LOCALadk Magazine

LOCALadk 21 Science School as examples). But these programs are expensive and, despite scholarships and financial aid, these programs remain inaccessible to many young people for a whole host of reasons. WOODS, I thought, could become the answer to those barriers. The principles of WOODS WOODS can be simplified to three words: "discon- nect to connect." This connection within the WOODS experience oc- curs in four different areas: (1) connection built within the small group of students, (2) WOODS guides that facilitate this connection, (3) the land of this region, and (4) self-discovery. Students learn about the gear that is required for safe outdoor exploration on both a personal and group level. Technical skills such as tent set up, group shelter, knots, fire collection, fire starting, and cook- ing over an open flame are honed by the fact that each day the group hikes short distances to a new campsite. Other skills that derive from discussion spaces are honed through periodic time speaking intentionally with one another, journal entries, or playing a group game. WOODS trips are an opportunity to unplug, slow down, play, and connect through guided discussion without the blinking, flashing, beeping distractions of smart devices. Rather than gazing at the screen, eye contact meets the fire, other humans, and nature as a whole sensory experience. Around the evening fire, no cell phones can be pulled out. The smell of the fire, the glow, and the necessity to draw close to it for warmth has remarkable abilities to keep groups of teens present. Words spoken are words heard. A research-backed approach In The Nature Fix, a recent book published in 2018, author Florence Williams writes in a digestible for- mat that time spent in nature is beneficial for human health. The benefits portrayed from measurable outcomes will only get bigger as more time in nature is spent. Pulse rates, hemoglobin level shifts in the brain, and parasympathetic nervous system respons- es all aid in increasing a students attention, memory, feelings of well-being, and decision making. Arthur Brooks, a Harvard Business professor as well as a researcher and author surrounding the concept of happiness, states that modern society has humans operating in overdrive on the left side of our brains. He asserts this is displayed by distracted thinking, overstimulation, task saturation, and — more urgently — the extensive time spent online or attached to our smart devices. When people are operating in the right side of the brain, Brooks explains, they have the abili- ty to think creatively, problem solve, and find meaning and purpose in their lives. The four days of the WOODS experience allows space and time for adolescents to tap into the right hemisphere of their brain, allowing them to see the bigger picture of the puzzle they are crafting rather than staring at the puzzle pieces they scroll through. Opposite: Students gather during the September 2023 WOODS session Above: Students hike short distances with all of their belongings. Right: Students learn wilderness skills through all seasons.

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