Do we need an excuse to love nature...?
Absolutely not, but here's ours anyways
The outdoors is good for you and makes you feel good.
Nature is a product of the interconnections of the system that surrounds it: a complex beauty. Plants and animals are unapologetically themselves, living in balance and the champions of change. When people spend time in the outdoors, they gain an appreciation for life and the simple luxuries that is the sun on your face, the breeze against your skin, and the smell of the fresh air. Time spent challenging yourself and discovering your limits gives you pride in what your body and mind are capable of. Take, for example, the moment when, after days of hard climbing, you reach the summit of a mountain. It is at this moment, when your lungs burn, your muscles are sore, and you look at the panoramic view, that you feel content to have the opportunity to be in such a wild place.
This feeling of contentment in the hard and beautiful times is what empowers us. It reminds us of what we are capable of and the courage we possess to do things we never thought we could. This feeling radiates off you in what is called “trail glow”. We have found that time outside allows us to live in the moment, better handle stress and change, boost our creativity in problem-solving, and contributed to a feeling of belonging to a larger community.
To protect nature we need to restore out relationship with nature.
In the last two centuries, our relationship with nature has undergone an enormous transformation. Our history tells a long story of efforts to separate ourselves from the wild, insisting that we are safer and better off not to adventure off into the great outdoors. However, we have reached a point where we can no longer pretend that our lifestyles do not threaten the same resources we rely so heavily upon.
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It's more important now than ever to remind ourself that we are a part of the world, just as much as the butterfly flying past as you're eating ice cream, the rock you lean on to tie your shoelace, the view you admire on your way to work. Everything is connected and the world is the way it is as a result of symbiotic relationships all around us. Us humans co-exist in such a symbiotic relationship, on a large scale, with nature. This relationship is dependent on both nature and humans to be kind and not threaten the survival of one another. To maintain this, both parts have to understand the other. As nature created us, it knows what we need. One of the best ways we can do this is to bring more people into the wilderness. We want to show how connected we are and create awareness to the places that need us most.
The power of teaching outdoors
One of the greatest gifts that spending time in the wilderness can give us is a renewed sense of curiosity. Nature brings together history, science, literature, economics, and art in a way few other things can. People want to inquire about the world around them, observe and question what they see. This is the purest form of learning, and there is so much growth to be had by answering questions with experiential knowledge.
Let's get personal.
The wandering teacher
I was 5 years old when I told my parents that I was going to grow up and be a teacher. It was more of a calling than a choice; something that was at the core of my being. Growing up, I took every opportunity to teach with different students in as many ways as possible. When I entered college, I decided to teach Earth Science at the high school level. I loved being outdoors and letting my curiosity drive my research. Earth Scientists made the world seem like a large storybook and we were all detectives trying to decipher the clues. When I wasn’t teaching or a student, I was an outdoor guide for my university and for a summer camp. I led trips ranging from cross country skiing to 15-day backcountry backpacking and canoe trips. Guiding in the outdoors became the ideal classroom to inspire curiosity in my participants and motivate them to ask questions and challenge themselves.
In my last years of college, I dedicated myself to exploring countries around the world so that when I walked into a classroom I could share what I had learned and provide the tools needed so that others could go out and do the same. I hiked to Everest Base Camp, June of 2018, then continued my travels to Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, New Zealand, Australia, Iceland, Bahamas and more. I wanted to observe the world through the eyes of those from different cultures and learn varying perspectives on education so that I could bring these ideas into my classroom one day.
Now in graduate school for my master’s degree in secondary education, I have never been surer, I am where I should be. I am driven to give my students the best opportunities to inquire and experiment and philosophize about what they observe. Earth Science was born from people who questioned what they saw in the world around them. It is a science that is able to connect with everyone and play a relevant role in their lives. Earth Science is history and culture, mathematics and science, art and philosophy all tied into one. Teaching this to my students who will reinvent the future and those passionate about the outdoors is the greatest profession I could ask for.
- Frances Gibson