Audubon Center of the North Woods
Spring/Summer 2017
News from the North Woods
Volume 43, Issue 1
Experience Your Environment
Nature Respite by Bryan Wood, Executive Director It can be really hard to take a break from “normal” daily life. The demands that we and society place on ourselves are seemingly constant and never-ending. The pace at which we are bombarded with information and stimuli can be exhausting. As life continues to speed up, we are expected to keep up, to be on the go, to be “productive” with our time, and to pack as much in as we can. The result can be a drain on our mental, emotional and physical well-being. Thank goodness for nature. Nature’s pace is, well, natural. The rhythms of nature are easily absorbed, allowing you to actually see, hear and feel things at speeds that allow for contemplation and retention. For many of us, when we need to rejuvenate, relax and re-center, nature is the clear choice of where we go. Scores of studies tout the cognitive and physiological benefits that nature provides. Many of us internally know and feel this and research proves that nature is indeed therapeutic and restorative. At the Audubon Center of the North Woods, we glimpse every day the positive impacts of nature. We see it in our K-12 students whose smiles stretch from ear to ear when they hold a salamander found under a log, catch a sunfish off the dock, or successfully build a fire in the woods.
These environmental experiences are important and integral to shaping who children become, and children have never been more in need. The challenges and expectations that today’s kids face result in them
spending far less time outdoors than any human generation in history. They are in nature-deficit. Many of them don’t even know it because they have never been in a forest or field, or near a lake, stream or pond. In our K-12 residential program, we visibly see the difference in so many of the 4,000 students that attend annually. Those who have been fortunate to grow up with the outdoors can’t wait to jump off the bus and spend as much time as possible outside. But many who step off the bus have never been on a surface that wasn’t paved and when they arrive, many are timid, even afraid to venture into the woods.
That quickly melts away, however, as they realize nature isn’t anything to be afraid of, but that it is awesome! Our naturalists create a safe and nurturing atmosphere where they can be curious, where they are engaged, and where they can discover. It’s learning in the setting our species evolved with over millennia. By the end of their 3-day stay, the difference is dramatic. Students are happier, more confident and amazed at what they have been missing. They can’t wait to continue exploring back near their home or school, or come back for summer camp. Teachers comment on the positive differences they see that continue in their students long after the field trip concludes. The future of our planet depends on an environmentally literate citizenry. Your financial support and patronage of our programs help build that citizenry and for that we are very grateful.
In This Issue Nature Respite.......................... 1
Summer Camps........................ 5
Estate Planning........................ 2
2017 Events.............................. 6
Thank You................................. 3
High-Quality Charter Schools.... 7
Connections.............................. 4
Wish Lists................................. 7