Outdoor adventure education (OAE) and study abroad share many epistemological and pedagogical foundations and have been on parallel tracks for many years yet rarely intersect. This paper has two goals: (a) to invite study abroad researchers and practitioners to consider findings and practices from OAE to further enhance study abroad, and (b) to…

The purpose of this study was to explore the effect of participation in an outdoor orientation program on first-year college students' relationships with the natural world. The theory of biophilia was used as a lens through which to understand human-nature relationships. Eighty-five first-year college students on a 21-day outdoor orientation…

Background: One of the core environmental studies learning objectives at NOLS is for students to develop a "sense of place" by experiencing wilderness and exploring relationships with their surroundings. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore how students report developing a sense of place after completing a course based out…

Sometimes environmental philosophers write only for other environmental philosophers, and their insights on the nature-human relationship do not reach environmental educators and adventure programmers. This article investigates one aspect of environmental philosophy and the differences between anthropocentric and ecocentric thinking, and applies…

To answer calls for an ecological approach to outdoor adventure that can respond to the crisis of sustainability, this paper suggests greater theoretical and empirical attention to skill and skill development as shaping participant interactions with and experiences of environments, landscapes, places, and inhabitants. The paper reviews calls for…

In this article, the author discusses British Columbia's integrated curriculum programs (ICPs). In this province of sea and mountains, outdoor adventures figure prominently in its ICPs--with a healthy dose of environmental and sustainability education mixed in. The author presents five examples from British Columbia's ICPs: (1) Earthquest Outdoor…

The wilderness expedition experience will always be a confluence of emotional, cognitive and bodily processes. The author wants to show that the body is an important but often forgotten part of the wilderness expedition experience. In society, the focus on the body is often polarised. Sometimes, there is an extreme focus on the thin and fit body…

History helps educators more clearly describe the role of outdoor education in improving society by fostering awareness of human-nature interconnections. Five branches have shaped outdoor education in Ontario: (1) agricultural education; (2) environmental education; (3) outdoor adventure education; (4) ecological education; and (5) climate change…

This article describes a four-credit semester program at Elliot Lake Secondary School in the late 1990s. This New Trails program is based around physical education and leadership, geography, Native studies, and English credits. The students are outside much of the time. The students become certified in the use of GPS and in map and compass work,…

Describing a five-day resident outdoor education program at Cortland, New York which is part of a full year ecology course offered to seniors at New Hartford High School, this article details preparation activities and each of the five day's activities (nature hikes, canoe trips, night hikes, journal writing, etc.). (JC)

Advocates use of rituals to foster intimate, caring relationship with one's place and to develop a sense of community within a group. Describes "Talking Staff" and "Medicine Wheel" as tools for debriefing, performance of camp chores, and fostering ecological awareness and a sense of place. (NEC)

A parable illuminates the important interrelationship among aspects of outdoor education: adventure education, outdoor activities, environmental education, and deep ecology. A second parable illustrates the importance of understanding and connecting with nature and how this can be achieved through direct experience with the natural world. Includes…

A resource room containing information about outdoor programs generates individual and cooperative learning activities and outdoor experiences. Although adventure participants are responsible for decisions and risks undertaken, the program should attempt to enhance experiences by reducing difficulties brought on by outsiders, institutions, and red…

Fifty years of innovative programming in what has come to be called resident outdoor education are traced in this volume which examines the evolution of resident outdoor education from its early beginnings to the present. The several authors of this book are leaders in outdoor education who have been intimately involved in the development of…

The main purpose of providing participants with environmental experiences is to enrich their lives. In designing a curriculum, the following goals should be considered: (1) understanding yourself and others; (2) respecting and enjoying the environment; (3) living safely and healthfully outdoors; and (4) developing life-long environmental…