Lasting lessons in outdoor education : a 30-year retrospective study examining the durable effects on adolescent participants

Thirty years after teaching Wilderness Studies as a two-year school curriculum subject for adolescent participants, I revisited the students as 46-year old adults to assess the enduring impact of this teaching modality. By retracing the students' journeys I have investigated the lasting lessons of immersive nature experiences upon behaviours, attitudes, skills, values and, ultimately, career choices. As a participant-researcher and incorporating aspects of social media into the recruitment process, more than half of the original twenty-two students were interviewed. A mixed-methods research design employed both qualitative and quantitative measures. Quantitative data was gathered using an online survey tool, and qualitative data was obtained through in-depth interview with a subset of the participants. Interestingly, some interviewees now have adolescent children currently undertaking Wilderness Studies at the same school. The participants invariably argued that their outdoor experiences left a more lasting impression than classroom activities. In addition, a surprisingly large number progressed into careers in outdoor education, environmental stewardship, or closely related activities professions. The results highlight for key stakeholders the long-term significance of including outdoor programs in education, even decades later for participants.