Building an Appreciation for the Natural World
The Need for Nature Experiences for Our Campers
“We have to get up WHEN?!”
No matter the year or the group, every 15 year old camper hearing that they’ll be waking up to watch the sunrise thinks the same thing:
“why do we have to get up so early?”
My camp journey began in 2013 when I went to spend a summer teaching horseback riding at a co-ed sleep away camp in Maine. The summer was a life changing experience; I met my now husband of 10 years, played a role in the stories of countless campers, and discovered the wild and wonderful beauty that is White Mountains. I made a vow as I packed up my rickety old Jeep Cherokee to head back to Ohio: I will always find my way back to camp.
My passion for the outdoors only grew
as I began to share it with others
Driving the camp van for a hike turned into assisting on trips, and eventually, taking over as the Director of Adventure Programming; the portion of camp dedicated solely to the exploration of the Northeast’s most beautiful places. It’s through this overnight camp program that campers from all over the world, from China to LA and every place in between, come to discover the unique and truly spectacular beauty that lies in the ancient forests of the Appalachian Mountains.
Youngest campers start off on one-mile hikes to easy views, and eventually with time, work their way up to multi day trips through the mountain ranges that have captured the imagination of adventurers since the beginning of time. When I came to Southwoods and made the Adirondacks my home, I brought with me this same commitment to sharing wild places with the people who need them most.
Wherever I am and whoever I am serving - I will give them mountains
Which brings us back to the sunrise…
“Why DO they have to get up so early?”
No matter how many times I’ve been asked, I can’t answer that question without showing them the answer. Anybody who has seen the sun crest over the range, jagged with rock winding trails, knows it holds a power over the imagination that exists as a feeling beyond language; something that burrows deep into the soul of a person and grows something equally wild and wonderful. We load up our packs. They yawn, clear the sleep from their eyes, and grumble the whole way to the summit. We set up, burrowed close together and watch the sunrise for the first hint of purple and orange to peak over the sleepy mountains. These experiences formed in the earliest years of childhood create an appreciation for the natural world that cannot be taught in books or lessons. The Earth and all of its wonder can’t exist only in pictures or Netflix nature documentaries. To be real, to be appreciated, and thus, be important, it must be experienced in the flesh.
Taking our children on hikes, canoe trips, and climbing trips around the Adirondacks instills a sense of responsibility in its care and preservation. It is no longer a concept, but a part of their story, something that they have felt first-hand and can relate to. Seeing the Adirondack mountains through the eyes of our campers is the way I wish it could always be seen by everyone; as something special. Something worth protecting. Something worth preserving for the next set of young eyes and brand-new hiking boots. As the sun appears over the horizon, a quiet gasp is heard. Orange, red, purple, blue, and pink all swirl together as a new day breaks through the dense forests and rocky peaks of New York. They put their heads on each other’s shoulders, and with a quiet reverence look out at the rising sun. They’ll never forget the feeling of each other’s presence, the hushed tones, the vivid colors. They will never forget the mountains. They will never forget the Adirondacks.
This is why we have to get up so early.