Outdoor Education Commons^™

Interview With Joan Maloof, Charles Yaple

Taproot: A Journal of Outdoor Education

DR. JOAN MALOOF is the author of Teaching the Trees and a new book titled, Among the Ancients: Adventures in the Eastern Old-Growth Forests. She is also the founder of the Old-Growth Forest Network – a nonprofit organization dedicated to identifying and preserving one forest in each county of the United States which will never be logged and will be open to the public.

How The City Hurts Your Brain, Jonah Lehrer

Taproot: A Journal of Outdoor Education

Now scientists have begun to examine how the city affects the brain, and the results are chastening. Just being in an urban environment, they have found, impairs our basic mental processes. After spending a few minutes on a crowded city street, the brain is less able to hold things in memory, and suffers from reduced self-control. While it's long been recognized that city life is exhausting – that‘s why Picasso left Paris – this new research suggests that cities actually dull our thinking, sometimes dramatically so.

A Visit To Sigurd, Grandfather And Thoreau, Robert T. Leverett

Taproot: A Journal of Outdoor Education

Our destination was the Trailhead at Dunbar Brook. We were half serious about trying out an experiment in Japanese ―woodair- bathing,‖ which we read about for the first time in one of our friend Joan Maloof‘s excellent books. We both agreed that Dunbar was the place to try out shinrinyoku. The basic idea is to absorb the compounds of the forest by breathing them in as free molecules, released by the trees and a myriad of other forest organisms, but mainly by the trees. The molecules enter the lungs and make their way into the blood stream, presumably imparting health …

Book Reviews, Coalition For Education In The Outdoors

Taproot: A Journal of Outdoor Education

In this section, the Coalition for Education in the Outdoors gives A Fifty Year Salute to Ron Reed and the Mohican Outdoor School and commends the book "Mohican School: An Experiment in Outdoor Learning, 1961-2005" by Ron Reed, as well as reviews "Among the Ancients: Adventures in the Eastern Old-Growth Forests" by Joan Maloof and reviewed by Charles Yaple.

Book Nook, Coalition For Education In The Outdoors

Taproot: A Journal of Outdoor Education

This section contains a list of suggested reading for those in the field of Outdoor Education, Conservation, or Environmentalism. Some titles include "Thunder Tree: Lessons from an Urban Wildland" by Robert Michael Pyle and "The Failure of Environmental Education (And How We Can Fix It)" by Charles Saylan and Daniel T. Blumstein.

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.

Project Learning Tree, Coalition For Education In The Outdoors

Taproot: A Journal of Outdoor Education

Project Learning Tree is an environmental education program designed for teachers and other educators, parents, and community leaders working with youth from preschool through grade 12.

Professional Organizations, Coalition For Education In The Outdoors

Taproot: A Journal of Outdoor Education

This section includes numerous organizations related to outdoor education and environmental or conservation education. Some organizations include: the American Canoe Association and the Environmental Literacy Council.

Contents And From The Editor, 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 to support and further outdoor education and its goals.

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 North American River Management Symposium and the National Get Outdoors Day.

College Corner, Coalition For Education In The Outdoors

Taproot: A Journal of Outdoor Education

The editors of Taproot are pleased to present a new feature section called, College Corner. Hereafter, each Taproot will present outdoor education activities currently taking place at a college or university around the world. Through sharing we learn; so send us an e-mail indicating interest in seeing your school featured in Taproot.

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: "Meet the International Play Association" and "Nature Clubs for Families Tool Kit".

Resources, Coalition For Education In The Outdoors

Taproot: A Journal of Outdoor Education

This section contains a listing of resources cited throughout this Issue of Taproot.

Coalition Membership Campaign, Coalition For Education In The Outdoors

Taproot: A Journal of Outdoor Education

In this section, the Coalition for Education in the Outdoors calls for new membership and membership renewal. Membership with the Coalition has helped this organization conduct national conferences, establish a biennial Outdoor Education Research Symposium, and publish several volumes of Research in Outdoor Education as well as the Taproot outdoor education journal.

Maintaining or gaining membership with the Coalition will help them continue to make such contributions to the fields of Outdoor, Environmental, and Conservation Education.

Fostering Resilience Through Outdoor Education, Amy Shellman

Taproot: A Journal of Outdoor Education

According to the American Psychological Association (n.d.), resilience is “the process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats, or even significant sources of stress- such as family and relationship problems, serious health problems, or workplace and financial stressors.” Psychological resilience (distinct from other types of resilience, e.g., physical resilience) may be understood as one’s capacity for maintenance, recovery, or improvement in mental health following life challenges (Neill & Dias, 2001). Wagnild and Young (1993) describe resilience as one’s ability to respond and adapt to challenging, adverse or stressful circumstances. In short, one may be considered resilient …

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 to support the furtherance of outdoor education and its goals.

Movie Review Of 127 Hours, Susan Wilson

Taproot: A Journal of Outdoor Education

127 Hours (2010) is the story of Aron Ralston directed by Danny Boyle. An outdoor adventurer, Ralston catapulted to the national stage when he was found in Canyonlands National Park after having amputated his own arm over the course of an 127 hour ordeal. Ralston was hiking alone in 2003 when he fell, pinning his arm under a large boulder. After four days and many failed attempts at escape, Ralston made the difficult decision to amputate his own arm to save his life. Ralston’s story became controversial amongst outdoor enthusiasts; a lone hiker, who did not alert others to the …

Professional Organizations, Coalition For Education In The Outdoors

Taproot: A Journal of Outdoor Education

This section lists Professional Organizations for those who work in the outdoor education field. Some organizations include: NAI (National Association for Interpretation) and TAEE (Texas Association of Environmental Educators).

Book Review Of The Sound Of A Wild Snail, Charles Yaple

Taproot: A Journal of Outdoor Education

This National Outdoor Book Award (NOBA) winner is a natural fit for Taproot’s resiliency theme. Who could be more resilient than an active and bright thirty-four year old woman felled by an incurable autonomic nervous system disorder, debilitated to the point that she spends her days lying in bed barely able to move an arm but still becomes a noted authority on snails (gastropods)? Elizabeth Tova Bailey is the epitome of resiliency and The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating is an outstanding piece of natural history writing. Like snails, the book is small (191 pages) but replete with important …

Interview With Jon Young, Charles Yaple

Taproot: A Journal of Outdoor Education

In this section, Charles Yaple interviews Jon Young, one of the authors of the "Coyote Guide to Connecting with Nature" and Co-founder of the Eight Shields Institute, about connecting with nature and animal tracking.

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 "Smithsonian Education Online Conferences" and "The Habitable Planet: A Systems Approach to Environmental Science."

From The Editor, Charles Yaple

Taproot: A Journal of Outdoor Education

Old Twist is a symbol of resiliency on our tree farm. I suspect its seedling days were spent in a pasture where it suffered the predation of cows, deer, rabbits; buffeting winds, torrential rains and scorching sun. It survived numerous setbacks and today reigns as the strongest tree in the forest. How is it that some people, like Old Twist, can bounce back from adversity and others can’t? Does being connected to nature and learning in the outdoors provide “tonics and barks which brace mankind” as proclaimed by Henry David Thoreau? To him wild places were a source of inspiration …

Resiliency Quiz, Coalition For Education In The Outdoors, The Resiliency Advantage; Al Siebert, Ph.D

Taproot: A Journal of Outdoor Education

Resilient people overcome adversity, bounce back from setbacks, and can thrive under extreme, on-going pressure without acting in dysfunctional or harmful ways.

The most resilient people recover from traumatic experiences stronger, better, and wiser. Honestly answer the following the questions to see how resilient you are!

This Quiz is reprinted with permission from the The Resiliency Advantage, Al Siebert, Ph.D.

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 "US Play Coalition" and "Wilderness Medicine".

Outdoor Education Research Symposium Call For Abstracts, Coalition For Education In The Outdoors

Taproot: A Journal of Outdoor Education

From January 13-15, 2012, an international research symposium will be held at the Bradford Woods Campus of Indiana University near Martinsville, Indiana, a short drive from the Indianapolis Airport. The purpose of this gathering is to advance the empirical, conceptual, and theoretical bases of outdoor education. Like the first ten CEO Research Symposia, this symposium will bring together a wide array of researchers to explore current and future trends in using the outdoors for educational and therapeutic purposes. In addition to spotlighting current research, the program includes featured presentations on timely issues and ample time for both structured and informal …

Children And Nature Forum Update, Charles Yaple

Taproot: A Journal of Outdoor Education

Approximately five years have lapsed since Richard Louv launched an unanticipated national children and nature movement with publication of his book. Last Child in the Woods: Saving our Children from Nat tire Deficit Disorder. Just as Gifford Pinchot informed and inflamed (with Theodore Roosevelt's help) public consciousness by coining the term "Conservation" in the early 1900's; Louv's "Nature Deficit Disorder" (NDD) resonated with the suspicions of outdoor professionals in 2005. Seemingly almost everywhere, children were experiencing the outdoors less and less and they, and society, were paying a heavy price because of it!

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 "Neill 2010 Outdoor education theories: A review and synthesis" and "National Public Radio."

Celebrating The Camp Experience Through Eighty Years Of Camp Research, M. Deborah Bialeschki, Jim Sibthorp

Taproot: A Journal of Outdoor Education

The purpose of this article is to broadly describe the contributions of research to organized camping over the past eighty years. We will recap key contributions from the research, address some of the challenges encountered when conducting camp research, and provide suggestions for the future of camp research.

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

Jon Stewart's (et al) Earth (The Book): A Visitor's Guide to the Human Race is a humorous, yet very serious, attempt to describe the human condition and what alien visitors, in the future, might surmise if they came across evidence of our long extinct civilization. A riddle is posed on page thirty-five. Paraphrased, it goes as follows: It's 11:59 P.M. on New Year's Eve. The door swings open and in walks an upright, hairless, creature with a protruding frontal lobe on its head suggesting possession of a large brain. The strange creature moves in, redecorates the joint and eats half …