you? Could you see your team working together because together you succeed rather than competing for limited resources? By looking at nature in a new light, your team may be able to see themselves and their teammates in a new light, perhaps as a single organism working to build its own resilience.

Traveling across America and appreciating home

My family and I took a road trip recently. Like many, I was desperate to go somewhere. I’d been to Colorado several times but not with my children. It would be a great experience for them, I thought. So we packed our minivan and headed west with 6 bikes, two kids and a dog. We took photos through the window when we didn’t have time to stop completely. Other times, we extended our three day drive so that we could be at the site, read the signs and learn of the history.

I fully acknowledge the privilege I have to do this, to take time away from work, to take an actual vacation. I hope that those who need a vacation are able to take one, whether at home or away, to refresh your mind and spirit. If you can, spend some time in Nature even if you can’t get away from work long enough to call it a true vacation. Nature is healing in many ways.

We drove through the midwest and carried on through Kansas, getting off the interstate and traveling nearly solo through the vast farms. I kept a sharp eye out for pronghorn antelope and was able to spot a few. They are the fastest land animal in North America but they aren’t jumpers like deer so they tend to go under fences. We also stopped at Prairie Dog State Park and saw a prairie dog colony. According to the info sign, there were at one time 5 billion prairie dogs in the US. They are critical to the grasslands habitat as many species rely on prairie dogs for shelter and food, including jackrabbits, toads, rattlesnakes, hawks, coyotes and ferrets, according to WWF.

We entered Colorado, Denver, and then the mountains. The air was cool and the bugs were few. A welcome change from Virginia. We rode bikes, hiked, visited some local establishments and met up with friends. The kids were impressed by the height of the mountains.

We visited bike parks with incredible vistas on the lifts. We headed to New Mexico and explored the Angel Fire area. Horseback riding was a huge hit and took us up to a meadow with the most beautiful wild flowers!

We saw deserts, mountains, wetlands. We saw blue skies, thunderstorms and gray skies. We saw cities and small towns and capitols. We saw petroleum refineries, wind turbines, nuclear power plants and solar farms. We saw dry creek beds and gushing rivers. We visited the UFO Watchtower and Great Sand Dunes National Park.

We watched Fourth of July fireworks from the road in Oklahoma. We visited Central High School in Little Rock, a National Historic Site, and learned more about the tremendous Civil Rights events that took place there and the courage of the Little Rock Nine students who risked their lives to effect change. According to the NPS website, “In 1957, Little Rock Central High School was the epicenter of confrontation and a catalyst for change as the fundamental test for the United States to enforce African American civil rights following Brown v. Board of Education.” “Arkansas Governor Orval E. Faubus directly questioned the sanctity of the federal court system and the authority of the United States Supreme Court's desegregation ruling while nine African American high school students sought an education at the all-white Little Rock Central High School.

The controversy in Little Rock was the first fundamental test of the United States resolve to enforce African-American civil rights in the face of massive southern defiance during the period following the Brown v. Board of Education decisions. When President Dwight D. Eisenhower was compelled by white mob violence to use federal troops to ensure the rights of African American children to attend the previously all-white school, he became the first president since the post-Civil War Reconstruction period to use federal troops in support of African American civil rights.”

Looking forward to home

We tried new things and we confirmed our love for home. As much as it is nice to leave, it is nice to return home. I am grateful for that and aware that there are many who cannot return home, now or ever. Perhaps you can create a new home. I wish you strength and love in that journey.

Happy 51st Earth Day!

Happy 51st Earth Day!!

I wrote the following post for a nonprofit I volunteer with: Camp Kum-Ba-Yah in central Virginia. Camp KBY has been around for over 70 years and serves children and families all around our city and surrounding counties. The board of directors is currently working on a future vision for the organization, one that will take us into the next several decades, creating a space where children, families and people of all ages can find themselves in community with nature and each other.

This year’s Earth Day theme is Restore Our Earth™. The earth needs restoring. Our community needs restoring as well. At Camp Kum-Ba-Yah, we believe that being outdoors in nature is key to the restoration of our children, families, and community after a year in isolation. 

One thing coronavirus made crystal clear to me is the interconnectedness of humans and nature. This is not something I denied before; it’s just something that I didn’t think about as much as I should have. I understand the connection between humans and climate change. I understand the importance of systems, food chains, and biodiversity. Camp Kum-Ba-Yah provides programs for schools and summer campers to help them understand this importance as well. The interconnectedness I feel now is almost primal. We NEED to be outdoors, in nature. We NEED it for our wellbeing, for our mental health, to restore ourselves. 

The United Nations understood this interconnectedness well when it established the 17 Sustainable Development Goals in 2015. According to the UN, the SDGs “recognize that ending poverty and other deprivations must go hand-in-hand with strategies that improve health and education, reduce inequality, and spur economic growth – all while tackling climate change and working to preserve our oceans and forests.” 

I want to believe that when coronavirus subsides and we re-emerge from our spaces, we will move slowly and be thoughtful. We will not be as wasteful as before, not as annoyed by the insects or weeds in our yard. That we will not seek cheap gas but will advocate for cleaner means of transportation and fuel. We will help restore our earth. Let’s also restore ourselves. 

We welcome everyone to KBY to enjoy our woods from dawn until dusk. Come visit Kinderwoods, our outdoor play space for young children. Walk the trails along the creek, sit under the tree canopy. Adopt a garden plot and cultivate with our Give and Grow Garden program. Visit our website for information about visiting and how you can get involved. Come to our woods and restore yourself!

5 ways to Restore Ourselves Outdoors

1.     Walk, don’t drive, to your friend’s house/the store/post office and calculate the greenhouse gases you didn’t put into the environment using this calculator. 

2.     Plant one vegetable in your garden or windowsill or front stoop or join our Grow and Give Garden program. 

3.     Get at least 20 minutes of fresh air each day for a week (and beyond!).

4.     Take a ‘play’ break and play a game outside [Playing helps the brain, as does movement, as does being in nature. The more we play outside, the more we appreciate nature and its role in our lives.]

5.     Go for a walk with a friend instead of going out for dinner or drinks. 

Mindset about winter & tips on winter hiking

When I was younger, I abhorred winter. It was dark and dull to me. I wasn’t born skiing so this statement probably sounds surprising to those who were. Skiing just wasn’t an option for me then. I would get depressed and would impatiently wait for spring. Once I realized that it’s not just about gear and clothing, it’s also about mindset, I was able to enjoy winter.

Changing your mindset can have big impacts in your life. Winter is just one example. Instead of dreading winter (and thus not enjoying fall to the fullest), I appreciate the opportunities that winter brings, including the landscape laid bare, reduced crowds, a bug-free hike, the smell of the crisp air. Group hikes with friends, solo hikes for solitude, and vistas uncovered also help me see winter as something to cherish rather than something to ‘wait out’.

How can you change your mindset about winter (if you're like me and don’t have snow sports all around!)? What story are you telling about winter? About going outside in winter? How would telling a different story change the way you think about winter?

If you would like to read tips on winter hiking, check out this article from REI. My number one tip is layers, layers, layers! Layers are critical so that you can add or remove as you get warm (hiking up the hill or mountain) and chilled (at the overlook, on the hike downhill). I always wear a base layer and a windproof jacket (depending on temperature, you may need a parka) as two essential layers. I add more depending on the temperature, which doesn’t get too low in central Virginia.