What happens when we slow down long enough to let a place come to us?

Ashley sits down with her longtime mentor and Wild Idea Media founder Bill Hodge to trace his relationship with wild places back to childhood camping trips in the mountains of North Carolina. They talk about the people who taught Bill to pay attention, the unexpected career path that eventually brought him back to conservation, and his work connecting a new generation to public lands.

Along the way, they explore wonder, curiosity, service and what it means to give kids — and ourselves — the time and space to develop a relationship with the natural world.

Learn more at https://thewildidea.com/raising-wild/

How do we prepare children for a rapidly changing, increasingly digital world while keeping them connected to what is real?

Ashley talks with Genevieve King, founder of Origins Education, about childhood freedom, boredom, emotional regulation and why nature may be the most important counterbalance we can give children. Genevieve shares how ordinary moments such as breathing, handwashing and eating can become opportunities for mindfulness—and why children need both the wings to navigate the future and the roots that keep them grounded.

Find the full show notes, resources and more at thewildidea.com.

How do we raise children who care about the world without letting worry overwhelm their sense of wonder?

Author Jennifer Case joins Ashley Arnold to explore how caring for our children connects to caring for the earth. Drawing from her book, The Carework Project, Jennifer shares how childhood experiences outside shaped her—and how she’s creating opportunities for her own children to find connection, responsibility and joy.

They discuss building support beyond the nuclear family, talking with kids about climate change, becoming steadier parents and helping children navigate disappointment without giving up. It’s a conversation about caring deeply, accepting care ourselves and recognizing that we don’t have to do everything alone.

Explore show notes and resources on The Wild Idea website.

Raising Wild is hosted by Ashley Arnold and produced by Wild Idea Media. Follow the show for more conversations about raising kids—and ourselves—a little more feral. On purpose.