Tracking Connections Podcast

Hosted by Jon Young, Sarah Fontaine, and Aidan Young

We feature voices from around the world, sharing stories of working intentionally with deep nature connection in ways that transform lives, families, projects, and communities

Ep 44 ~ Slow Living, Reciprocity, and Wild Homesteading with Julie Stonefelt

April 23, 2025

What happens when we follow our curiosity—back to the land, our roots, and ourselves?



Episode Description

Hosted by Jon Young, Sarah Fontaine, and Aidan Young

In this heartfelt and inspiring conversation, we reconnect with Julie Stonefelt of Wild Homestead Living—park ranger, nature mentor, cancer survivor, and long-time member of the deep nature connection community. Julie shares her powerful personal story of transformation, from teenage struggles and early mentorship at Wilderness Awareness School to her path through illness, healing, and the creation of a slow, connected life on a rural homestead.

We explore the roots of Wild Homestead Living, a vision born not just of longing for simplicity, but of intentional reciprocity with the land and the more-than-human world. Julie offers intimate reflections on how nature supported her through life-altering challenges and how she now supports others in their own reconnection journeys—whether through sit spot practice, gardening alongside local wildlife, or simply noticing the breeze on your skin.

We also talk about ego, control, and decolonizing our approach to land and learning. Julie shares how observation, curiosity, and story are at the heart of her teaching—and how small acts, like growing sprouts in a jar, can spark a deeper relationship with life itself.

If you've ever wondered how to begin (or begin again) in relationship with nature—especially in our fast-paced world—this episode is your invitation to slow down, listen, and remember.

"Slowing down and having those connections—it's simple, but it's not easy." 


Wild Homestead Living

If you’re craving a life that’s more connected to nature, rooted in simplicity, and aligned with your values, you’re in the right place.

Founded by Julie Stonefelt and Kevin Mack, Wild Homestead Living offers practical tools, heartfelt inspiration, and a supportive community to help you create a sustainable lifestyle—whether you live in the city, the suburbs, or off the grid. From patio gardens to permaculture homesteads, you’ll find resources to help you start small, grow slow, and live deeply.

Ready to begin? Explore their free courses and guides »


About Julie Stonefelt

Julie grew up with salt in her hair and sand between her toes, falling in love with nature along the shores of Puget Sound in the Great Pacific Northwest. That love led her to The Evergreen State College, where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree specializing in environmental education, cultural history, and wildlife rehabilitation.

For over 28 years, she’s been helping people connect with the wild world around them, whether through her work as a Park Ranger or here at Wild Homestead Living. She believes that nature isn’t just something out there—it’s part of who we are. And no matter where you live, there’s always a way to bring a little more of it into your life.

Our next episode will release on May 7, 2025.

The transcript of this episode is available here.

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About Our Hosts

Jon Young

Jon Young is a deep nature-people-self connection researcher, mentor, naturalist, wildlife tracker, author, workshop leader, consultant and storyteller. Jon has been mentored in deep nature connection by his own grandmothers, Tom Brown, Jr. and a host of elders and experts. As a leader in the field of nature-based community building over 40 years, Jon’s research into the impact and significance of nature on mentoring, human intelligence, spirituality, well-being and development has influenced tens of thousands of people worldwide. Jon has authored and co-authored several seminal works on nature connection and connection mentoring, including What the Robin Knows: How Birds Reveal the Secrets of the Natural World (2013), and Coyote's Guide to Connecting to Nature (2007). Jon has appeared in numerous documentaries including The Animal Communicator (2012). In 2016, he received the Champion of Environmental Education Award for his innovative work, which has inspired positive developments in the field, and fostered the growth of the nature connection movement on a global level.

Sarah Fontaine

Sarah is a Energywork Practitioner, Wildlife Tracker, and Interspecies Communicator. For over 25 years, Sarah has been practicing various healing modalities including Chakra-work, Craniosacral Therapy, Traditional Chinese Medicine Meridians and Five Elements, Emotional Clearing, Interpersonal Neurobiology, Somatic Trauma Therapy, and Polyvagal Theory. She has studied wildlife tracking through Shikari Tracker Mentoring with Jon Young and Josh Lane, Tom Brown Jr’s Tracker School, and Cybertracker Conservation. She is a graduate of the Kamana Naturalist Training Program, and studied Interspecies Communication with Anna Breytenbach and Wynter Worsthorne. She currently offers Earth-based energywork sessions and Wildlife Tracking courses, and lives near the Pacific Ocean in the sandhill mountains North of Santa Cruz, CA with her partner Jon.

Aidan Young

Aidan is a musician, naturalist, and mentor. Over the past 20+ years, he has mentored hundreds of musicians, including over a dozen that went on to top music schools, performed on stage over a thousand times, mentored youth and adults in nature connection, including Kamana services, and guided people on their creative paths as a personal mentor. He is a graduate of the Kamana Program and experienced in the Shikari Tracker Training Program, has served on several Art of Mentoring acorns, helped produce The 512 Project, plays guitar, bass, piano, and mandolin, sings, and writes songs. He currently offers music lessons and personal mentoring and lives in Los Altos, CA with his wife Mystical and their three children.