Outdoor and environmental education programs pretty much all share a common feature: they are time-limited; they end, often just as the most transformative part of the experience has begun to set in. As such, an overlooked yet essential component to any program seeking to make education wild – seeking to teach the values of nature and wilderness – is the question of how to bring those teachings home. While canoeing on a remote lake or sleeping under the stars, the inherent teachings appear obvious. But how do we maintain those teachings while back home, sitting in traffic on the 401 or standing in line at the coffee shop? Through group activities and discussions we will wade in these murky waters, discovering how the use of a shared moral language (established at the outset of our programs) enables us to bring home – to the cities and our domesticated places – the teachings of the wilderness, nature, and the nonhuman.

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​There are four foundational components which shape the lessons and values of any experience: where we are, what we're doing, how we're feeling, and who our relations are. Recognizing that the "where we are" changes upon the end of outdoor trips and programs, After the Canoe Trip Ends addresses the challenging issue of maintaining the teachings and values of these experiences once the "where we are" has changed.

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Educators will learn a highly successful framework that was developed for Headwaters' canoe tripping program, but can be implemented in any setting where people are interacting with nature.

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Unique to Headwaters and born of our unique blend of theoretical and practical experience, this program is a perennial favourite for students and educators alike!