Due to daylight savings, I am up before I need to be and thought I would post one last time before I head out of town... I am left with several impressions from this years AORE conference.

1. The growing "green" or environmental trend. The field is increasingly paying attention to its environmental responsibilities both as educators of people in the outdoors and as examples for others to follow in terms of our ecological footprint. This, I feel, will be a growing trend as we begin to re-imagine what outdoor recreation and education will be like in the future.

 2. Standards and standardization. We couldn't hide forever from the effects of No Child Left Behind  and the growing influence of neo-liberalism in our schools and educational practice. Well, it is here. There was a lot of discussion and buzz at this conference about accreditation, certifications, and standardization in the field. The message was: if you don't do it, the state or federal government will. But of course, the question should not be standards vs no standards, it should be what KIND of standards. No one is really against the idea that we should have some commonly agreed upon best practices. How the field wrestles with this issue will be interesting to follow in the coming years.

 3. The rise of degree programs. More and more students (it seems to me) are coming out of outdoor recreation and education degree programs. Do they have jobs waiting for them? It will be interesting to see how the rise of this field in terms of academic preparation plays out once many of these folks graduate and are looking for gainful employment.

 4. Research. The field as a whole is hungry for evidence-based research that supports the philosophy of what we do. Where this research will come from and how we wrestle with the differences between advocacy based assessment and more "objective" research will also be interesting to watch in the coming years.

5. Lastly, I am left with how much fun this conference continues to be. Great people, wonderful sessions and activities, and a general vibe of informality, support, and encouragement of all. AORE broke the attendance record this year at about 540 attenders. Hope to see even more next year in San Diego.

 Signing off from Asheville.


 

 Today at AORE was action packed with great sessions and one of the best keynote speeches I have had the opportunity to hear at any conference. Bob Ratcliff, Division Chief for the BLM's National Recreation and Visitor Services Program, gave a compelling and sobering talk about the future trends of outdoor recreation on public lands. Among some of the highlights, Bob told us that we should expect increased conflict between user groups on public lands as we struggle to deal with population growth and urban expansion into previously undeveloped areas. In addition, as our demographics radically change to a "majority minority" society, values about what is considered "recreation" will also change. The growth of motorized outdoor sports such as motorbiking, off-road vehicles, and snowmobiles will continue to strain resources and cause conflict as various user groups vie for access. As Bob spoke, you could almost hear the gasps coming from the crowd as we witnessed the future of outdoor recreation in the US. It did not look good for those of us who may have "assumed" we have an inherent "right" to recreate in the manner we enjoy currently. I think it is crucial that we hear, at conferences like these, from those outside our community about matters that directly impact our community. Bob's talk today was a perfect example of this. Few of us have really taken the time to take the long view of our field twenty and thirty years out. Yet, the trends being put into place today will dramatically affect the quality of our educational experiences in the future. Not all was doom and gloom. Bob reminded us that, if we care about things like silence, solitude, and access to our public lands, we have to continue to work toward forging partnerships with land managers as well as work to involve more people in outdoor experiences so that we have people to defend those values (particularly children) in the future.  Bob said we have to aim for the "heart, head, and hands" by involving people in all aspects of outdoor recreation and education. I left with a sense of responsibility about the current state and future of recreation on our public lands and a big slice of humble pie that this is not something to take for granted. Another great day at AORE. We'll see if this can be topped tomorrow...

I failed to mention last post that AORE stands for the Association of Outdoor Recreation and Education. Today was the official kick off day for the main conference and it has been tremendous to see the attendance, quality of workshops, and overall organization of the conference this year. Way to go AORE board! Student attendance is very high which has always been a nice feature of this conference. Currently, I am sitting in on a session on "Greening Your Program." Talk about an idea whose time has come. There are actually 8-10 sessions at this conference focused on "green issues" whether that be creating international adventure programs with an emphasis in sustainability, to environmental ethics in outdoor education, to carbon credits and travel. It is great to see the industry taking a lead here on this issue. The conference itself has also been very intentional. Recycled conference brochures. A carbon off-set station for travel. No paper waste with meals. Presentations with minimal to no handouts but links to electronic media. The list goes on. Is it perfect? No. But, we make the trail by walking it. And it is very impressive to see the work that has gone in to making this conference as green as possible. The other great thing? This initiative and energy seems to be coming from the undergraduate students. We often complain about "the younger generation," but here we see an example of young people showing leadership and initiative. I certainly hope the other conferences are thinking along similar lines. That's it for now. Time for dinner and a little socializing in the beautiful city of downtown Asheville. We'll see what tomorrow brings...

Following Rick Curtis' lead, I though I would blog from the AORE conference currently being held in Asheville, NC. The conference this year is very well attended and the organizers ought to be commended for really improving the quality and overall scope of the conference over the last several years. Today, I attended the OOPS pre-conference (Outdoor Orientation Program Symposium). Brent Bell and others have done a really wonderful job organizing this special interest group and it is really amazing to see the growth in this particular of outdoor education. Our keynote speaker was John Gardner, the "father" of the first year experience in colleges and universities who shared insights about how programs need to work more closely with student development and teaching faculty as well as aligning program standards with the colleges' mission. We also got a rousing talk from one of the early legends of the field, Roy Smith, who created one of the very first outdoor orientation programs at Prescott College. He urged us to be wary of creating "adventure by numbers" programs and to create programs that promoted the adventuresome spirit through active engagement and real challenge. My favorite quip: "I helped build the first ropes course program at Outward Bound; we had no safety lines. If you fell, you hit the ground... And the thing is, nobody fell." I wonder how we might consider the difference between "adventure by numbers" and Smith's sense of "real adventure." What are we trying to do with our outdoor orientation programs? OK... enough for now. The Colbert Report is on and I have to get some sleep before tomorrow's sessions... Until tomorrow.   

 It is conference season and once again I find myself in that impossible position of wanting to be in three places at the same time. AORE (the Association of Outdoor Recreation and Education) will be in Asheville, NC this November. AEE (the Assoc. for Experiential Education) will be in Little Rock, and WRMC (Wilderness Risk Managers Conference) I believe will be held in Banff, Canada around the same time. First, I understand that each of these conferences serve niche groups with specialized knowledge and practice. I also understand that a little diversity is a good thing in terms of creating smaller conferences that can engender a sense of community. But does anyone else think we are missing out on an opportunity here? When I attend any of these conferences (not to mention or leave out ACCT or WEA) I see mostly the same people. And, during conversations about why they are there, I often hear things like "well, I come to XXXX conf. every other year because I also want to and need to go to XXXX conference as well." Meanwhile, I believe each conference has struggled in the past with a critical membership and participation level.

 My radical vision: that we have one, mega conference that combines all of these under one, big umbrella. Call it the International Conference on Outdoor and Experiential Education, for example. Figure out some way of splitting the revenue (perhaps by categorizing folks underneath Special Interest Groups). Why? Because such a conference would be vastly better attended than what we all experience currently. It would also be more cost effective as we would have more bargaining power with possible host sites. It would create a greater sense of community and interaction. It would also present a greater platform for research, practice, and (importantly) lobbying as we can speak with one voice as an industry on matters that are important to us. And, all of us who have to fly all over the place (carbon anyone?) can concentrate on one key date on the calendar.

Will this happen? I am not holding my breath. There are significant obstacles (both financial and ideological) that would make this vision difficult to achieve. Nevertheless, for an industry that prides itself on the values of teamwork, community building, and pushing beyond the comfort zone it seems ironic that we would be so entrenched in our ways even when the results of our current conference system are mixed at best.

 Are you with me? If not, post a reply as to why. Let's dialogue about it. If you are with me (at least in principle if not in the details) then go to your conference(s) this fall and tell the board you want to see change toward this kind of model. After all, these associations are supposed to be member driven. Together we stand, divided we falter.
 

Two stories recently struck me. One was a bit on NPR about a school administrator who decided to ban "tag" from the playground because it was causing too much conflict amongst classmates. Students will now be allowed to "run around" but may not engage in tag. The other was the report about the Virginia Tech shooting that reprimanded the school for not doing more both to protect students during the rampage and to prevent the unfortunate event from happening in the first place. Both of these stories, to me, reveal a snapshot of where we are currently in our national psyche about elements of risk, personal responsibility, and education.

We seem to have become a nation incapable of accepting unknowns, discomforts, and conflict amongst our citizens. In addition, we take it as our right to know every variable and have access to every bit of information. When we confront situations that deny us these things, it represents not a "teachable moment" but rather an opportunity to lay blame. Deb Meier, a well-known progressive educator, once said about public schooling:

 
"If we abandon a system of common schools- through apathy or privatization- we deprive everyone, not just the least advantaged, of the kind of clash of ideas that will make us all more powerful. We're a nation that loves a good fight; fighting with ideas rather than fists of guns or nasty sound bites would be a welcome relief. More importantly... our public schools could provide am exciting opportunity to use our often forgotten power to create imaginary worlds, share theories, and act out possibilities. This time not just on the playground but in all the varied public arenas which we meet our fellow citizens."

 

What does this have to do with Outdoor Education? The mantra of the field used to be "Let the Mountains Speak for Themselves." The idea was that in the open space (literally and figuratively) of the outdoors, learning would emerge through the elements of challenge, risk, interpersonal interaction, and self-reflection. The job of the educator was to create the "holding environment" for that learning to take place. But things have slowly but surely changed. As our field has become more standardized, more bureaucratic, more commercialized, and more "safe" we have also removed the ability of the students in our care to experience and co-create the curriculum. In essence, they no longer "experience" but rather are given "experiences" (4 hour ropes courses, field trips, tightly scripted environmental education curriculum, etc.). It seems the mountains can no longer speak for themselves. How can they amidst the waiver forms, field logs, permits, lesson plans, and the fifteen minutes of recess kids get (if they are lucky)? It is not just our public schools that have, as Meier says, forgotten the power of "imaginary worlds and acted out possibilities." I worry that outdoor education has as well.

Our children need unstructured play, time in the out of doors, open space to experience challenge and risk and heartache and conflict for the precise reason that our democracy depends upon it. Democracy is often loud, and rude, and messy, and as Meier says elsewhere, it "sometimes leaves scars and neighborly hostility." Outdoor education, done well, does the same. But when we attempt to protect children (and ourselves) from harm, from "strangers", from the unknown and unknowable, we teach a subtle but sinister lesson: that life is neat, clean, and pleasant similar to the soma drug in a Brave New World. But democracy is not like that. Life is not like that.

Democracy is about voice- who has it, who should have it, and how we can create more opportunities for it. I fear we have taken the "voice" out of education. And, more specifically, this trend is creeping into the field of outdoor education. So, in a very real sense, taking the voice out of the mountains, not letting them speak for themselves, strikes yet another blow to what Cornell West calls our "fragile and incomplete project" of democracy.
 
If we listened in the case of the two stories I mentioned above, I think the mountains might just say: "Let the kids play tag... and stop blaming Virginia Tech."
 

Richard Louv's provocative new book discusses what he calls "Nature Deficit Disorder"- a non-medical term that indicates the  decline in outdoor play amongst the current generation of kids. From the jacket cover: the amount of space kids are allowed to roam freely outside their home is a ninth of what it was in 1970. I just returned from Canada where I was course coordinating a group of in-coming first year college students on their first ever "big" wilderness trip. 21 days in the Canadian boreal forest, paddling and portaging through remote and rough terrain (the boundary waters it ain't!). Perhaps I am growing old. Or, perhaps this is what every educator eventually says about the younger generation... but boy are some of these kids in need of a serious kick in the pants! Someone once said: "the children now love luxury, they have bad manners, contempt for authority; they show disrespect for elders and love chatter in place of exercise..." Of course, that person was Socrates. So is it true that there is no difference between the generations other than the fact that the older one will always disparage the younger and vis versa? Is there any credence to the worry that this plugged-in generation is getting seriously mis-educated through computers, tv, cellphones and ipods? My observations on trail this summer point to some worries, for me. While many students did just fine, a substantial number are less physically fit and seem incapable of hard work than students I worked with even six years ago.  Portages were trials for instructors and students alike as students balked at the effort needed to carry packs and canoes over 1KM of boggy terrain. Don't get me wrong. These are good kids. But some of them seem to possess an utter lack of work ethic and a case of the heebie-jeebies for discomfort. Kurt Hahn saw this coming when he talked about his "modern declines" including handcraft and self-sufficiency. I lost count of the requests along the lines of "can you do this for me?" Sure, you might chalk it up to bad tone setting on the part of the instructors. But they looked like they were doing a pretty good job to me. Maybe this correlates to unstructured outdoor play as Louv suggests and maybe it does not. Maybe I am just yet another complaining "aDULLt" who doesn't have a clue about generation next. I guess I know one thing: I am glad the students went out there. Glad they experienced the epic bugs, wind-blown paddling days, and boot-eating bog holes. Once, at the end of a particularly heinous portage a student (we'll call her "Karen") dropped her pack and looked at me with big eyes swarming with black flies and pronounced, "that sucked but that was awesome!" For every Karen that goes on a course and comes back with that fire in the belly, that is one less spectator in the great game of life. And, one more potentially engaged citizen who understands that "we are all crew and not passengers." I take great hope in that.



 

A few years ago, I attended the ICORE conference in Salt Lake City where I heard a presenter describe the dramatic increase in usage of wilderness areas in the U.S. as "Industrial Strength" recreation. At the time, there was an interesting debate about the role of outdoor programs utilizing 'pristine" wilderness areas to the point where we might be loving certain areas to death. As permit systems become more prevalent, and the number of programs and individuals wishing to recreate in classic backcountry environments continues to increase, this ought to be a continuing concern for all of us involved in the outdoor education field.

But, this is small potatoes compared to the next version of industrial strength recreation. How are we going to respond to the challenge of climate change? The field of outdoor education has been curiously quiet on this issue from my perspective. While we worry about getting permits and "access" to wild areas and "leaving no trace" while we visit these places, we seem to be a bit behind on the "traces" we leave from simply running our programs. After all, what is the point of operating an outdoor program if we can't model care for our planet at the most basic level? Perhaps it's time we all move beyond LNT in the backcountry to sustainability in the frontcountry as an equally important environmental ethic. Toward that end, I offer a few suggestions to "green" your program and I invite others to post a comment below with other suggestions or additional comments and queries.

1. Carbon credits. Yes, I know, we cannot buy our way to a greener conscience but building carbon off-sets into your program budgets is a simple but effective way to show that you are aware of the environmental impacts of your travel and that you are attempting to mitigate them. According to Mother Jones (May/June 2007), the following carbon off-set companies rate "excellent"- Atmosfair (atmosfair.de) and Climate Friendly (climatefriendly.com).

2. Green gear lists. We hand out gear and clothing lists to our clients, why not offer specific "green" suggestions? These might be everything from Patagonia's recyclable underwear, to vegan boot options, to a simple wool sweater you can get at a hand-me-down store.

3. Go local. Do you really have to travel 500 miles to paddle that one river or climb at that one spot? Remember, a lot of our participants are beginners who do not really know the difference between a world famous river or rock climbing area and a perfectly serviceable local/regional area. Are there other opportunities to draw in participants to more local opportunities? How about birding with an ornithologist from your college or university? Or, a trip to a local organic farm that can give students hands-on experience with some element of a working farm. If we are to really get to a different code of conduct toward our planet, it will start by balancing the glorification of "wilderness" with the importance of the "everyday nature" around us.

4. Green your business practices. Buy organic cotton t-shirts, use recycled paper and other products. Look for ways to minimize waste (one organization I know locally has found a company that sells compostable forks, spoons, knives, and plates!).

5. Take another look at your organizational mission statement. Does it accurately reflect your environmental and educational goals? Do you need to enhance your environmental/sustainability stance within your mission? Do your participants leave your program with a sense of an environmental ethic that can carry beyond the initial experience? How might you amplify that?

Outdoor education is well positioned to be a part of bringing our society around to a fundamentally different relationship with the natural world. Here's hoping that, five years from now, we aren't still just talking about it.