The Listening Point Foundation (LPF), dedicated to continuing Sigurd Olson’s legacy of wilderness education, is reaching out to young paddlers. Recognizing that most canoeists familiar with the writer tend to be of a “certain generation,” as Foundation president Alana Johnson puts it, LPF is developing and supporting outreach projects that target wilderness canoe camps and middle and high school age students. According to Johnson, the goal is to introduce two generations unfamiliar with his writing to his unique understanding of the wilderness experience.
The first project launches this summer in partnership with YMCA Camps Menogyn, Widjiwagan and Du Nord. The camps will receive copies of the DVD, “The Wilderness World of Sigurd Olson” and a small booklet of selected writings, discussion questions, and journaling and activity suggestions. Camp leaders will be encouraged to use the booklet to conduct readings and discussions out in the wilderness setting. The hope is to create a direct connection between their experiences and Sig’s writings.
With additional funding, a second project will build on the momentum by providing camps with a copy of Sig’s first book, The Singing Wilderness, along with discussion questions and activities. According to Johnson, the book was chosen because it is “all encompassing as to why we do this and why [the wilderness] touches us spiritually.”
LPF has also supported the efforts of board member and Northland College professor Clayton Russell (Ashland, WI) in his efforts to develop middle school and high school curriculums based on Sig’s writings. LPF will help broaden the curriculum’s reach by distributing it through the LPF web site this fall.
To learn more about LPF outreach or show your support for the Foundation’s efforts, visit www.listeningpointfoundation.org
Read more in Wilderness News Summer 2009