2.2 - Belonging: Tim Villegas

Deep in the Woods

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Welcome to the Deep in the Woods Podcast, where we embark on a journey through the natural world, explore profound words, and uncover the connections they hold in our lives.In today's episode, I have the pleasure of taking a walk with Tim Villegas, who has chosen the word "Belonging." Tim serves as the Director of Communications for the Maryland Coalition for Inclusive Education (MCIE) and hosts both the Think Inclusive podcast and his recent project, "Inclusion Stories." Before his current role, Tim worked as a special education teacher and has always advocated for the inclusion of learners with significant disabilities in general education classrooms.For our hike, Tim selected the Environmental Trail at Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park. This nature loop offers a scenic escape with ample space to sit on a bench and observe the surroundings. It provides a quieter alternative to the main trail at Kennesaw Mountain, perfect for those seeking a peaceful stroll.I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to Tim for joining me on this hike and for the wonderful conversation we shared. Special thanks also go to Ryan Cherry for providing the music that accompanies our podcast, my daughter, Applyn McEntyre, for her creative contribution in designing our podcast cover art, and Ryan Tomlinson for designing the website, www.wordsandwoods.com.Please check out our Instagram page https://www.instagram.com/andrew_words_and_woods/ where you can find pictures, videos, and posts related to this episode. Feel free to join the conversation by commenting on the posts, and I would greatly appreciate it if you could leave a review of the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or other platforms.As always, thank you for listening to the Deep in the Woods podcast!Quote and Links: Quote by Henry David Thoreau from "Civil Disobedience: "...if there’s an evil of such a nature that it requires you to be the agent of injustice to another, then, I say, break the law. Let your life be a counter friction to stop the machine. What I have to do is to see, at any rate, that I do not lend myself to the wrong which I condemn." Passage from "The Word for World is Forest" by Ursula K. Le Guin, "It was not in his nature to think, 'What can I do?' Character and training disposed him not to interfere in other men's business. He preferred to be enlightened rather than to enlighten, to seek facts rather than the Truth. But even the most unmissionary soul, unless he pretend he has no emotions, is sometimes faced with a choice between commission and omission. 'What are they doing?' abruptly becomes, 'What are we doing?' and then, "What must I do?" Link to MCIE Think Inclusive Page: https://mcie.org/think-inclusive/ Link to Inclusion Stories Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/inclusion-stories/id1633672526 Think Inclusive Instagram Page: https://www.instagram.com/think_inclusive/ Tim's Instagram Page: https://www.instagram.com/therealtimvegas/