Our Pastoral Deputy Head, Mrs Bedford, who is also a keen geographer and seasoned climber, reflects on the recent Sixth Form expedition to Iceland and the role nature plays in young people’s well-being.
In October half-term I went to Iceland with the Sixth Form geographers. I knew it would be a great trip, and that they would have a super time seeing an environment that is created by tectonic processes. While the students might have had a lesson in mantle plumes, I had one in the importance of nature in the well-being and emotional influence of young people.
Over four days we visited museums, saw rock melted in front of us and completed the Sky Lagoon seven step ‘ritual’ of heat rooms and cold plunge pools. All of these were memorable, however when I asked the students for highlights, it was two contrasting views of nature that kept being mentioned.
“I could see the excitement and awe in the students’ faces and the comments and expressions of ‘whoa’ and ‘wow’ left me in no doubt that they were emotionally affected by the experience.”
We stood well back from the sea at Reynisfjara and watched the waves hurl themselves with cold ferocity onto the black sand beach. We were there to see a sea stack and the hexagonal basaltic columns in the cliffs (similar to the Giant’s Causeway) but actually we stood transfixed by the waves. Looking south, the next land was Antarctica and no-one doubted that the wind over the north Atlantic that was blowing strongly in our faces had been the source of this expression of raw power. I could see the excitement and awe in the students’ faces and the comments and expressions of ‘whoa’ and ‘wow’ left me in no doubt that they were emotionally affected by the experience.As the clouds parted after a day of solid drizzle, a gentle golden light bathed the valley at Thingvellir. We were standing on the North American plate gazing across to the Eurasian plate. As we stood there, a rainbow formed and intersected with the slope of a snow-capped mountain. Frankly, it was magical. There were quiet murmurings between students as they shared this moment. Photos were taken and then they just stood, stared and lingered. The silence settled and deepened, 28 people again, transfixed.
The experience re-affirmed my view of the importance of being outside for children and young people. Of course, there are lots of fun things to do, and that’s important, our Outdoor Learning programme gives students the chance to learn to climb, dive, sail, ski, bike and more. In so doing, they learn self-reliance and develop confidence in their competence and ability to face challenge. However, nature offers something more fundamental: it is the exposure to the quiet, to be able to sit with silence, and to the environment beyond ourselves. It engenders the opportunity for awe that can be both moving and exhilarating and, in so doing, grounds the individual in the moment.
So, when you drag a reluctant teen out for a family walk, please persevere. Help them to stop for a minute when walking the dog to just look at the mist over the field. Don’t let them spend an entire day indoors. Even if it is just sweeping leaves in the garden, encourage them to turn the headphones off and hear the sounds around them and see the intricate detail and colour. In so doing, you will be investing in the range and power of their emotional framework and helping them to see the world beyond themselves – and what can be more important than that.
Learn more about our pastoral ethos Read more SHSK Thinks
