Notes From Chip Mehring on the Outdoor Program:

The Outdoor Program is a program in which a small group of students (usually ten) accompanied by 2-3 instructors go off to an area which has remained relatively undeveloped, untouched by humans and they spend an extended period of time (usually 6-9 days, occasionally up to 3 weeks) exploring the area. The group needs to be totally self sufficient for that period of time, and the group is working together to stay reasonably comfortable and well fed in the wilderness and to accomplish some sort of a journey. The mode of transportation usually defines what type of program the student is on: sea kayaking, river rafting, river canoeing, backpacking, mountaineering, cross country skiing, telemark skiing etc. The program is largely experientially based, in this case meaning that the instruction is dealing with necessary skills that are immediately applied toward our goal of traveling safely and comfortably or the instruction is related to an understanding and appreciation the area that we are in and/or observable natural phenomena.

This experience ties in with the goals of Lakeside's environmental studies program. For many students this is their first opportunity to spent a significant amount of time in undeveloped country. There is opportunity and time to develop a sense of place and a feeling of connection to and appreciation for a landscape or environment. To optimize the chances of this happening life needs to be simplified and slowed down from the pace that most Lakeside students are operating at. You need to get away from roads and cars and crowds and schedules and noise. Most social distractions need to be removed so it needs to be a small group. There needs to be the time and space and peace to listen to silence, while the program also needs physical, mental and social challenge to keep everyone fully engaged.

This simplifying of life is often an eye opener for students. All of your personal gear for a week needs to fit into 2/3 rds of a backpack or into a similarly sized dry bag. On many sea kayak trips or canyon trips a person needs to get by on 3 liters of water per day. At the end of a three week canoe trip last year a student came away with the observation that he thought that refrigeration was overrated. Twelve people out for a week can generate as little as 15 pounds of garbage. Other than using flashlights we do quite well without electricity. It's remarkable how little hot water it actually takes to stay reasonably clean. A person can be comfortable outdoors with quite little, and upon return to civilization the comforts are appreciated more, and perhaps needed and taken for granted less.

The small group is a brilliant microcosm of our larger society. Leadership, or the lack thereof, is immediately apparent. People are dependent upon one another, and failures or strengths in meeting those responsibilities are obvious and usually have consequences involving peoples comfort levels. There is opportunity to practice being good leaders, good followers, developing consensus in a group and practicing the give and take that it takes to optimize the quality of experience for a group.

While we are out we hope to develop people's skills and sensitivity as observers. We do what we can in the way of studying natural history. We keep lists of our observations. Space and weight permitting we have various identification guides that we use. On the longer trips students are assigned research topics pertinent to the area ahead of time. We discuss and try to be aware of land use issues, policy and management. It is often surprising how a student will assume that an area is undeveloped because there is no interest in it's development.

The social aspects of travel with a group of teenagers are intense. Often on a daily basis we will have some designated quiet/ alone time- Mini solos to encourage thought, reflection, journal writing, observation, the processing of experience. On most trips we will have a longer, overnight solo towards the end of our time. This hopefully is a quiet introspective time for students- a time for rest from a challenging week and time for reflection. There is consistent feedback from students that this is one of the most significant aspects of the experience for them.