Outdoor Education Commons^™

Noba Awards For Historical-Biography Books, Coalition For Education In The Outdoors

Taproot: A Journal of Outdoor Education

This section contains a listing of award winning historical and biographical books that can be used in the field of outdoor education. Some books listed include: "A River Running West: The Life of John Wesley Powell" by By Donald Worster and "The Last Season" by Eric Blehm.

News Briefs, Coalition For Education In The Outdoors

Taproot: A Journal of Outdoor Education

This section contains multiple brief news items related to conservation, environment or outdoor education. Some items include: "US Play Coalition" and "Report maps out solutions to child obesity."

Conference Calendar, Coalition For Education In The Outdoors

Taproot: A Journal of Outdoor Education

This section provides a list of conferences in the field of outdoor education including the "Four Corners School of Outdoor Education" and the "Institute of Theology and Ecology at the Orthodox Academy of Crete."

Review Of Champions Of The Ocean, Charles Yaple

Taproot: A Journal of Outdoor Education

Champions of the Oceans is the first, alphabetically, of two books published by Dawn Publications in their Earth Heroes series. Written for young readers, these books profile people who have devoted their lives to understand and protect the natural world.

Lloyd Burgess Sharp, Julie A. Carlson

Taproot: A Journal of Outdoor Education

Lloyd Burgess Sharp first coined the term outdoor education in the 1943 issue of Extending Education (Knapp, 2002), a publication of the honor society, Kappa Delta Pi.

That year, however, did not mark the beginning of the field as it is known today. His work in sparking and shaping the outdoor education movement began years earlier as a graduate student at Columbia University in New York. During his master’s and doctorate programs in physical education, he studied under William Heard Kilpatrick, John Dewey, and other renowned professors at the time who were experimenting with combining leadership, camping, and educational philosophies …

Review Of Interpreting Our Heritage, Angelique Bovee

Taproot: A Journal of Outdoor Education

I arrived complete with my Smokey Bear hat in hand as a new seasonal Park Ranger for the Saratoga National Historical Park. I was worried that since I did not have a history background I would find myself constantly fumbling through the people, places and dates that surrounded the park’s historic events. In the weeks leading up to my official interpretive training, I consumed as much information as I could about the “turning point of the revolutionary war,” desperately wishing I paid more attention in Mrs. Roberts seventh grade American History class.

Joseph Green Cogswell, Charles Yaple

Taproot: A Journal of Outdoor Education

No history of outdoor education could have a proper beginning without recognition of Joseph Cogswell and his Round Hill School for boys. Cogswell’s reliance on the outdoors as a context for learning is undeniable as was his premise that active indoor and outdoor pursuits are key to physical and mental health. Advocates of today’s “No Child Left Inside” movement would do well to read Cogswell’s complete prescription for raising healthy children.

Contents, Coalition For Education In The Outdoors

Taproot: A Journal of Outdoor Education

The Coalition for Education in the Outdoors is a non-profit network of outdoor and environmental education centers, nature centers, conservation and recreation organizations, outdoor education and experiential education associations, institutions of higher learning, public and private schools, fish and wildlife agencies, and businesses that share a mission the support and furtherance of outdoor education and its goals.

The Healing Power Of Nature, Denise Mitten

Taproot: A Journal of Outdoor Education

Outdoor education practitioners share the wonders of the outdoors and help participants receive the health benefits of being in nature. However, in our technology and activity centered culture the intrinsic value of being in nature has been overlooked and undervalued. As people spend less and less time outside and more people become obese and develop diabetes, spending time in nature and having healthy natural areas available to them is more important than ever. Many disciplines have growing bodies of research demonstrating the developmental and health benefits of spending time in nature and having natural areas close to living areas. In …

Contents, Coalition For Education In The Outdoors

Taproot: A Journal of Outdoor Education

The Coalition for Education in the Outdoors is a non-profit network of outdoor and environmental education centers, nature centers, conservation and recreation organizations, outdoor education and experiential education associations, institutions of higher learning, public and private schools, fish and wildlife agencies, and businesses that share a mission the support and furtherance of outdoor education and its goals.

From The Editor, Charles Yaple

Taproot: A Journal of Outdoor Education

There are many who believe Wendell Berry is the best living thinker in America. Author of more than thirty books of poetry, essays and novels, this Kentucky farmer has long advocated slowing down and living close to the land. One of his insights tells us “When going back makes sense, you are going ahead.” Motivated, in part, by Berry’s wisdom we have dedicated this issue of Taproot to the theme of “Getting Back to Basics.” Those familiar with Berry’s work will recognize his influence in our selection of articles. Those new to Berry’s writing may find his advice, Word and …

Good Morning World, This Is Your Wake-Up Call, Michael Shapiro

Taproot: A Journal of Outdoor Education

Peter Russell, a Cambridge-trained physicist and futurist who has written about consciousness for four decades, should have been at a high point in his life. Fifteen years ago, Russell’s book, The White Hole in Time, had just been published; he was a popular teacher and corporate consultant, his work lauded by leading thinkers.

Spotlight On Sustainability: E4s, Michael A Anderson

Taproot: A Journal of Outdoor Education

Let’s talk trash for a minute. Are you aware of the monthly cost for the disposal of your household waste? Well, take that amount and multiply it a hundred-fold for a small business… Now imagine learning that as a business leader you could save a large percentage of the money you spend on waste disposal and possibly even make money selling it. As the saying goes, “one person’s trash is another person’s treasure”. To illustrate a variation of this concept scientifically the organization, Entrepreneurs for Sustainability (E4S), uses the term industrial ecology. In nature there is no concept of waste; …

Review Of Eco Barons, Charles Yaple

Taproot: A Journal of Outdoor Education

Are you dutifully, but with a degree of tiredness, still reading about the seemingly endless woes of environmental degradation? If so, get a copy of Edward Humes’ Eco Barons… and experience a true tale about people making significant contributions to the health of the planet. Eco Barons…will acquaint you with individuals possessing the intellectual and financial wherewithal to challenge the unsustainable ways of living to which we have become accustomed. Their identities and stories may surprise you.

Review Of Teaching The Trees, Charles Yaple

Taproot: A Journal of Outdoor Education

Wallace Stegner is credited with authoring the statement, “Trees are the geography of hope.” Joan Maloof appears to have taken Stegner’s words to heart and testifies as to their validity in a delightful collection of essays about local trees in Maryland – Oaks, Beech, Pine, Red Maple, Black Locust, Cherry, Walnut and others. Teaching the trees… beautifully combines science, philosophy, and spirituality to make the case for preserving treed landscapes at all costs. Thoreau, Leopold and others who wrote about the importance of trees would give Maloof a standing ovation.

Review Of Flow: For Love Of Water, James B. Macadam

Taproot: A Journal of Outdoor Education

In the community where I live - Tucson, Arizona - about a third of our drinking water supply is pumped 300 miles uphill from the Colorado River, by a system of canals and pumps that consume 400,000 homes’ worth of energy every year. The rest is pumped out of local underground aquifers faster than they can be replenished. To say the least, water’s a hot topic around here. So when our nonprofit showed Flow - director Irena Salina’s 2008 documentary on the world water crisis - at the local independent theater, we expected that folks would be interested. When we …

News Briefs, Coalition For Education In The Outdoors

Taproot: A Journal of Outdoor Education

This section contains multiple brief news items related to conservation, environment or outdoor education. Some items included: New York City Says “Turn ‘Em Off or Pay Up!” and "California Sets First Low Carbon Fuel Standard in U.S."

Professional Opportunities, Coalition For Education In The Outdoors

Taproot: A Journal of Outdoor Education

This section included numerous opportunities for professional development related to outdoor education and environmental or conservation education. Some of the options included the "ATRA [American Therapeutic Recreation Association] Annual Conference" and the "Wilderness Risk Management Conference".

Resources, Coalition For Education In The Outdoors

Taproot: A Journal of Outdoor Education

This section contains a listing of teaching resources of all types for those who work in the outdoor education field at the time of publication. Some items highlighted include: "EcoIQ.com" and "HP Limited Edition “Green IT for Dummies” Guide".

Silence Like Scouring Sand, Kathleen Dean Moore

Taproot: A Journal of Outdoor Education

It’s not easy to find silence in the modern world. If a quiet place is one where you can listen for fifteen minutes in daylight hours without hearing a human-created sound, there are no quiet places left in Europe. There are none east of the Mississippi River. And in the American West? Maybe twelve. One of these is in the temperate rainforest along the Hoh River in Olympic National Park.

Conference Calendar, Coalition For Education In The Outdoors

Taproot: A Journal of Outdoor Education

This section provides a list of conferences in the field of outdoor education including: OSEE (Ontario Society for Environmental Education) and "Wilderness Inquiry".

Too Big To Fail, Wayne Stormann

Taproot: A Journal of Outdoor Education

On Monday, April 27, 2009, seven Greenpeace activists were arrested for scaling a construction crane and unfurling a gigantic banner with a picture of Earth accompanied by the caption – “Too Big to Fail.” The Greenpeace activists were calling attention to the fact that it is Planet Earth, not the large financial institutions which were bailed out, ostensibly, as “too big to fail,” that should warrant our concern.

Review Of Farming And The Fate Of Wild Nature, Michael A. Anderson

Taproot: A Journal of Outdoor Education

Farming and the Fate of Wild Nature explores social, political, agrarian and ecological issues surrounding two movements that both attract passionate followers: small-scale agriculture and environmental conservation. Both have long been notable grassroots movements. Yet in their attempts to be heard, they often unwittingly oppose each other in addition to their shared detractor, corporate exploitation - whose momentum continues to consume resources at an unsustainable rate. In this collection of over 20 essays by leading thinkers and practitioners in ecological and agrarian competencies, one thing is clear: these two movements must not only work together for efficiency’s sake, but because …

Getting Back To Basics, Wendell Berry

Taproot: A Journal of Outdoor Education

Editor's Note: This excerpt was taken from "Word and Flesh: Graduation Commencement Address - Special Issue: Environmental Restoration" by Wendell Berry, Whole Earth Review, Spring 1990.

Practitioner's Corner, Joseph Cornell

Taproot: A Journal of Outdoor Education

This issue of Taproot's Practitioner's Corner focuses on an activity from Sharing Nature with Children II, 1989 by Joseph Cornell. The activity is called "Sound Map" and it focuses on Auditory Awareness and calmness.

Review Of Wall-E, Michael A Anderson

Taproot: A Journal of Outdoor Education

This holiday season, I took in the computer-animated, science-fiction, romance film, WALL-E, on an early nineties 27" home television with DVD player. Both of which still work "just fine" and therefore have yet to be replaced by their owners - meaning no large panoramic flat screen, no high definition and no surround sound...And therefore my viewing experience for reviewing WALL-E may not have allowed me to experience the full effects of the Pixar Company's advanced animation and sound design. Interestingly enough, this very assumption was evident during the opening aerial scenes of the film when a fellow viewer commented on …

Stop, Look, Listen, Bill Donahue

Taproot: A Journal of Outdoor Education

Since then the sounds of our continent's wilds have been increasingly drowned out by aircraft and traffic. Meanwhile, the sound level at movie theaters has been rising along with speaker quality and power. The standard theater decibel level is now between 70 and 90, and some action films roar at 120--jackhammer volume known to cause hearing loss. Car and home audio systems are likewise louder and the popularity of iPods and personal stereos is troubling. Some can play at 120 decibels for 20 hours without a recharge. More than 30 million Americans now suffer from irreversible hearing loss, and experts …

Contents, Coalition For Education In The Outdoors

Taproot: A Journal of Outdoor Education

The Coalition for Education in the Outdoors is a non-profit network of outdoor and environmental education centers, nature centers, conservation and recreation organizations, outdoor education and experiential education associations, institutions of higher learning, public and private schools, fish and wildlife agencies, and businesses that share a mission the support and furtherance of outdoor education and its goals.

2am - Remembering, Michael A Anderson

Taproot: A Journal of Outdoor Education

Editors note: The following spoken word, referred to in the previous feature story, was inspired during an extended river trip through the Colorado Plateau along the Green and Colorado Rivers.

News Briefs, Coalition For Education In The Outdoors

Taproot: A Journal of Outdoor Education

This section contains multiple brief news items related to conservation, environment or outdoor education. Some items include: "Another Reason to get Outside: Stave off Seasonal Depression" and "Outdoor Recreation is a Popular Cure for Stress".