Camping

Touchstone Youth Centre’s Camping Project explores the possible outcomes and effects nature has when used as a therapeutic milieu in conjunction with recreational therapy. Youth who are homeless face many difficult obstacles every day of their lives. These include finding housing; resume writing and interview skills; navigating through legal systems and learning how to live under one roof with many rules, limitations and strangers. They also tackle the difficulties of living with mental health, addictions, histories of abuse and gang-related issues. This lifestyle can be challenging and often stressful for youth (Goodman, Saxe and Harvey, 1991). By removing these youth from their everyday stressors, this project hopes to see a temporary improvement in the overall mood and affect of each participant.

Richard Louv (2005), author of Last Child in the Woods: Saving our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder, introduced the theory that children and youth who were “alienated from nature… experience diminished use of the senses, attention difficulties, and higher rates of physical and emotional illness” As well, he spoke of “long standing studies (which) show a relationship between the absence, or inaccessibility, of parks or open spaces with high crime rates, depression and other urban maladies.”

Louv (2005) focused not so much on the loss of nature, but more on what can be gained biologically, cognitively and spiritually through a positive physical connection to nature. He believes that, in order for there to be healthy development in these areas, the senses need to be stimulated by something other than just the television and other indoor activities, and that children and youth must play in order to learn how to negotiate problems and obstacles and how to be creative.

This is why we decided to explore the effects of removing the clients – most of whom have had little to no experience with nature or camping – from the city and offering them an opportunity to explore other parts of their senses while in nature. It was hoped that the change of environment – to somewhere quieter, free from the business of the city, with more open green space and an abundance land to explore – might help soothe some of the troubles and stressors the clients face on a daily basis.

We anticipate noticing a calmer mood displayed by the clients during and after the trip. We also hope that the clients will be able to note a difference in their own stress levels and be able to observe and feel the difference in their peers as well. We also hope that the clients will attempt to experience nature by walking and playing, using the canoes to explore, swimming and participating in the organized activities. As well, we want to provide youth who may never have had the chance or may not be able to afford it, with the opportunity to experience something new and create positive life changing memories connected to nature.