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Is Adventure Ropes Really Environmental Education?

"That was fun!" A choice of trendy adjectives-"awesome,cool, sweet"-may be substituted for "fun", but they are all common exclamations from kids as they complete their ropes course experience.

But is it really Environmental Education? Are students learning anything of value about the environment as they gleefully bounce (or cautiously creep) along a single cable suspended twenty feet in the air? Or as they concentrate to push themselves up the chimney of the rock climbing wall? Or as they paddle their canoes against the wind on Wolf Lake? Or struggle as a group to scale the ten foot wooden wall in Initiative Games class?

The question is frequent, and often posed by our own staff as we struggle to put the answer into words. Visiting teachers, who have the luxury of seeing changes in their students days or weeks later, consistently proclaim that outdoor recreation classes are more than just fun, that they infuse students with a confidence and pride that carry over into their school work and social relationships. We’ve long recognized the value of these activities, but sometimes had difficulty defending our conviction to skeptics who believe an environmental learning center should limit its programs to animal tracking and tree identification.

A student smiles with confidence as he nears the end of the 120 foot long burma bridge on one of two ropes courses located at Wolf Ridge.

"The young people who visit Wolf Ridge today will be the decision makers of tomorrow."

Canoeing Class on Wolf Lake

 Prompted by the adoption of state goals for environmental education, and encouraged by the Green Print Council, we’ve reexamined our class concepts, filled gaps, clarified language, and strengthened ideas. And we’ve divided our former "recreation classes" into three different themes: Personal Growth, Team Building, and Outdoor Recreation. This has helped us define the role of classes which are "just plain fun" in the process of creating an environmentally literate and active citizen.

Canoeing, orienteering, skiing and snowshoeing foster awareness, curiosity and sensitivity to our world. Adventure Ropes and Rock Climbing develop quality, skills and a positive attitude which help us accomplish personal goals. Initiative Games, Competitive Orienteering and Basic Survival foster respect teamwork and cooperation, building groups that can work effectively as a community.

PERSONAL GROWTH

•Adventure Ropes
•Rock Climbing

TEAM BUILDING

•Basic Survival
•Initiative Games

OUTDOOR RECREATION
• Beginning Orienteering
• Canoeing
• Competitive Orienteering
• Cross-country Skiing
• Snowshoeing
• Superior View Hike

Snowshoeing

Rock Climbing

 At Wolf Ridge we involve individuals of all ages in direct observation and participation in outdoor experiences focusing on ecology and science, human culture and history, personal growth, team building and outdoor recreation. We strive to foster awareness, curiosity and sensitivity to the natural world. We work to promote social understanding, respect and cooperation. We want to model values, behaviors and technologies which promote a sustainable lifestyle. For us, environmental education is developing a citizenry that has the knowledge, skills, attitudes, motivation and commitment to act together for a quality environment. Basically this boils down to keeping the concept of stewardship alive in the students who pass through Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center every day.

The young people who visit Wolf Ridge today will be the decision makers of tomorrow. Just as a student takes the risk to step onto the single wire of the Postman’s Walk at the Ropes Course, individuals need to take similar risks to act on environmental issues. It is imperative that these individuals communicate and cooperate effectively as groups to promote positive change. We want students of all ages to leave Wolf Ridge with the feeling that, as citizens of the earth, they also can be stewards of the earth.