2017 at Westwind is off to a bustling and beautiful start. While January has seen plenty of rain, snow, and high winds mixed with gorgeous, sunny, bone chilling days, 14 students from Linfield College have been taking full advantage of what Westwind has to offer. The students are participating in “January Term” and getting four college credits upon completion of a course titled, Local Stewardship. Over the course of a month, students explore environmental, social, and personal stewardship while enjoying a rare opportunity to deeply connect with the natural world, self and their community.
Opportunities for practicing leadership and building community happen alongside activities such as shelter and fire building, canoeing, hiking, coastal foraging, native plant identification, archery and service work. The student’s understanding of broader issues of sustainability and stewardship are further enhanced through assigned readings, guest speakers, group discussions, and hands on activities. The course aims to inspire active stewardship and equip students with new skills and a deeper sense of resiliency.
When I asked one student, “what does Westwind mean to you?” the response was affirmative:
“Westwind is becoming part of me. Most people connect with nature to disconnect from work, people, and electronics. While I enjoy the disconnection, I relish the opportunity to learn and explore. Westwind is the embodiment of these things and the work of preserving this place is preserving the self. This is a place to laugh, cry, howl. This is a place to encounter beauty and the happiness only found within the self.” -Ross.
Westwind is off to an excellent start for 2017 and already fostering life-changing outdoor experiences! Happy New Year.
Irene Bailey, Westwind Program Coordinator