Better than I could possibly imagine, my Mother’s Day weekend away at the North Cascades Institute brought back fond memories of my days as a junior counselor at Multnomah County Outdoor School (communal dining hall and campfire) but offered grown up amenities (wine reception and yoga classes). Best of all, I spent it with two dear friends.

I’ve always taken environmental education somewhat for granted because I’m always on the lookout for interesting information about the natural world. But a conversation with the Institute program coordinator reminded me of the challenges of reaching (and funding) environmental education for the coming generations. Plus, he noted we are in a new era where the new goal is not just basic environmental awareness but inspiring people to truly adopt a more environmentally responsible cultural baseline.

Now that it’s hit the mainstream, “green” thinking is top of mind for more people than ever. But all the green claims out there in advertising right now can muddle the important difference making fundamental changes about how we behave rather than believing that buying the bottled water with 20% less plastic is an environmental act of mercy.

How we view ourselves in relationship to nature directly impacts our care of it. Just read Michael Pollan’s treatise on the changing meaning of trees from century to century and you’ll get a quick overview of the tree’s fate under various thought regimes from Colonialists to Native Americans: guess who kept the trees and who chopped them down.

I tend to think of myself as a guest on this planet, grateful for the chance to walk its many landscapes and partake of its delicious produce. My appreciation stems directly from being familiarized at an early age with nature and its workings. But I’m also a participant in modern western culture, which has separated and insulated us from nature in many ways. The longer I live in the city, the harder I have to work at keeping up my relationship with nature.

I think the environmental learning center (Google that and you’ll get a bunch of ideas!) is a real hidden vacation gem. I don’t think these places advertise a ton, but they offer such a great chance to reconnect with nature (and friends!) that I’m going to look for ELC’s for all kinds of future vacations.

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