Cypress Magazine 2021

A L L T R A I L S L E A D TO M U LG R AV E A beautiful trail that circles the perimeter of the school was created last summer to facilitate outdoor education opportunities and help students connect with nature during the day. Grade 4 students recently used this trail to participate in an orienteering programme, using a map and compass to look at graphical lines, find checkpoints, and develop spatial awareness based on visual representations. “All of this was done within one school period,” explains Amir Fishman, Director of Outdoor Education. “We are incredibly lucky to walk outside our building and engage in sustainable outdoor activities in arguably the most beautiful part of the world.”

It’s clear that a robust outdoor education programme is not just about exercise and improving physical wellbeing - it also plays a valuable role in student learning. “Being in a classroom requires a lot of effort for the neurological pathways in our brain, and students can become quite fatigued,” says Amir. “Being outside rejuvenates one’s ability to concentrate on studies. In fact, simply twenty minutes of time spent outdoors provides an incredible boost of attention and focus.”

There is also the social and emotional wellbeing aspect of being outside. Students and alumni often describe their fondest memories as those they share with peers in an outdoor setting, whether it’s learning how to crosscountry ski or simply taking a peaceful walk. What’s more is that the Approaches to Learning (ATL) skills of teamwork, communication, problem solving, and risk-taking are all developed when our students engage in meaningful outdoor activities. In this environment, being able to make good risk assessments is a quality that can be developed and transferred to the classroom.

Outdoor education provides an authentic approach to learning, and its value differs for each student. Some see immersing themselves in nature as a social opportunity; some see it as meditative; others, physical. Amir says, “Outdoors is a space where everyone is welcome. Not everyone needs to be on the side of a cliff to find enjoyment.

A ‘forest bath’ is as equally valid as climbing a cliff. Reading poetry and meditating outside is as equally valid as conducting field studies and collecting river samples. All these ways of appreciating nature are beneficial and profound.”

27