I believe in taking a deep breath of fresh forest air. I believe in feeling free as you romp through the trees. I believe in cooling your feet in a chilly mountain stream and letting your worries wash away with the current. I believe in spending time with nature. My family has lived in a […]
Over many years of being with kids in nature, I have noticed that scale is a nuance to their experience and their development. While older children may focus in on an industrious project in a particular area, like digging a hole or building a dam, they also are more likely than younger kids to stop […]
It is a fine summer day here in Western Washington, with a slight breeze, singing birds, and flowers and fruit decorating the green world. Schools are out and it’s a great time to take off one’s shoes and head out for a wander. And do what? What sort of activity might help your child learn […]
I am so grateful for the opportunity my son, Finn, has had to spend Fridays in Duvall with the Jackals, learning from his environment and from the strong community of teens and mentors. Last October, shortly after Finn started at a new school that wasn’t a good fit for him, his little fire burned down […]
Our family heard about Wilderness Awareness School through word of mouth. Friends had tried the program, spoke very highly of it, and when we looked into it further we knew it would be the perfect fit for our oldest, Henry. Henry has loved being outside since infancy. We have many memories of strapping him to […]
It’s hard for me to find words for the kind of impact Wilderness Awareness School has had on our child. Like the program itself, the changes we have seen in him are deep and far-reaching. This is his fourth year with WAS and we can’t imagine his life without this adventure or these people. He […]
Five years ago, we were preparing to move from Minnesota to Washington so that my husband could attend naturopathic medical school. Moving cross-country, with young ones in tow, to a state that I had never even visited, I was busy researching activities for our children to be involved in when we arrived. I remember wondering […]
Wilderness Awareness School is one of those vital organizations that gives me hope in this bittersweet world. They don’t play by mainstream rules; they commit to their holistic, nature-stained values, and we are all better for it. Discovering WAS years ago felt so right that it was like a homecoming. Kaveh was immediately met, seen, […]
Fifteen years ago I had the opportunity and honor to plant a Tree of Peace with Chief Jake Swamp at Linne Doran. The tree is a Thuja plicata, Western Red Cedar, and I don’t know if you’ve noticed but Western Red Cedars grow with what’s called a central leader. A couple of years ago I […]
We joined the Wilderness Awareness School 7 years ago. We stumbled upon this gem when we moved to the Pacific Northwest and I was looking for an engaging “activity” for my daughter. At the time, Emily was 4 years old and she entered the Roots and Wings Program. We were impressed by the school’s focus […]