4 PATHWAYS M ike’s Writings By MikeElrick with Friluftsliv Dwelling WhereITeach: Connections Program. in Canada—AnIntegratedCurriculum For tenyearsIhavetaughtwhatwecall blurry. lens intofocusafteryearsofbeingslightly It wasasifsomeonehadtwistedmycamera it linedupwithmuchofwhatIbelievedin. of friluftsliveducationwasdescribedtome, I havebeendrawnto.Hence,whentheidea kind ofcurriculumandteachingtechniques many years,Ihavestruggledtodescribethe to mearetributariesofthesameriver.For is whereIcomefrom.”Teachinganddwelling by day.” words ofWendellBerry,“Ieatmyhistoryday and worknaturallyintersectwhen,tousethe and hasshapedmuchofmyteaching.Life “uniqueness” hashadadirectinfluenceon, few thatteachesintheirhometown.Andthis from.”The uniquepartisthis:Iamoneofthe it declares“WhoIamandWherecome or speechwiththisproclamationbecause I havealwayswantedtostartanarticle somewhere nearby. my asheswillcontributetotheorganiclayer schools. AndasfarIcansee,whendie, climb thesametreesandattend the samehills(thoughwithfanciersleds), know Guelphastheirhomeandslidedown the riversofmychildhood.Mychildrennow school. Icontinuetorunthetrailsandpaddle neighbourhood, andteachatmyoldhigh Today, IstillliveinGuelph,residemyold in thebackyardofmyparents’home. and grewupdiggingfortstobogganing I was born inGuelph,Ontario,Canada1963 with permission. first: Outdoorlifethefriluftslivway. Toronto: NaturalHeritageBooks.Itisreprintedhere This articlewasfirstpublishedinHenderson,B.,& Vikander, N.(Eds.)(2007).Nature English, 2)Careers, andCivics,3)Outdoor following creditsintheirgrade tenyear:1) at anoff-campussite.Thestudents earnthe school coursesgroupedtogether andtaught is bestdescribedasapackage ofregularhigh Environmental Leadership Program)andit 1 Imightarguetoday,that“whoam 2 ItsnameisCELP(Community upbringing perhaps?Canadian style? flowed itswayintomysoul. Afriluftsliv anything else,thisdailyriver sojournslowly know theriveranditsways. Morethan an athleticperspective,one hastointimately how topaddleandmanoeuvreinrapids,from in thewater.Trueimmersion.Andtoknow roll, toturntheboatoverandsuspendoneself white water,itisnecessarytolearnhow was open,Ispentmuchofmytimeinit.With Canadian summercamp.Andwhenthewater I wasintroducedtofromattendingatypical of slalomwhite-waterkayaking,anactivity At ageeleven,Ibecameinterestedinthesport particular, myconnectiontothelocalriver. hole, excursionstothecitydump,and,in my walkstoschool,tripstheswimming later). Specifically,itsalchemygrewfrom an inheritedconnection(tobediscussed one communityandwhatIbelievetobe were bornfromachildhoodofonehouse, My outlookonlifeandmywaysofteaching students andtwoteachers. or onesemester,thisisschoolfortwenty-four large forestandasmallriver.Forfivemonths, camp propertyincludesopenfields,trails,a another withakitchenandlivingroom.The with desksinonebuilding,andweutilize same teachers.Wehaveaformalclassroom same studentslearntogetheralldaywiththe on community.Thereareno“bells”andthe setting isoneofintimacywithastrongfocus I amresponsiblefortheotherthree.The is responsiblefortheEnglishcourse,and setting severalhoursaway.Asecondteacher the cityandoneinamoreremotewilderness in theiroffseason.Severalunitstakeplace and froma55-acresummercampthatwerent our community.Daily,abustransportsusto the sanctionedwallstypicalofmostschoolsin The program,however,takesplaceoutsideof Education and4)InterdisciplinaryStudies. the worldforseveralyears. and universityeducationtookmearound After highschool,mykayakingpursuits done bybicycle, the Civicscourse.Research is and communityissues,emanating from The topicsconcernlocalenvironmental from EnglishandInterdisciplinaryStudies. learning researchandoralpresentationskills when studentsengageindebates,theyare overlap andswirltogether.Forexample, of thecurriculumotherthreecourses around. Integrationoccursbecausemuch themselves, theircommunityandtheworld to excavateandcreaterelationshipswith skills ofreadingandwritingareusedastools they feltasenseofconnectiontonature.The for theminthenaturalworld,amoment asked towriteaparagraphaboutmemory Leadership. Inthefirstweekstudentsare program —Community,Environmentand themes thatmeettheoverallgoalsof the curriculumrequirementsaremetwith day. Englishclassfollowsfor70minutesand student providesareflectivereadingforthe morning circleforannouncementsandone “that school!”Uponarrival,wehavea process. Theyhavetomeetthekidsfrom schools beginsthecommunity-building mixing thestudentsfromdifferenthigh school as“upstream”fromtown.Simply minute busride.Ienjoyreferringtoour A typicaldayatCELPbeginswitha20- environmental learningisfailingus. missing link?Because,Imightargue,today’s taught withthisperspectivepartofthe field trips.AndIwonder,isaneducation what seemspossiblewithtextbooksandbasic meaning andasenseofconnectionbeyond daily basis.Itspeakstomewithstoriesand I knowisthatthislandspeakstomeona to myhome.Iteachwhatknow.And own life’sjourneyandpersonalconnections my studentshasadirectcorrelationwith much ofwhatIshareonadailybasiswith kind wayofsayingIhaveaged)knowthat with somereflectiontimeinmybackpack,(a I considered.Itjust.happened.Butnow, Guelph toliveandworkwasnotsomething 3 Returningto Canadian into Canadiancultureand a canoeorsnowshoetrip.Itiswindow something trulyCanadianaboutgoingon our moreurbansetting.Aswell,thereis with thenaturalworldmorequicklythan power to“awaken”one’ssenseofconnection that theremotewildernesssettinghasa approach offriluftsliv,wehaveconcluded to theNorth,andgoesagainst“local” unit takesplaceseveralhundredkilometres those whohavetravelledbefore.Thoughthis skills oftheregionandreadingstories learning andpracticingthetraditionaltravel on thesemester.Wespendtwoweeks wilderness canoe orsnowshoe trip,depending Our upstream journey begins with a five-night think. “.” ArneNaess,wouldbepleasedI it ishopedstudentsdevelopapersonallife practices towardsdeepecology.Intheprocess connection andpurpose.Wehaveengagedin communities withasenseofresponsibility, live onthisplanet.Wearrivebacktoour long term,andsustainableideasofhowto and knowledgetopaddlewiththeflow— travel backdownstream,weusetheskills truly eco-effectivepractices.Andwhenwe questions ofourproblemsandinvestigate have producedtodate.Weasktheunderlying past theband-aidenvironmentalsolutionswe source –wheretherealissuesflowoutof— traveling inthisdirection.Weheadtothe upstream, andthereismuchtobegainedby However, peopleusedtoalwaysjourney education today,andsometimeshardtodo. approach tolearningthanmostconventional against theflow.Thisisasomewhatdifferent — ourcommunity.Wethentravelupstream, We beginatalakenearthemouthofriver I visualizetheprogramasariver’sjourney. weaving throughoutthefourcourses. kept, anall-encompassingmirrorofreflection of issue–OutdoorEducation.Ajournalisalso interviewing localcitizensandvisitingplaces 4 Mike’s Writings

5 PATHWAYS Mike’s Writings 6 PATHWAYS stories. eloquently states. as theInstituteforEarthEducation so “All livingthingsontheearth areconnected,” our planet,nolearninghappens inisolation. when itcomestoprobingthe sustainabilityof learn, throughintegratingcurriculum,that it, bothpositivelyand/ornegatively?We banana directlyimpactthefarmerwhogrew used ornot?Howdoesthepurchaseofa Who grewthisfood?Whatchemicalswere nature offoodfromdifferentperspectives. course. Andweinvestigatetheinterconnected eating habitsfromthephysicaleducation mopping andvacuuming.Thiscovershealthy clean up,includingdishes,toiletscrubbing, for theentireclass.Wefinishwithafull-camp shop for,pre-cookandfinallyserveameal group ofsixstudentsisempoweredtodesign, class, weshareamealandcleanupoursite.A Every Fridayis“communityday”where,asa initiative tasks—learningtoworktogether. activities suchastrustfallsandgroup communication andproblemsolvingthrough application techniques.Weimproveour sets, futureemploymentideasandjob through aninvestigationoftheirownskill experience. Thecareerscoursewalksthem is achancetowritefromdirectandpotent reflective essayofthewildernessventure.It After thetrip,Englishclassfocusesona intended outcomeinhisjournal: recent student,BrentGoemans,capturedthis wilderness tripinourday-to-daylives.A parallels bytryingtolivethelessonsofour home orinthecity. acknowledge natureevenwhenI’mat . Iamnowmakinganefforttotry more gloriousthanIhaveeverseen. are happeningallthetime,someeven people whentheyarrive.Thesesights always here.Itdoesnotjustperformfor are happeningallthetime.Natureis this momentIrealizedthatthesesights how luckyIwastowitnessit.Itat what amagnificentsightthiswasand materializing offthewater.Ithought the tea,Ilookedaroundatfog As Isatontherocksanddrank 5 Uponreturnwemakelinksanddraw 6 to theearth. are thesameonesneededforhowwerelate that theskillsofhowwerelatetoeachother around us.Ittookmealongtimetorealize get anywherewiththegreatercommunity and functionasacommunity,wecouldnever If myclasscouldn’tgetalongwitheachother enough totrulybuildanenvironmentalethic. on methatadventuringthelandwasn’t deal. AtfirstIdidn’tgetit!Itfinallydawned the growthofourclass.Fridaysbecameabig the simpleactofsharingamealnurtured to happenonthesedays.Iwasstruckbyhow the week’send.Butsomethingmagicalbegan model andfromthenecessityforcleaningat in atthelastminutefromanotherprogram’s that purpose.TheFridayroutinewasthrown part ofCELP.Idesignedlotsactivitiesfor being ontheland—“E”(environment) most importantthingwasgettingoutdoors, days. WhenIstartedCELP,thoughtthatthe education todatearosefromthesecommunity One ofmymostimportantlessons Institute forEarthEducation. is athree-dayprogramdesignedbythe in itsjourneydownstream.Earthkeepers™ water ispure,perhapsthisrivermaybeclean For ifachildcanbeginhis/herlifewherethe grade fivestudentsfromourschoolboard. program calledEarthkeepers™toover300 Nearing thesource,mystudentsteacha (community) isthefirstletterofouracronym. aware? Mystudentstaughtmewhy“C” educating aboutfoodthanIampresently elementary students getan“awesome” real, hands-onexperiencein teaching.The and elementarystudents.My studentsgain the relationshipbetween highschool true magicoftheprogram, however,isin with secretmeaningsabout theearth.The give themprivilegedaccesstolockedboxes earning offourKEYS.Thesekeys,inturn, and iswoventogetherbeautifullywiththe program isfullofcreativelearningactivities sharing whattheyknowwithothers.The to lesseningtheirimpactontheearthand world. Finally,inthehands,studentscommit activities developfeelingsforthenatural ecological concepts.Withtheheart, the headcomponentstudentslearn of a“head,heartandhands”section.For 7 Perhapsthereismuchmoreto 8 Itiscomposed Nations Anishinabepeoplesoncestated. Gary PottsoftheTemagamiBearIslandFirst that teaches“sustainedlife”asformerChief in thefoundationofaneducationsystem my “home.”Thisis,Ibelieve,thenextlayer my compassion,connectionandconcernfor life withsustainableelementsinit.Theysee river, theywitnessmeattemptingtolivea market orpaddlewithmychildrenonthe my bicycletowork,buylocalproduceatthe not inofficialclassroomtime.WhenIride feel mymostimportantlessonshappenhere, my studentsabouttownallthetime.Ioften and senseofcomfortingcontinuity.Iruninto displaying asenseofplace,home grasp thedeepermeanings,theirheartswere still there!Thoughwordscouldn’tquite stones fromtheirdaylongsolospotswere me, aftertheirwanderings,thatthecampfire their girlfriendsandboyfriendstold “come backandseetheplace.”Theybrought “drop by”theCELPsite.Theywantedto Last JuneIhadtwoformerstudentssimply returning againtothesource. experienced. Thestudentsbecometeachers: thesameplacetosharewhatthey returning to participants’ yearsearlierinEarthkeepers,™ of myhighschoolstudentsnowhavebeen continues, evenafterschoolhours.Overhalf know thatthelearningandrolemodeleffect in townontheweekend.Littledothey ran intoseveraloftheirlittle“Earthkeepers” unit, mystudentswilloftensharethatthey high school!OnMondaymorningsinthis education programandgettomeetkidsfrom know community. So,forsevendays,we make decisionsaboutcommunity, onemust community. Ihavealways felt,though,thatto that havemeaningtousright inourown issues. Welearnhowtoparticipate inmatters and discusslocal,national and international it.” a merepartofnature,andnotseparatefrom stated, “..wayswhenweseeourselvesas with ourecosystemor,asBillReeserecently ways wecanlivesustainably,thatflow downstream curriculumattemptstofind As wespinaroundatthesource, so normaltodo. because Igrewupandlivehere,itallseems 10 InCivics,weexplorepoliticalstructure 9 But need onlygoforwalks.” or takeupskydiving.We white-water rafttheColorado need toscaleMountEverestor the wonderandbeautyofworld)wedon’t stated that,“Todiscoverthesetruths(about what istypicallypossible.SharonButalaonce We meetourcommunityonalevelbeyond all weavetogetherforanincredibleweek. exertion andthevisitswithourlocalcitizens feelings offreedom,thewelcomephysical workings andhiddenplacesofbeauty.The discovering andlearningitscomplexinner biking aroundmyhometownwithstudents, It ishardtocaptureinwords,thejoyIfeel and play“grounders”onparkstructures. river, haveicecreamatthehistoricBoathouse, classroom. Inbetweenvisitswepicnicbythe Mart incheck.Thecommunitybecomesthe and talkwithpeoplefightingtokeepWal- on thecircuit).Wevisitanorganicdairyfarm cattle aday(perhapsthemostpowerfultour abattoir wheretheyslaughter2,000headof an organicvegetablefarmandtouralocal facility andtotheoldlandfill.Webike to CityHall.Webikeourwaste-handling source, tothesewagetreatmentplant,and issues ofsustainability,webiketoourwater Anchored byresearchfordebatesonlocal the bicycleisaviableformoftransportation. road andfeel,inourbonesmuscles,that purpose. OnDay1welearntherulesof take tothestreetsonourbicyclesforjustthat here inceremony.” Afteranemotionalpause, had astillbornbabyboy,we spreadhisashes And severalyearsago,when mywifeandI my canoetravelingbothup anddownstream. the hillsbehind.Asayoung adult,Iportaged swimming. Inteenagerdays, wecampedin here andspenthoursskippingstones a child,myfriendsandItookbikehikes “This place,”Iexplain,“issacredtome.As rapid iscreated.HereItellthemastory. students aroundanoutflowwhereasmall gets itswater.Beforedeparting,Igathermy recharge thespringsfromwhichourcity built itfiftyyearsago.Itcreatesapoolto River wherewestopforlunch.Boyscouts a smalldamonthelocalEramosa Often ourtravelswilltakeusby might add“orforbikes.” 11 I Mike’s Writings

7 PATHWAYS Mike’s Writings 8 PATHWAYS high schoolin thecity,downtolocal We wouldportageoutthe backdoorofour trip thatliterallylivedout our rivermetaphor. of mytenyearsIfinished with alocalcanoe trip tothesourceandback aswell.Andforsix wonderful storyinvolving anupstreamcanoe called HalfwayManbyWaylandDrew.Itisa In Englishclassthestudentsreadabook have learned. It isaculminatingdayofsomuchwhatwe written puppetshowsabouttheenvironment. breakfast programandperformingself- Humane Society,flippingpancakesatakid’s to groupandseethemwalkingdogsatthe It isadayofcelebrationasIbikefromgroup supervision andcarryouttheirchosentasks. take tothestreetswithoutdirectteacher Community.” Ontheactualday,students decide insmallgroups,howto“BetterTheir Active CitizenshipDay.Byconsensus,they students plan,executeandevaluatean day inourhomecommunitywherethe In thefinallegofcoursewespenda come from. too. Itispartofwhotheyare,andwhere tell othersthisstory.Fornowitistheirstory when theyreturntothissmalldam,if the samewithmystudents.Ioftenwonder, for it.IthasthatmeandIhopetoinstil elements ofsacrednessforustoloveandcare being atruedwelleris.Thelandmusthave to awakenquestionsintheirmindsofwhat that isuniquetomysituation,andattempts months haveledupto.Butitisamoment is amoment,perhaps,thatthepreviousfour enjoying thisplace—sacredplace.”It I tellthem,“Itgivesmejoytoseeallofyou translation was notquitecapturinghisdeeper about things”asNilsstated, asifhisEnglish a firepitwhichtheycircle aroundand“talk farms) gatherforafallmoose hunt.Theyhave Rosholt farms(nowagroup ofthreedivided of howeveryyearheandall themenof a large,gentlemanofsixfoot-four,spoke lands). Thehostofthereunion,NilsRosholt, traditionally usedinthesummerpasture traveled uptothefamilysetter(asmallcabin the mostsignificantmomentcamewhenI of oneeldertomyowngrandfather.But 1857 andshookmyheadattheresemblance great-great-grandparents emigratedfromin with relatives,sawthehousewheremygreat- source —wayupstream!Iateroastedlamb for overathousandyears.Ajourneytomy held onafarmthathasbeeninmylineage travel toNorwayattendafamilyreunion Last summerIhadtheuniqueopportunityto This issimplyschoolforfivemonths. help themintheirongoingriver’sjourney. and lifelessonsgainedatCELParemeantto never meanttoexistinisolation.Theskills with ouroverallphilosophy,programis of theirgradetenrequirements.And,intune to theirhomeschoolshavingcompletedhalf transitional moment.Thestudentswillreturn each withabriefstory.Itismeanttobe award thestudentsacertificateandhonour by thestudents.Followingthis,teachers and journalquotesofthesemester,narrated of foodagain),wemoveontoshareslides Beginning withapotlucksupper(thetheme and theirfamiliestoaclosingceremony. CELP endswhenweinviteallthestudents tocarveoutpaddlesfortheirtrip. will bemillingwoodfromouroff-siteschool resurrecting thisfinalcanoetrip.Thestudents the existinggrade10CELP.Wewillbe called HEADWATERSthatwillcomplement a grade12(age17)integratedprogram pulled usalong.Nextyearweareinitiating half thetime,backhome.Thegentlecurrent — atthesource.Then,wewouldpaddle,in reflection — what we learned about the source for twonights,doingasoloandyear’send heading toalocalpark.Herewewouldcamp and dragourcanoesupstreamforaday, Eramosa River,thenpaddle,pole,portage .BertHorwood,Integrationand 2. WendellBerry,“History”fromCollected 1. Endnotes something lackinginthecontentaswell?” volume ofeducationneedssteppingup?Is so manyyearsago,“Isitcertainthatonlythe seem tobeworking.AsAldoLeopoldstated sustainable outlook.Todateotherwaysdon’t way ofseeingtheworldfromalongterm, clarified forme,thismightbeaway— Learning thetermfriluftslivaffirmedand issues ofmycommunitywithstudents. dweller, tosharethestories,foundationsand natural progressionformeasateacherand never knowinmylifetime.Ithasbeena people linesupwiththisoutlook,butImay type ofeducationIamprovidingforyoung being atruedwellerofoneplace.Ithinkthe and inanironicway,itmayreturnusto we arereachingthepeakofoilconsumption, into thenextcentury.Asaglobalcommunity place. Butthismaychangeaswemovemore allowed apercolationofstoriestosettleinto of constantmobility,perhapshavenever more recentlybythecheapfossilfuelera find yourfameandfortune”complemented young country.Themindsetof“goingwestto After beinginNorway,IrealizedCanadaisa me, likeariver. words andaspirationsofNilsrunthrough moment. ThisiswhereIcomefrom.The “home” forquiteawhile.Itwasanaffirming to theirland—home.Andthishasbeen nurturing thiscommunity,andisconnected bloodline believesincommunity,worksat words, atingleranupmyspine.My they are“veryproudof.”Andwiththose along” asafamilyandthatthisissomething meaning. Hesaidtheyworkat“getting 8, No.4,1996, 11−17. . July/August Vol. Pathways: The OntarioJournalof Exploring NotionsofSchooling, Sona MehtaandBobHenderson, Education, 29(1),1994,89−101; Curriculum. McGillJournalof Experience intheSecondary 1987). (San Francisco:NorthPointPress, Poems ofWendellBerry,1957−1982. 12 2 AldoLeopold, 12. SharonButala,ThePerfectionofthe 11. BillReese,Excerptfrom 10. ChiefGaryPotts,oftheBearIsland 9. EarthKeepers:AnEducationProgram 8. MurrayBookchin,RemakingSociety: 7. SteveVanMatre,EarthEducation:ANew 6. BobHenderson,EveryTrailHasaStory: 5. AlanDrengson(ED),TheLong-Range 4. Editor’sNote:MichaelElrickwasa 3. edition) 243. (New York:Ballantine Books,1970 (Toronto: HarperCollins,1994) 65. Morning: AnApprenticeship InNature Tawingo, HuntsvilleOntario. – CreatingRipples:Oct1,2005.Camp and Communication)conference (Canadian Networkfor Keynote SpeechatEECOM 1989. Canadian BroadcastingCorporation: Last Stand.TheNatureofThings, Quoted in:Temagami:The Indian Reserve,Temagami,Ontario. West Virginia. Education: CedarGrove,Greensville, designed by:TheInstituteforEarth South EndPress,1990) Pathways toaGreenFuture Institute forEarthEducation,1990) Beginning. (Warrenville,IL:The Natural Heritage,2005). Heritage TravelinCanada.(Toronto: MovementandEcosophy. Intuition: itsRelationshiptotheDeep Melissa Nelson,AnExplorationof 2 Spring,1992.Seespecifically Ecosophy (themeissue)Vol.9,No. Naess, TheTrumpeter:Journalof Deep EcologyMovementandArne −1988. Water KayakSlalomteamfrom1983 member ofCanadianNationalWhite A SandCountyAlmanac, , (Boston: Mike’s Writings .

9 PATHWAYS 10 PATHWAYS Mike’s Writings

April 22, 1991 Earth Day — My foundation stones — what are they? Heather and my love and relationship with her, my kayaking, my contact with the natural world, my running/fitness, my contact with children and others in a teaching/guiding framework, my family, my native lands.

The Mississaugi River — Yes! It is a full possibility for this summer. It just could be the fix I need as well, though fix is not the right word. It could be the “base work” that I desperately need in my life, in my life today to keep me going through May and June as well. What better river to paddle than Grey Owl’s river? The person who was there when my

life was consciously awoken to the outdoors.

positive way. positive

deep inner part of me that felt fulfilled in a a in fulfilled felt that me of part inner deep

of contact with the natural world and that that and world natural the with contact of

with others and, finally, spiritually that sense sense that spiritually finally, and, others with

setting challenges, striving for goals, socializing socializing goals, for striving challenges, setting

good shape and working my body, emotionally, emotionally, body, my working and shape good

harmony with the river. Physically feeling in in feeling Physically river. the with harmony

so enjoyed gaining that ultimate feeling of of feeling ultimate that gaining enjoyed so

I played and trained on waters like this and and this like waters on trained and played I

have visited such as these. How many hours hours many How these. as such visited have

up images in me of so many training sites I I sites training many so of me in images up

I come upon a small rapids like this it conjures conjures it this like rapids small a upon come I July 15, 1991, on the Mississaugi River — When When — River Mississaugi the on 1991, 15, July