The Mindful Turtle Podcast provides small, actionable tips to help nature-based early childhood educators to transform their nature-based teaching one intentional step at a time. Hosted by Dr. Rachel A. Larimore of Samara Early Learning, the show is designed to move away from the hustle and more in alignment with the slow and steady approach. Through intentional, small actions we can create classroom and school communities that thrive–calmly and steadily–and support young children in learning with nature.
In this special 100th episode, we celebrate our podcast's journey with an action step all about loose parts! We know loose parts—in a variety of types and sizes—are valuable to young children's play. Can host Dr. Rachel Larimore connect loose parts to the 100th episode? Tune in to find out.
Join The Grove
The Grove (https://www.samarael.com/grove) professional learning community includes webinars, regular access to Rachel Larimore, community connections, and time-saving resources! It’s your ticket to enriching your teaching, boosting your professional growth, and building a thriving nature-based program—all in one place. Check it out! (https://www.samarael.com/grove)
About Dr. Rachel A. Larimore
Dr. Rachel A. Larimore is an educator, consultant, and former nature-based preschool director. Her work focuses on the intentional integration of nature to support young children’s holistic development by learning with nature to expand their worlds and live rich, full lives. She has written multiple books including Establishing a Nature-Based Preschool, (https://www.samarael.com/shop/p/enp) Preschool Beyond Walls: Blending Early Childhood Education and Nature-Based Learning (https://www.samarael.com/shop/p/pbw), Evaluating Natureness: Measuring the Quality of Nature-based Classrooms in Pre-k Through 3rd Grade (https://www.samarael.com/shop/p/evaluating-natureness), and Reimagining the Role of Teachers in Nature-based Learning: Helping Children be Curious, Confident, and Caring (https://www.samarael.com/shop/p/roles). Rachel is the founder and Chief Visionary of Samara Early Learning. Prior to founding Samara, she spent more than a decade starting and directing one of the first nature-based preschools in the United States.
About Samara Early Learning
Samara Early Learning helps educators create nature-based schools or add the nature-based approach to existing programs. With our support on the business or teaching side of operations, educators help young children learn with nature to expand their worlds and live rich, full lives. Services include books, in-person and on-demand workshops,The Grove (https://www.samarael.com/grove)professional learning community, and much more. Visit www.SamaraEL.com (http://www.samarael.com/) to learn more!
Discover the next steps on your nature-based journey! Take the 90-second quiz (https://www.samarael.com/quiz) & receive your custom Toolkit for implementing nature-based early childhood education.
4 Oct 2026
Supporting Children to Do Things For Themselves
Join The Grove
The Grove (https://www.samarael.com/grove) professional learning community includes webinars, regular access to Rachel Larimore, community connections, and time-saving resources! It’s your ticket to enriching your teaching, boosting your professional growth, and building a thriving nature-based program—all in one place. Check it out! (https://www.samarael.com/grove)
About Dr. Rachel A. Larimore
Dr. Rachel A. Larimore is an educator, consultant, and former nature-based preschool director. Her work focuses on the intentional integration of nature to support young children’s holistic development by learning with nature to expand their worlds and live rich, full lives. She has written multiple books including Establishing a Nature-Based Preschool, (https://www.samarael.com/shop/p/enp) Preschool Beyond Walls: Blending Early Childhood Education and Nature-Based Learning (https://www.samarael.com/shop/p/pbw), Evaluating Natureness: Measuring the Quality of Nature-based Classrooms in Pre-k Through 3rd Grade (https://www.samarael.com/shop/p/evaluating-natureness), and Reimagining the Role of Teachers in Nature-based Learning: Helping Children be Curious, Confident, and Caring (https://www.samarael.com/shop/p/roles). Rachel is the founder and Chief Visionary of Samara Early Learning. Prior to founding Samara, she spent more than a decade starting and directing one of the first nature-based preschools in the United States.
About Samara Early Learning
Samara Early Learning helps educators create nature-based schools or add the nature-based approach to existing programs. With our support on the business or teaching side of operations, educators help young children learn with nature to expand their worlds and live rich, full lives. Services include books, in-person and on-demand workshops,The Grove (https://www.samarael.com/grove)professional learning community, and much more. Visit www.SamaraEL.com (http://www.samarael.com/) to learn more!
Discover the next steps on your nature-based journey! Take the 90-second quiz (https://www.samarael.com/quiz) & receive your custom Toolkit for implementing nature-based early childhood education.
27 Sept 2026
Personalizing Your PD Journey: Setting Goals That Matter
Way too often professional development (PD) can feel disconnected and irrelevant to our work. Rather than simply ticking off PD hours, in this episode Dr. Rachel Larimore invites listeners to set goals that are meaningful to the learner—in this case the professional educator!
Check out the live webinars (https://www.samarael.com/shop/) Rachel Larimore will be presenting in the next few weeks.
You might also be interested in the many on-demand webinars and workshops which can all be found on the Samara Early Learning website here (https://www.samarael.com/on-demand-pd).
Join The Grove
The Grove (https://www.samarael.com/grove) professional learning community includes webinars, regular access to Rachel Larimore, community connections, and time-saving resources! It’s your ticket to enriching your teaching, boosting your professional growth, and building a thriving nature-based program—all in one place. Check it out! (https://www.samarael.com/grove)
About Dr. Rachel A. Larimore
Dr. Rachel A. Larimore is an educator, consultant, and former nature-based preschool director. Her work focuses on the intentional integration of nature to support young children’s holistic development by learning with nature to expand their worlds and live rich, full lives. She has written multiple books including Establishing a Nature-Based Preschool, (https://www.samarael.com/shop/p/enp) Preschool Beyond Walls: Blending Early Childhood Education and Nature-Based Learning (https://www.samarael.com/shop/p/pbw), Evaluating Natureness: Measuring the Quality of Nature-based Classrooms in Pre-k Through 3rd Grade (https://www.samarael.com/shop/p/evaluating-natureness), and Reimagining the Role of Teachers in Nature-based Learning: Helping Children be Curious, Confident, and Caring (https://www.samarael.com/shop/p/roles). Rachel is the founder and Chief Visionary of Samara Early Learning. Prior to founding Samara, she spent more than a decade starting and directing one of the first nature-based preschools in the United States.
About Samara Early Learning
Samara Early Learning helps educators create nature-based schools or add the nature-based approach to existing programs. With our support on the business or teaching side of operations, educators help young children learn with nature to expand their worlds and live rich, full lives. Services include books, in-person and on-demand workshops,The Grove (https://www.samarael.com/grove)professional learning community, and much more. Visit www.SamaraEL.com (http://www.samarael.com/) to learn more!
Discover the next steps on your nature-based journey! Take the 90-second quiz (https://www.samarael.com/quiz) & receive your custom Toolkit for implementing nature-based early childhood education.
Who has been a guest on Mindful Turtle
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Dr Rachel Larimore
Rachel A Larimore
Dr Rachel A Larimore
Dr. Rachel A. Larimore
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
6 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
3 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 39 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
65
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
32
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Guest appearances
Does not typically book guests
Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.
Questions about Mindful Turtle
Who hosts Mindful Turtle?
Dr. Rachel Larimore host the show. Published by Dr. Rachel A. Larimore.
How often do new episodes come out?
The show publishes weekly, based on its RSS feed.
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The show does not typically feature guests, based on episode analyses.
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