The Wilderness Walkabout

“The only real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.” –Marcel Proust

A fire 10 years previously had killed most of the trees in the open pine fir forest and cleared the underbrush. We were following the scattered tracks of a small group of elk which were meandering down the ridge heading for a deep ravine below. We had stumbled upon their beds on a steep north facing slope just below the ridgetop, as our group was traversing the ridge looking for a good campsite and our next adventure. As we descended, the elk tracks converged onto a well-worn game trail heading down towards what I hoped would be water. Their tracks were fresh, the elk having passed only a few hours before.

As we got close to the bottom of the ravine, the bright sunlight on the exposed slope gave way to shade and cooler air which had settled in the lower terrain. The trees in the bottom were huge old growth Douglas Firs and Ponderosa pines. They had survived the fire because of their thick bark and the cooler temperature and increased moisture in the ravine bottom. These giants had survived logging operations because they were far from any road.

Just as I had hoped, the elk took us straight to water, in this case a flowing spring which seeped out of the ground where two smaller drainages came together. The wet ground was churned with the hoof prints of elk. Closer inspection revealed the tracks of coyotes, birds, and other species that sought out this shady haven, and the waterloving plants that accompanied it. We chose a spot above the ravine bottom to set up camp for the evening.

I once heard Tom Brown Jr. proclaim that, “If you don’t have any place to be or a time to be there you will never be lost.” This is the essence of the art of a Walkabout. You are searching, but not necessarily for anything in particular. You are following your heart and the mysteries that the world leaves for you, be they elk tracks, the top of an unknown peak or a “blank” spot on the map. Your goal is to discover beauty and blend into the landscape. Along the way you sample the wild edible plants, gather your water from the creek or spring, shelter yourself under an ancient tree. When it rains you get wet and when the sun beats down you are hot.

Whether it’s one day or a week, by yourself or in a small group, on a good wilderness walkabout you are constantly faced with the unknown, both in the world around you and within. Where does this canyon go? Where will I sleep tonight? How will it be to not see anyone else for an entire day? What sort of tracks are these? Will I be able to start a fire in the pouring rain? You have left behind the known comforts of family, school, home, work, four walls and electricity in exchange for a chance to interact with Mystery for a time. The world around you becomes a metaphor for your internal landscape as you face your fear of a dark starless night and the unknown future that waits for you when you return.

Wandering, both actually and metaphorically, is a core part of the Wilderness Awareness Schools curriculum. This stems from our belief and experience that when you give people the freedom to interact with nature and encourage their innate sense of curiosity and wonder, powerful learning happens…magic happens! Things that would be impossible to plan, such as stepping out of the woods just in time to see the sun emerge from the clouds and cast warm light on your face, or stumbling upon an interesting set of animal tracks in an unexpected place, manifest. Wandering in the woods is a metaphor as well for self directed learning, as people follow their intuition and interests, they become immersed in new ideas and skills and learning comes naturally.

The principle of wandering manifests in two key ways in Wilderness Awareness School programs. The first is what we call the 50/50 principle. In planning a day of teaching we may have structured lessons and activities planned but we also leave time for students and instructors to explore unexpected discoveries and follow the passions and interests that arise naturally within the group. Ideally in any program half of what occurs is what we had planned and the other half is guided by synchronicities and arises spontaneously from the interactions of the landscape, students, and instructors.

The second way wandering manifests is through programs like our “walkabouts” where we actually structure in time for people to literally wander around. This may be for 5 days in the Cascades, or a couple of hours around our pond, as often the case with our elementary aged Youth School programs.

One thing to consider when using “wandering” educationally is that it is not an excuse for not having prepared anything else to do. To little structure and to much time with “nothing to do” can become boring and uninspiring very quickly, especially for young people. Better to have a variety of activities prepared which you can drop when a mystery bird lands in the field and draws the attention students then to be sitting around in field waiting for something to happen.

That night from our small camp on a bench above the spring we hear coyotes yap on the other side of the ravine. We fall asleep beneath the stars, the embers of our fire glowing in the dark and dream of mysteries and adventures yet to come…