Outdoor Adventures

Students from Mount Prospect Academy at Warren enjoyed a camping experience like no other in the great north woods of New Hampshire. The overnight trip was facilitated by the Upper Valley Stewardship Center. The trip was designed to be social, educational, and therapeutic for the students. Under the guidance of their instructors, MPA students learned outdoor survival skills throughout the trip. The trip encouraged students to make safe and responsible choices for themselves and the group throughout the activity.

 

 

Before heading into the woods, a pre-trip briefing took place that included: winter camping safety instructions, behavioral expectations, the gear acquisition process, and the packing of essential items.

 

 

 

 

 

The students were educated on outdoor survival skills, including setting up a tent/ hammock, tricks for maximizing heat retention, building a fire, filling and using a gravity water filter, using a camping stove to boil water, cooking MRE meals, and using knowledge of the weather to maintain gear functionality.

 

The evening consisted of stories about wild animal encounters, some burnt but delicious marshmallows, and the bonding that happens while sitting around a fireside with friends.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One aspect of the mission of Mount Prospect Academy is to provide opportunities for our students to grow and acquire skills that promote their ability to self-regulate and to gain self-confidence. Like other Adventure Therapy Programming activities at MPA, an overnight trip into the cold woods of New Hampshire seems to have fit the bill.

 

 

No matter the preparation, MPA students were challenged to move beyond their comfort zones and to adapt to what can sometimes be unexpected situations and circumstances that occur during a camping trip.

 

Throughout the trip, students were educated on the importance of responsible camping and to be conscious of their potential environmental impact. Instructors emphasized that “leaving the site better than we found it” was also a part of their duties.

 

 

During the post-trip debrief, when students were asked if they would do another trip- attached to a longer more challenging canoeing experience- the response from one student was simply, “Don’t even ask. Just sign me up!”

 

 

Thank you to the MPA Faculty, and the crew at Upper Valley Stewardship Center for this activity and the amazing work they do with MPA students.