Blending theology, ecology, and the everyday choices we make to care for the land and for one another.

Faith, land, and stewardship come together in this episode with Joel Gill, Executive Director of Ferncliff, a 1,200-acre camp and conference center outside Little Rock, Arkansas. Joel joins Bill and Anders for a thoughtful conversation about creation care, a faith-based approach to conservation that blends theology, ecology, and the everyday choices we make to care for the land and for one another.

They talk about what it means to live responsibly within creation, how Ferncliff’s programs, from a solar-powered campus to a nature-based preschool, put those values into practice, and how restoring a stream can restore the spirit as well. The conversation also explores the tension between dominion and stewardship, the role of faith in environmental work, and how creation care can bridge political and cultural divides in the conservation movement.

Along the way, Joel shares stories about growing up at Heifer Ranch, finding purpose in Perry County’s Ouachita Mountains, and discovering a rare fish, the plains bluebelly darter, that became the mascot for Ferncliff’s stream restoration project. It’s a grounded and hopeful look at how care for the earth and care for people are inseparable parts of the same work.

Today, we explore:

• Creation care defined – How faith-based language shapes environmental values, and why Ferncliff sees caring for the land as spiritual as well as practical.

• The Ferncliff model – From geothermal systems and solar panels to composting and waste reduction, how sustainability shows up in everyday operations.

• Stream restoration – The story of transforming an aging dam into a living stream, creating new habitat for the plains bluebelly darter and improving the watershed.

• Dominion vs. stewardship – The balance between use and exploitation, and why faith traditions can guide more responsible choices.

• Faith and conservation – How creation care can bridge divides, bring communities together, and inspire both “tree huggers” and hunters to find common ground.

• Teaching the next generation – Inside Ferncliff’s outdoor preschool, where kids spend 80% of their days outside learning through curiosity, play, and connection to the land.

• Justice and access – Why access to nature is both a spiritual and social justice issue, and how Ferncliff works to make the outdoors a place for everyone.

🎧 Listen now wherever you get your podcasts, or at thewildidea.com.

Links & Resources:

• Ferncliff Camp and Conference Center website
• Ferncliff Overview Video
• Social Media: 
• Facebook
• Instagram 
• Ferncliff Awarded $300,000 Grant for Stream Restoration Project

Organizations

• Heifer Ranch Center for Regenerative Agriculture
• Presbyterians for Earth Care
• Church World Service Disaster Assistance Kits – Ferncliff partners with Church World Service to assemble disaster relief kits for communities in need

Places and Landmarks

• Ouachita National Forest
• Flat Side Wilderness 
• Little Maumelle River

Other References

• Blue Belly form of the Orangethroat Darter
• Orangethroat Darter
• More about Arkansas Darters
• Stream restoration video

Joel Gill brings passion, creativity, and deep experience to his role as Executive Director of Ferncliff, a 1,200-acre camp and conference center outside Little Rock, Arkansas. Named one of Soirée’s 2023 Men on a Mission, Joel is a proud Arkansas native and graduate of Austin College. He joined the Ferncliff team in 2011 as Program Director and was named Executive Director in 2017.

With a background that spans camps and youth development programs across the country, including formative time at the Arkansas 4-H Center and Heifer International, Joel has cultivated a leadership style rooted in service, innovation, and community. His approach combines a heart for ministry with a head for strategy, always focused on Ferncliff’s mission of welcoming people into a life of caring for creation, others, and themselves.

Joel served for seven years on the board of the Presbyterian Church Camp and Conference Association, including a term as President, and is recognized as a leader in outdoor ministry. When he is not dreaming up new ideas for Ferncliff or cheering on his four kids at the ball field, you can usually find him trail running or swapping stories with friends.

At his core, Joel believes in the transformative power of nature and the importance of showing up for others. He sees Ferncliff not just as a workplace, but as a sacred space where faith, creativity, and community come together.

The Wild Idea is independently produced by Wild Idea Media. If you believe conversations like this matter, you can help us keep them going by subscribing, leaving a review, sharing the episode, or signing up for our newsletter at thewildidea.com. Together, we can protect what connects us.