They frame the conversation around the Five Zones of Service and Action for Place-based Social Organizations, and share with us how to develop a place-based nature immersion school, based on the work at Jean's Farm which houses IPEC and Mother Earth School They begin with Matt's background, including his desire to work for the Park Service, which he put aside to dive deep into education for children to found Mother Earth School with his wife Kelly Hogan.

This took Matt way from the woods and back to study Sustainable Education from Portland State University. After this introduction they lead into the first two Zones of the Service and Action for Place-based Social Organization framework. Zone I is the living labratory: the people, activities, and efforts taking place at Jean's Farm in the urban environment of Portland. Zone II, which draws this piece to a close, is the demonstration of the lab, integrating the work of Mother Earth School and IPEC into the local community through various partnerships so that the organization can be as inclusive as possible. This integration is vital to the continued work of IPEC, whether in the home town of Portland, or in any other community they teach. Expect Part II on February 28, 2017. Five Zones of Service and Action for Place-based Social Organizations Zone I: Living Labratory Zone II: Demonstraing the living labratory locally. Zone III: Community Education Zone IV: National Education Zone V: International (Global) Education

Resources
Institute for Permaculture Education of Children
Mother Earth School
My Side of the Mountain
Sustainable Education  - Portland State University
Jean’s Farm
City Repair Project
Oregon Sustainable Agriculture Land Trust (OSALT)

Related Interview
Kelly Hogan  - Permaculture Podcast Interview

Kelly explains, from place as a Waldorf teacher, how she operates the Mother Earth School program while guiding children throughout the year in an outdoor environment. She also shares a rough telling, which turns out beautifully, of a story she is working on, and also discusses the Advanced Permaculture Teacher Training in Teaching Children and Youth Permaculture, which she teaches alongside her partner Matt Bibeau and Patty Parks-Wasserman. During our conversation I kept thinking of Richard Louv, his book Last Child in the Woods, and the idea of Nature Deficit Disorder. That lead to further research on my part while editing this show. If you are interested in learning more about ways to present a similar program, look into the ideas of a Forest Kindergarten, Forest School, or Outdoor School. These are current models that are being practiced similar to Kelly's that can give you an idea of how to get started with an outdoor children's permaculture school. If you or someone you know wants to start their own program to bring a dynamic outdoor experience to young children, Kelly is willing to help. You can contact her at: motherearthschool [at] gmail [dot] com or by visiting the Mother Earth School link below.

Resources
Mother Earth School
Advanced Teacher Training in Youth and Child Permaculture Education
Marisha Auerbach
Re-Code Oregon
Tryon Life Community Farm
Wilderness Awareness School