Wilderness+Philosophy

=Wilderness Philosophy =

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PHILOSOPHY
I spent my summers growing up in the wilds of Minnesota and Canada, developing a love for the earth and all its many creatures. My personal wilderness journey has helped me grow in self esteem and understand interconnectedness. I believe that self-esteem of urban youth often dwindles from media labels of "degenerate" and "at-risk" and that self-esteem can be built through wilderness initiatives.

Thanks to my wilderness education, I have been able to identify and solidify my personal ethical system and hope to help students do the same. For example, I believe truth lies within the self and it can be discovered through personal reflection and contemplation. Then comes the realization that as humans we are all interconnected and dependent on one another. But in this "instant" and fear-driven society we currently live in, the value of taking time to think and reflect needs to be cultivated as does trust and understanding amongst groups---and what better place than in a supportive wilderness setting free from electronic gadgets?!  My personal teaching and learning experiences have taken me to Thailand and India, where I utilized theories of multiple intelligences and creative storytelling to bridge barriers in language and culture. In the fall of 2007, I took a four-month journey halfway around the world on The Scholar Ship, in an attempt to get a better grasp on world environmental and humanitarian issues. I also conducted research using theatre as a means of intercultural communication and gained understanding of multiculturalism in the classroom. I wish to use the skills I gained aboard The Scholar Ship and my teaching experiences to promote intercultural understanding and environmental awareness/advocacy through writing, literature, and production.

I wish to foster a love for the wild in students, exposing them to real-time experiences as well as the wilderness literature of Thoreau, Carson, Leopold, Abbey, and Snyder, just to name a few great environmental writers. In my opinion, understanding and navigating the wilderness one lives in (urban or otherwise) is key in understanding one's self. If one's self is actualized, there are no limits to what can be done.



WRITINGS AND QUOTES
**Paul Petzoldt**, founder of National Outdoor Leadership School: "Prior proper planning prevents poor performance."


 * Kurt Hahn**, founder of Outward Bound: "I regard it as the foremost task of education to insure the survival of these qualities: an enterprising curiosity, an undefeatable spirit, tenacity in pursuit, readiness for sensible self denial, and above all, compassion."


 * Rachel Carson**, ecologist, biologist, writer: "It is a wholesome and necessary thing for us to turn again to the earth and in the contemplation of her beauties to know of wonder and humility."


 * Wilderness Within and Without**

Wilderness is within, a way to Understanding, a journey in Spirit, a path of Knowledge.

Wilderness is without, a place of Beauty, a vast Expanse, a pit of Life.

Wilderness within can force one to face fears, can teach one to respect self, can help one to heal.

Wilderness without can force one into uncomfort, can teach one about Earth's chain of command, can help one to see connectedness.

Without Wilderness, one sees the superficial world. Within Wilderness, one finds Truth.

-Shields, April 2003