A Conceptual Inquiry into the Integration of Sacred Nature, Society, and Leadership in Outdoor Recreation and Experiential Education Programs

Abstract

Throughout time and across cultures, the relationship between Homo sapiens and the natural environment has played a central role in identifying and defining aspects of the realm of spirituality, wherein humans seek to make sense of the universe and find meaning in their own existence. Within outdoor recreation and experiential education (OREE) programs—implicitly or explicitly—the natural environment is a distinctive component of both leadership development and participation outcomes. Relationships among people, whether as individuals or within societies, exhibit myriad dichotomies, such as violent/peaceful or cruel/loving, that are more accurately arrayed as continuums ranging from predation through partnership and nullification through affirmation. Leadership philosophies mirror that arrangement. In similar fashion, the natural environment can be conceptualized in terms of its sacredness, ranging from primal (Nature, capitalized) through modern (nature, lower-case), while the realm of spirituality reflects cultural and personal attributes derived from the degree of sacredness. This paper integrates an existing model of societal/personal relationships and leadership philosophies within an overarching conception of Nature's sacredness and human spirituality, providing OREE professionals with a conceptually based but practical framework for self-assessing the level of congruence existing between the model's moral/ethical implications and the actual outcomes derived from their own organizations' philosophical positions and programmatic choices.

Winter course experience: Towards a wider understanding of a dramaturgy approach

“…Considering the category of nature there appeared experiences that can be understood according to Uhlik's (2006) terms as a transition from a predator to a partner relationship with nature. One participant experienced the forest as a temple and such experience can be understood as an experience of sacred nature (Uhlik, 2009). Some participants experienced the awe of nature's beauty, which enhances the possibility of a spiritual experience according to Stinger and McAvoy (1992).…”