Why Excess Screen Time Damages Your Child's Brain

By Alex Kvanli
January 28, 2020 (comments)

Nature is an environment that often demands awareness and being in the moment. We must be aware of dangers such as wild animals, the weather, obstacles, our location, etc.… In other words, we have to be on the lookout for new occurrences or novelty. When in this state of awareness, we are cognizant and focused on our surroundings. Human evolution was largely driven by the fact that our ancestors spent large amounts of their time outside. Being aware of new occurrences was necessary for survival and we still operate on many of those same genes that allowed our ancestors to...

11 Proven Ways Wilderness Adventure Camps Can Transform Your Kid’s Life

By Alex Kvanli
December 01, 2019 (comments)

Experiential education programs like wilderness adventure camps have ways of inspiring kids in ways that are not possible at home, school, or through traditional sports. Canoeing, hiking, and kayaking with a group through wilderness environments like the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) of Northern Minnesota is much more than just fun. It can be a profound experience with lifelong lessons. By banning electronics, detaching participants from their normal patterns and behaviors, and connecting them with nature in a supportive group setting, wilderness adventure camps are designed to cause participants to confront their self-concept and motivate them to explore and...

The Bent-Shaft Advantage

By Ned Yonkers
April 16, 2019 (comments)

Efficient Paddling For most of us at camp, canoeing means sitting back, relaxing, and enjoying nature’s beauty. But for some paddle enthusiasts, speed and efficiency matter more than anything. That’s why we’re sharing a quick review of efficient paddling techniques.

Staying Inside Could Harm The Environment

By Alex Kvanli
April 07, 2019 (comments)

A study in 2008 suggested that per capita participation in nature recreation is declining at a rate of approximately -1.0% to -1.3% per year (Pergams & Zaradic, 2008). It does not seem like much, but what if the trend continues for a century? The rise of technology and shift in popular culture may be behind this shift. The effects of spending less time in nature could affect our personal and environmental health (Mark & Janssen, 2008; Matthews & Riley, 1995).

City-Dwellers: Your Creativity May Be At Risk

By Alex Kvanli
March 27, 2019 (comments)

Could living in a city affect your creativity? Over half of the world’s population is now living in urban areas (UN News Centre, 2014). One result of increased urbanization is that people are spending less time in nature. Furthermore, technology and the ease of access to information may be decreasing our time for contemplative and creative thinking. Research suggests that these implications may have detrimental effects on our health and wellbeing. Unnatural environments’ effect on animals On the surface, some factors that may contribute to the negative health effects of living in a city could be the air pollution, crime...

New Studies Praise the Health Benefits of Saunas

By John Burgman
March 11, 2019 (comments)

If you follow along with the latest health and fitness trends, you’re likely to encounter some unique and unfamiliar concepts: Wearable Technology, Cryotherapy, Foam Rolling…Control Pause Breathing. That’s not to say that there are not benefits to each of those; it’s certainly important to always keep in mind that health and wellness practices are always evolving. But a surprisingly familiar concept to many summer camp alumni has been getting a lot of attention from the mainstream lately. Within the past year alone, the practice of taking a sauna has been purported to have benefits ranging from lowering the risk of...

A True Well-Rounded Education

By Alex Kvanli
February 28, 2019 (comments)

Don’t trust the gradebooks.

Nature's Effect on Our Brains and Well-being

By Alex Kvanli
January 21, 2019 (comments)

Why are we drawn to nature? What makes the great outdoors so great?

POSTURE! An Old School Habit We're Bringing Back

By Peter Grunawalt
September 22, 2016 (comments)

Were you ever yelled at as a child to have good posture at the dinner table? Or at your desk in school? While it hasn’t fallen off everyone’s radar, posture is certainly not an emphasized issue. Gone are the days of being chastised for not sitting up straight. But is posture really that important? Yes, it turns out. Poor posture in children is the greatest predictor of postural issues later in adulthood, manifesting as pain in the head, neck, back, hips and knees (Widhe, 2001). Poor posture is also compounding, meaning that if one link in the chain is out...