Knowledge
From Fresh Air to Fresh Perspectives: Importance of Outdoor Education
In the words of Ibn Battuta, “travel leaves you speechless, and then turns you into a storyteller.”
If you want to experience the magic of discoveries beyond the comfort zone of your school or college, then travel is that treasured key that will unlock all doors. It is a series of sublime moments that open your eyes, your heart, and your senses to the world around you; it’s what gives you the top-of-the-world feeling that surpasses that of graduation day.
When you travel, it’s not just to see the sights, because they’ll probably get imprinted on your mind and in your heart, but to imbibe them, savour them and nourish them like your favourite book and that is what outdoor education entails.
Traveling offers an opportunity to experience the culture and diversity of another country more closely. We may learn in-depth about, say, the pyramids at Giza, in our geography lessons, take a virtual tour, or get a vicarious thrill by listening to a friend who has been there, but nothing can compare with the awe-inspiring moment of standing before that triangular edifice, that architectural marvel and getting transported to the realm of the pharaohs! No textbook can capture the splendour of that ancient civilization as a first-hand experience of mysticism and antiquity.
The Masai Mara is an incredible tribe. They have great family values- the children are raised collectively by the whole community. They share food and labour and teach us to consolidate our cultural wealth. They teach us that the fundamental law of human beings is interdependence. An extraordinary people with an even more extraordinary culture, the tribe that has had no formal education, teaches us great life lessons, of living in harmony with nature and wildlife.
Then take the arts and crafts- they are a reflection of everyday existence that speak volumes about the lives of a people. They represent not just the best of its culture but are woven into the fabric of society. For instance, using citrus thorns, charcoal ink, and a bamboo hammer, Filipino culture offers an indigenous compelling art in the form of an ornamental tattoo called batok. From the glass blowing of Murano to the Dhokra handicrafts of Chhattisgarh, the Macrame of Spain to the finest Pashmina shawls from Kashmir, they tap into our creativity and imagination like nothing else can.
Let’s talk about culinary delights. Can one satiate oneself by just perusing exotic recipes online? I am sure the tantalizing culinary delights – be it the Foie Gras, the Fugu, the Wagyu beef, or the Matsutake mushrooms to go with the Sauvignon Blanc or the Chardonnay, from rose to sparkling, to celebrate every occasion and every cuisine – these are the hedonistic pleasures of civilization that no textbook can offer.
And who can deny the life-changing lessons that one can gain from observing the feline models that sashay elegantly through the wild wilderness that Nature has provided- the majesty of the beasts, the spectacular landscapes, the natural horizons, the incredible flora and fauna and capturing those once-in-a-lifetime moments with your prized camera- it’s imprinted for posterity. The fringe benefit, of course, is a lesson in nature-connectedness, in living in harmony with Nature. A college degree cannot substitute the adventures of exploring the unknown, of unravelling the mysteries of nature.
Travel teaches you to learn new things or do things differently. Climbing the snow-clad mountains of Nepal, exploring under-ocean marine life in the Maldives, or zipping through the roads in an unconventional tuk-tuk or tangoing in Argentina, the adrenaline rush that you experience cannot be found in books. You truly understand that the ocean is the wind beneath your wings- it affords you a sense of freedom; the sun-kissed beaches with their lapping waves and the gentle breezes remind you of the silent call of mortality and evoke the wanderlust in you; or sitting in your garden on the dew-washed, emerald green lawns fading in the sunless dusk listening to the clicking noises of the cicadas make you alert to renewal, rebirth, and transformation. You can know when autumn is drawing to a close and a touch of winter hangs in the air, without recourse to classroom teaching
And while you take the moonlight cruise on the gondola, with the gondolier serenading you down the canals of Venice, you can’t but be aflame with excitement. With an outdoor education, the world becomes your oyster, which in itself is a truly humbling experience.
The sight of the maple trees burning a fiery red, or the blue satin bower-bird decorating his nest with bright-blue objects in an attempt to nab the perfect mate or the swirling patterns of bluish-green lights on a clear Scandinavian night sky- you can never trade these for the most sought-after degree from an ivy league university! Whether it is the rainbows in Hawaii, the underground natural springs in Mexico, or a boat ride to see the breath-taking stalactites of the natural caves in the Halong Bay of Vietnam, travel indeed proves to be a great teacher.
If nature’s bounty were not enough, there’s many a lesson to be learned from man-made wonders too! From conquering the Great Wall of China to traversing through the Mayan city of Chichen Itza or gazing at the chiselled dwellings and temples in the sandstone mountains at Petra or discovering the Incan stronghold at Machu Pichu, you navigate a world between the bookish learning in schools and the eternity of Time. You stand before the Taj Mahal- the experience is unbelievable; the beauty leaves you mesmerized, the royal love euphoric and the stunning monument becomes an evocation of man’s insignificance in the grand scheme of things.
There’s a flip side too. Visiting the sites of Genocide or the Holocaust makes you experience a heart-rending, gut–wrenching anguish at the decimation of a race or a community. Man’s inhumanity to man and the horrific atrocities they commit would never fail to disturb you. With a rush of emotions like anger, pity, fear, and sadness surging through you, the hard-hitting experience is sure to shake you to your foundations.
The lessons that travel and outdoor education teach you are to find beauty in small things, to open up your life to new ways of thinking and living, to make that quantum leap in personal growth, to improve your well-being, to expand your horizons and to learn about life; but by far, the greatest lesson that travel teaches you is that ultimately nothing matters- neither your wealth nor your achievements; what matters is understanding the core of your being and your existence and that is compassion for every creature on this planet; a deep sense of understanding that we are all the same, irrespective of all our differences and that, my friend, that is something even the best university of the world cannot teach you.
In the words of Ibn Battuta, “travel leaves you speechless, and then turns you into a storyteller.”
Author – Minal Shah, Teacher, Navrachana International School, Vadodara
