Nature brings a sense of balance to my family’s life. The connection is innate and embedded. Our work with WYP has given students the gifts of reflection, gratitude, relationship, and a forum for learning that extends beyond four cement corners. I love to see our students recognition of the necessity of balance and their connection to the natural environment.
Wilderness Youth Project is doing exactly what I’ve been talking about for the last twenty years as I work with educators towards outdoor education. You hit every single point I discuss as criteria for an effective outdoor education program.
Nature teaches things to my kids that can’t be found in the classroom or a book. Nature also compliments everything they learn at school. Help us build a bridge to nature for our public schools.
It starts with newborns and never fails – stepping outside calms the human soul. Nature connection brings balance to a world of man-made self-fixation – it pops our little bubbles of “Look at me!”
Nature ain’t always safe – I like the reality of that.
A connection with nature is core to humanity. Modern society, our reliance on technology, and the built world have increasingly made the outdoors feel almost unnatural for many people. Wilderness Youth Project builds a bridge from a world that sometimes seems like it’s gone crazy to the natural world where children can better explore who they are truly meant to be.
For me, nature connection isn’t about getting outside. It’s about what kids get when they spend a lot of time outside, in all weather, with great role models. Confidence, competence, problem solving, positivity, resilience, and so much more. The outdoors is the best place i’ve found in my 20 years working with youth to cultivate these types of characteristics, and nature connection is the best catalyst.
