<p>In this lively, idea packed episode of The Forest School Podcast, Lewis and Wem move from Halloween chatter to a full nature reset. Wales waterfalls, Pen y Fan, Regent’s Park squirrels, and the deer rut at Richmond Park set the scene for a deeper dive. Lewis picks up Ludo Botany again and invites listeners to help build a new series, starting with tree climbing. The pair then unpack a Finnish trial that “rewilded” kindergartens with real forest floor to boost children’s microbiomes, compare new Australian findings, and explore equity, ethics, hygiene practice, and culture change. A new original song appears too. It is written from the viewpoint of an oak tree watching its acorns become craft supplies. 🌳</p><p><br></p><p>⏱ Chapter Timings</p><p><br></p><p>00:00 – Patreon intro and scene setting</p><p>01:12 – Halloween, Wales waterfalls, Pen y Fan, London parks, and the deer rut</p><p>07:02 – Ludo Botany returns and a listener call out for tree climbing nominations</p><p>09:21 – New song premiere about acorns and seasonal crafting</p><p>13:28 – Finland’s “forest floor in preschool” study and children’s microbiomes</p><p>20:12 – Australian follow up and wider wellbeing gains beyond health</p><p>22:55 – Mud as equity and even an academic intervention for learners</p><p>26:30 – Ethics and longevity of transplanted soil and maintenance questions</p><p>33:22 – Practicalities in settings: hygiene, thresholds, roles, and risk benefit</p><p>35:56 – Alternatives: link settings to real woodlands and use green hedges to cut pollution</p><p><br></p><p>🌲 Keywords</p><p><br></p><p>Forest School, microbiome play, rewilded kindergartens, Finnish early years, Australian study, loose parts, hygiene thresholds, equity in education, tree climbing, Ludo Botany, Richmond Park deer rut, Welsh waterfalls</p><p><br></p><p>🔖 Hashtags</p><p><br></p><p>#ForestSchool #OutdoorEducation #NaturePlay #EarlyYears #ChildDevelopment</p><p><br></p><p>🎧 Catch the full episode:</p><p><br></p><p>Spotify: https://shorturl.at/4WdyI</p><p><br></p><p>YouTube: https://shorturl.at/3qOUs</p><p><br></p><p>Apple: https://shorturl.at/FxfMF</p><p><br></p><p>RSS: https://shorturl.at/A0kx9</p><p><br></p><p>📚 Article and studies mentioned</p><p><br></p><p>Guardian feature: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/oct/29/soil-sandpit-children-dirty-biodiversity-finnish-nurseries-research-microbes-bacteria-aoe</p><p><br></p><p>Finnish intervention study (Science Advances, 2020): https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.aba2578</p><p><br></p><p>Open-access version: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7556828/</p><p><br></p><p>Australian childcare soil microbiome study (2024): https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38583619/</p><p><br></p><p>Flinders news summary: https://news.flinders.edu.au/blog/2024/06/18/dose-of-dirt-for-healthy-play/</p><p><br></p><p>On playground pollution barriers with hedges: https://www.cam.ac.uk/research/news/roadside-hedges-can-reduce-harmful-ultrafine-particle-pollution-around-schools</p><p> and https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-022-18509-w</p><p><br></p><p>🌐 More Episodes &amp; Support</p><p><br></p><p>Listen to more and access resources at www.theforestschoolpodcast.com</p><p><br></p><p>Support the show and join our community at www.patreon.com/theforestschoolpodcast</p><p><br></p><p>For questions, feedback, or collaboration: [email protected]</p>