C s i a e l l r i u n t a g N
Written and Designed by Celine Do
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“Heaven is under our feet as well as over our heads.” -Henry David Thoreau, Walden.
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To t h o s e w h o in s p ir e d it , but migh t n o t r e a d it
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Acknowledgement
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A huge thanks to: Anita Parsons, Jymn Meier (Scooby), Leanna Meier (Moonlight), Walden West Camp, and Freestyle Academy for giving me this opportunity to show the beauty and benefits of the outdoors.
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Table of Contents Introduction......10 Outdoor Education.....12 Community Building.........18 Healthy Lifestyle.....24 Conclusion.....32
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a f c e r e P The majority of my childhood was centered around this location. The drive to Walden West is so beautiful and scenic that I feel like I am leaving society and traveling into this alternate reality where everything is wholesome and full of nature. Walden West has the tradition of every single person having a “nature name,” and I was known as Sunflower. Every summer since 4th grade, I would spend a week at Walden West Summer Camp. That one week of my summer was always the most memorable experience. I started going to Walden West summer camp in 4th grade, then I became an LIT or a “Leader in Training”, and I am currently a summer camp counselor. The most difficult part of this project was figuring out the most important aspects of Walden West to portray. There are so many aspects to the camp that I could discuss because it is all impactful and important. I want everyone who reads this book to be as inspired by the camp staff as I am. It can be difficult to leave the Silicon Valley and technology and take time to experience the peacefulness of the outdoors. Coming back to the camp every summer is like coming home after a strenuous day in reality. This camp is so important to me because it holds so many of my positive childhood memories and it has strongly impacted how I perceive the world. 9
Introduction Imagine being in
times its necessary to a world filled with only escape that way of life. technology. Everywhere you go would be unnatural and cold. Then, imagine venturing past the metal wall of technology and into a quiet, warm forest. The trees would shelter you from the cold and the flowers would leave you with a sweet fragrance. The way of life high up in the mountains is monumentally differWe live in the Silicon ent from being below in the valley and some- Valley, which means
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that we are surrounded by technology and the fast race of life. Many people are not aware that you can drive for 15 minutes from downtown Saratoga to go to the most beautiful nature site in the valley: Walden West. Walden West is a camp that teaches the beauty of nature, science, and community. The valued staff members educate students on a healthy lifestyle and the benefit of learning outdoors.
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Chapter 1:
How Is Learning Outside Effective?
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room. Being outside would utdoor education is allow students to interact a huge factor of enhancwith their surroundings ing student learning. Its more and become more an important environment accustomed to nature. for students who feel conThis is extremely imporstricted in classrooms and tant due to the fact that so feel the need to run outside. many students rely on their “Current acade mic studies and program evaluations suggest that place-based education can invigorate educators, increase student interest in learning and comprehension, and foster a positive relationship between students, teachers, and the community.� (promiseofplace.org) This means that conducting a school session outside is far more beneficial than being in a stuffy and cramped class-
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phones and computers to keep them entertained, when they could just go outside and enjoy the company of others while basking in the warmth of sunlight. One of the valued staff
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members of Walden West, Leanna Meiers, otherwise known as Moonlight, is very passionate about students coming to camp and learning about science while actually being outside. She said that students with ADD or ADHD were highly prone to causing distur-
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bances in classrooms but when they got to Walden West, they became calmer. Moonlight animatedly described how a rowdy student could become a mellow and active class participant. She told a story about a certain child who always doodled in class
which caused the teacher to believe he was never paying attention. But when he got to the field classes at Walden West he sat and listened to the instructors while running his fingers through the dirt. Moonlight explained that being in an outdoor environ-
“T
he
cle
ar
est
wa
y in to the Uni ver
Mui n se i h o s through a .� - J s s e for est ildern w
r
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ing and motivation including the modown and let him tivation to actively listen while not participate in acabeing constricted demic activities; it to the confines of can influence their a classroom. Furpersonal behavior thermore, being at and their school Walden West “I believe that there is a subtle attendance.” This connected magnetism in Nature, which, if Moonlight to we unconsciously yield to it, will basically means nature and she direct us aright.”~Henry David that the learning environment is became more Thoreau crucial to stuin touch with dents’ education. herself. She said to Romina AsiConducting a class yai, “the finding she was so fortuoutside in nature further revealed nate to raise her is much more benthat the condidaughter in such eficial to a students tion of classroom a beautiful and cognitive skills physical learning nurturing envithan being in a environment had ronment. Learnsmall stuffy classgreat impact on ing in an outdoor room. students’ learnenvironment, like ment calmed him
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Walden West, is quite beneficial to education because students can interact with nature while still learning. According
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Chapter 2:
Community Building
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“Na tur
ei
sn o ta
ce pla
to
vi
sit
. It is home.” -Gary Snyder
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alden West’s overall goal is to “Expand learning opportunities currently being offered by the Walden West Science Center to accommodate the diverse population of Santa Clara County”(waldenwest. org). Community building is a huge ambition for Walden West. One of the most influential figures at the camp is the legendary Jymn Meiers, otherwise known as Scooby. He described his abusive childhood and how he found a safe haven among the outdoors. He said the peo-
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ple who were involved with the outdoor camps were the most supportive community. Scooby may have had a difficult childhood but he was saved by the community and the outdoors. Many of the campers that go to Walden West are between 5th grade and 6th grade, so most of them have not been away from home. After speaking to several 5th graders, they explained how they were all nervous to go to a sleepaway camp for a week but once they arrived they realized how welcoming it was. The campers gushed about how comfortable the
staff and counselors made them feel and how exciting it was to be away from home. Another huge factor of community building that is integrated within Walden West tradition is “Amazing Camper Tricks” in the summer time. Every week of the summer the Walden West campers would host a talent show for their parents and the rest of the Saratoga Community. There is nature, dinner, and live entertainment! This is a huge way for the community to come together to experience summer camp back in the day.
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Chapter 3 Healthy lifestyle L
ocated in Sanborn Park off of Highway 9, Walden West allows its campers to explore the vast hiking trails and multiple ponds and rivers that surround the camp. A main factor of the importance of Walden West is their value of a healthy lifestyle. The camp is a huge advocate for 26
recycling trash, sorting organics, and putting compost in for their garden. Moonlight, or Leanna, is the Health Supervisor at Walden West during the school year and a Field Leader during the summer session. As the Health Supervisor, she makes the campers that have certain health problems feel more
comfortable during their time there. She helps the children lead a healthy and happy lifestyle prior to camp. “Composting organic materials that have been diverted from landfills ultimately avoids the production of methane and leachate formulation in the landfills. Compost has the ability to
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“Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.� Albert Einstein
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prevent pollutants in stormwater runoff from reaching surface water resources� (The Nature and Scope of Educational Administration & Management). Scooby also discussed the importance of a healthy lifestyle through giving back to nature. Walden West is a very green and organic community. After every meal they have buckets for recycling, compost, and trash. Typically, the trash bucket is quite empty due to the
massive amounts of recycling and organics that are put back into the earth. I remember as a summer camper I always enjoyed seeing the recycling and compost bin fill up and when I went home, I made sure my family filled up our own recycling and compost bin. If at least half of the campers at Walden West were influenced like I was, then our society would be impacted greatly. According to the United States En-
vironmental Protection Agency, composting is a huge effort to keep the planet clean. Composting is nature’s way of recycling that decreases the carbon footprint we leave. Also, recycling reduces greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global climate change and it saves energy. Overall, composting and recycling add to a healthier planet and it helps sustain the environment for future generations.
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Conc lu si o n Walden West
has a huge impact on the lives of so many individuals because it implements education while being immersed in the outdoors. For the past seven years I anticipated summer time because I knew that meant I could go back to Walden West. Everyone is a family there and every
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year its like a huge family reunion when all the campers, counselors, and staff members see each other again. This camp is a prominent part of our community because it provides a balance between nature and learning. Walden west is a camp that teaches the beauty of nature, science, and community with the help of
the staff, Walden West uses nature and the outdoors to show the benefits of a healthy lifestyle and learning outdoors. Without this beautiful science camp our community may not have been exposed to this different way of living and the educational benefits that come along with it.
“A woodland in full color is awesome as a forest fire, in magnitude at least, but a single tree is like a dancing tongue of flame to warm the heart.� Hal Borland
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Works Cited Asiyai, Romina. “Students’ Perception of the Condition of their Classroom Physical Learning Environment and its Impact on their Learning and Motivation.” Winter2014 48.4 (2014): 716-26. Ebscohost. Web. 25 Mar. 2015. Kolb, Alice Y., and David A. Kolb. Learning Styles and Learning Spaces: Enhancing Experiential Learning in Higher Education 4.2 (2005): 193-212. Print. Mgbodile, T. O. The Nature and Scope of Educational Administration & Management (1997): n. pag. Ebscohost. Web. 25 Mar. 2015. Meier, Leanna. Personal Interview. 28 February 2015 Parsons, Anita. Personal Interview. 18 March 2015 Promise of Place, Plant Based education, 2013, Web, 3/18/15 Meier, Jymn. Personal Interview. 3 March 2015
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Celine Do is a Junior attending
Mountain View High and Freestyle Academy. She spends her hours of leisure reading and watching the tv show Friends. She enjoys swimming and playing with her dog, Reggie.
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