“Education is a journey, not a destination.”
-Unknown
About Us
As a nervous first-year student from New Jersey who had never been backpacking, I took my first steps on the Long Trail with a group of strangers who had several things in common. Mainly, we all wanted to make new friends before starting college and we all generally liked being outdoors. At the time, I didn't realize the profound and lasting impact that UVM's wilderness orientation program would have on me, not to mention its influence on my career path. And what a fun hike it's been!
While earning my M.Ed. (Higher Education Administration with an emphasis in outdoor education) at UMass Amherst, I envisioned, proposed, and ultimately was empowered to coordinate a wilderness orientation program. What a great way to connect the interests I had cultivated as a grad student! Upon graduating, I spent the next two years working in this newly created position running my little wilderness orientation program, easing new students' transition into university life, and developing student leaders. The feedback we received (participant and leader evaluations, group journals, etc.) was tremendous. Participants reported feeling more prepared, relaxed, comfortable, excited, and confident about starting college. By participating in an outdoor adventure with the right balance of challenge and support, students forged quality friendships, developed a greater appreciation for their environment, and acquired the skills they'd need to successfully navigate their way through the wilderness and a large public university. Training the leaders was certainly a highlight for me – a way to give back, educating them on many of the Leave No Trace practices, technical and outdoor leadership skills I had once learned as a student. I continue to enjoy hearing from former students, learning how this experience has influenced them and how they have applied such leadership skills to various aspects of their lives.
I relocated to California to join Amanda and currently work as a health educator for fitness, nutrition, and wellness at UC Davis. I hope to continue working with college students as a student affairs practitioner and experiential educator in the future. I volunteer with Big City Mountaineers, providing under-resourced urban teens with opportunities for outdoor recreation and personal development. Since moving out west, I've enjoyed some memorable backpacking trips in the Sierra Nevada and the Coast Ranges , and have taken my trail running to the next level, competing in races at the half-marathon, 25K, and marathon distances. I've also been having a blast as a first-time dog owner.
I'd like to continue exploring the ways in which outdoor recreation affects people. As a health educator I've become particularly interested in studying the health/wellness benefits of outdoor activities. As Amanda and I embark on this long-distance hike, I eagerly anticipate the numerous opportunities to experience, document, and promote the benefits of outdoor recreation. Furthermore, I postulate that just as a week in the woods might ease students' transition into college life and set them up for success, spending five months hiking the PCT as an engaged couple could serve as our "wilderness orientation to marriage."
To learn more about Jonathan's background, see his resume.
Amanda ("Moonshadow")
Two inspirational science teachers in junior high kindled my interest in natural science. It seemed that all one had to do was to notice things, not be afraid of dirt, and ask good questions, then think about what the answers might be and how you could tell which answers wouldn't work. (I think that's basically the Scientific Method.)
I've been hooked on geology ever since the beginning of college. I was drawn to the outdoor aspect of the subject and the idea that I could learn how to "read" the history of rocks just by walking around and looking at them. Studying geology leads one to realize that everything in, on, and above the Earth is part of an incredibly complex system that operates across a huge range of scales in time and space. In my experience, this "geologic perspective" tends to open people's minds and allow them to think more independently and critically about issues such as global warming, pollution, and the energy crisis.
I am beginning to see myself as a teacher of the Earth's perspective on issues of contemporary interest. As Geology Lab Director at Mount Holyoke College (all women), I discovered that students were eager and willing to open their minds to new dimensions of thinking about a variety of issues of local-to-global concern. Armed with well-designed activities plus hearty portions of guidance and encouragement, I believe that I helped many students to develop the skills and confidence to begin to incorporate critical scientific thinking with a "geologic perspective" into their realm of thought. A handful went on to become geology majors or minors; I hope that the rest left with minds a bit more open and independent and not intimidated by science.
Intending to earn a PhD in order to become a college professor, I returned to graduate school. However, I soon came to realize that my personal goals did not fit well with the path I was pursuing. First, while I had been drawn to the outdoor aspect of geology, it began to bother me more and more that even field geologists must spend long hours working at computers indoors for most of the year. Second, I have encountered a lack of opportunities to take a holistic approach to natural science in higher education. I would like to explore experiential, observation-based ways to study natural systems. (I'm not sure yet what this means, but stay tuned for future trail journals to see if I get it worked out.) I decided to leave school to seek other ways to apply my enthusiasm for teaching and learning about the Earth and living things. Thru-hiking the PCT and co-launching the movement "Trails to Wellness" are my first steps in that direction. I do hope that I will have the opportunity to teach college students and other adults in the future, contributing to their ability to act as independent-minded, well-informed, critically-thinking citizens.
A final note: my motivation also stems from a quest for personal health and wellness. The continual challenge of living with chronic indoor air sensitivity (a.k.a. indoor allergies) has heightened my awareness of the need to get outdoors and be active – perhaps the best way for anyone to counteract the effects of too much time spent sedentary and indoors. I hope to draw attention to the benefits that await anyone who chooses to take the initiative to "get outside and play."
To learn more about Amanda's background, see her resume.
Us
("The Sunshine Couple")
We (Jonathan and Amanda) met through the local rock climbing community in western Massachusetts. Too soon after we began dating, Amanda had to leave to fulfill her commitment as a summer field assistant and begin a PhD program at UC Davis. After a long summer apart, Jonathan took the leap to visit Amanda in California. That visit included a backpacking trip in the Desolation Wilderness that renewed and strengthened our relationship. After that integral bonding experience, we knew that we belonged together, making the eight months of 3,000-mile "long distance" dating well worth the wait.
In the spring of 2006, Amanda flew out to pick up Jonathan and we drove across the country with everything that could fit in his truck. A few months later, exactly one year from Jonathan's first visit to California, he proposed to Amanda on a hill by a lake (see photo) just off the PCT in Desolation Wilderness – a spot that holds special meaning for us because of our memories from that first backpacking trip.
Now we have chosen to spend five months backpacking together as a celebration of our engagement. For us, "Trails to Wellness" is the expression that describes the joining of our different paths of career and personal development into one path for awhile, i.e. the PCT. Our ideas converge where there is a profound and growing gap between people and nature. We are taking action to narrow that gap in our own lives by hiking and living outside for five months, further strengthening our relationship with each other and the Earth. We hope to draw attention to the great wealth of benefits that anyone can access by simply being active in nature.
