US trip explores power of the outdoors
Local students facing challenging times could benefit in taking time to smell, not only the roses, but the whole great outdoors.
Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology education partnerships developer and Rai Valley Area school counsellor Richard Wilkins recently returned from experiencing two wilderness therapy programmes in America and is keen to bring a mixture of the courses to the top of the south.
Wilderness therapy is designed for young people who are struggling in life with challenges including drug addiction, gaming problems and family breakdown. Taken to nature’s backyard for several weeks of professional guidance and basic living, the experience has great benefits.
For over a month, Wilkins lived and breathed wilderness therapy. He attended Open Sky Wilderness Therapy in Colorado for five days, New Vision Wilderness Therapy in Oregon for one day and finished his time off in America with a four-day wilderness therapy symposium held in Utah.
Wilkins purposely chose two contrasting wilderness therapy organisations.
Open Sky focused on tramping and group therapy while New Vision incorporated other activi- ties designed to help with students progress, including art, taking care of a dog and mastery projects involving researching a topic of interest.
Wilkins said both had their merits. The two therapy camps had as many similarities as they did differences and both had very limited equipment.
‘‘They’re only given one metal mug. When it comes to utensils, you have a stainless steel mug, if you want a spoon, you make your own spoon.’’
Wilkins said the key to why the camps were so successful was simple.
’’Getting back in touch with nature’s rhythms and nutrition.’’
This meant things which most take for granted weren’t allowed including technology, alcohol, sugar, caffeine and tobacco.
‘‘I had to wear my watch inside out so students couldn’t see the time’’, Wilkins said.
Wilkins is passionate about wilderness therapy, which he stressed should not be confused with the image of defiant teens at gruelling boot camps.
On the camps he attended, there were eight boys aged 15 to 17-years-old taking part in a 12-week-programme which could be completed from eight weeks, depending on the students progress. The camps also reach groups of 18 to 25-year-olds.
Research has proven the wilderness therapy gets results and continued to improve the students once they left the camps.
Wilkins said he went into the therapy very open-minded and came away thinking, ‘‘this definitely does work’’.
Since returning from the US, Wilkins is getting the wheels in motion to bring wilderness therapy to the top of the south where there is a gap in the initiative.
Wilkins aimed to work in conjunction with Whenua Iti Outdoors, which promotes learning and personal growth, to build a programme targeting school children in years 10 and 11. He said he hoped to have the camp running by April next year which would then be offered to schools in the region.