Taproot: A Journal of Outdoor Education
Print Reference
p. 3
Abstract
Old Twist is a symbol of resiliency on our tree farm. I suspect its seedling days were spent in a pasture where it suffered the predation of cows, deer, rabbits; buffeting winds, torrential rains and scorching sun. It survived numerous setbacks and today reigns as the strongest tree in the forest. How is it that some people, like Old Twist, can bounce back from adversity and others can’t? Does being connected to nature and learning in the outdoors provide “tonics and barks which brace mankind” as proclaimed by Henry David Thoreau? To him wild places were a source of inspiration containing the “raw material of life” that instilled a sense of wonder, spiritual truths, and the basis of sound intellect in those who frequented such haunts. Was he foretelling aspects of nature that modern outdoor educators are finding useful in developing resiliency?
Recommended Citation
Yaple, Charles
(2011)
"From the Editor,"
Taproot: A Journal of Outdoor Education: Vol. 21:
Iss.
1, Article 2.
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.cortland.edu/taproot/vol21/iss1/2