By Chris Grosjean
Over the last few months we have gone on trips and experienced using the backcountry as our classroom. Over all of the trips I came to a realization. I found that in the backcountry I am way more attentive in the classes. I also found that the information that I did learn about plants and animals was retained in my brain solidly without me even trying. How did this happen?
I do not care who you are, when people are in the backcountry they grow in many ways that cannot be accomplished in any other setting. In a normal class room setting we have grown to have certain habits about how we learn in the class room. The sole reason we do this is because we have been in classrooms for the better part of our lives. What this leads to is when we go into the backcountry to learn anything, we have learning habits are different and that have not been poisoned by bad habits. Also when you are in the woods I found that it is much easier to be “here and now”. I think the reason is – this classroom is a break for most of the group to just sit and listen. We always spend the rest of our day moving, packing, cooking, etc. But when we get class, we get the chance to just chill and relax. It is this ease that we feel in the class room that I think powers the good retention of all the information we learn.
When you look at the factor of nature alone when added into the learning process. I greater sense of realism is conveyed in whatever you are teaching about. When you sit in a classroom and someone tells you something is real, it can be really easy to brush that information off as not being really. But, if someone takes you somewhere and shows you and you make a self discovery of the idea, then you know it’s real! This process makes remembering the information or idea easier and with a greater understanding. The factor of nature really allows students to go through this process, by themselves at most points. No matter what the subject is that you are teaching nature give people a feeling of self discovery. The feeling of when you have discovered something for your self is a powerful emotion. I believe no matter who you are if you have gone through a self discovery, you become more motivated about learning. Now, I am not saying someone will all of a sudden become really motivated in school work. No, what I am saying that that you will be motivated about learning, it can being anything from, learning about different types of art or a musical instrument, or learning about how do to a specific skill. I have witnessed this with everyone that I have seen take part in an awakening or sorts, all powered but the factor of nature. And this power of nature comes from fact that we are using nature as a classroom. So, you take students into the woods, kick start them in the cycle of self discovery and you will better them for the rest of their lives.
