Lakefield Herald Special Report

Connecting with nature theme at Camp Kawartha

by Anita Locke

“Create a Culture of Nature Connection” was presented at the Camp Kawartha Environment Centre located at Trent University on Sunday, March 7.

Representatives from The P.I.N.E. Project, whose mission is “to inspire healthy, lifelong connections between people and nature through outdoor learning and play” were on hand.

Mark Morey, founder of the Vermont Wilderness School and the Institute for Natural Learning spoke on topics including the value of nature connection, and techniques to help create a culture of nature connection in one’s life, one’s home and one’s community.

The world-renowned Art of Mentoring program inspires educational experiences based on the cycles of nature. It also provides an understanding of the role of storytelling in nature education and how it is used in cultures that live close to the earth.

It also encourages the drawing-out of one’s own stories to use in mentoring relationships with youth, and creates safe environments for children to grow, experiment and make mistakes.

Mark Morey is a creative artist, visionary educator, cultural engineer, and consultant who designs regenerative holistic communities with timeless native principles.

He founded or co-founded three transformational organizations in the last 12 years: Deep Wilds, Vermont Wilderness School, and the Institute for Natural Learning, sparking a nature and community awareness movement in the Northeast impacting 5,000 adults and children today.

He has facilitated wilderness survival and spiritual passages for teens and adults since 1997, including over 35 week-long Art of Mentoring passages for adults, and five years of Sacred Fire rites of passage for boys.

Mark feels inspired by the hero’s journey model and the oral history of his ancestors and native people around the world.

His passion for environmental healing and consciousness has gained him wide recognition as a leader in earth centered learning.

For more information about Camp Kawartha, call (705) 652-3860, toll free 1-866-532-4597 or send email to info@campkawartha.ca.

For more information about The Pine Project visit their website at http://www.pineproject.org/.

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