Chris Rose-Bailey

I always had a hard time making good, long-lasting friends in school—probably because my Dad was in the military and we moved around a lot. But we did, finally, make our way back to Oregon. I started middle school and met up with a few kids that I knew from early elementary school. When they told us about Outdoor School, I was so very excited at the opportunity, but also very scared. At the age of 12, I was still experiencing incidents 2-3 times a month of bed wetting and my fear was that it would happen while I was at Outdoor School. My camp counselors and cabin counselors made me feel very safe about the way it would be handled if it did happen. I felt like I didn't have anything to worry about and that I could learn and participate in all the activities without worry.

I learned many different things about the woods, the way Mother Nature changes the landscape, the plants and the animals. One of the lessons that I learned at Outdoor School that I have never forgotten was about owls and how they eat. I have actually used that knowledge in my adult years on several occasions. I also learned how to make and use a hobo stove. I have taught my children how to make and use them on family camping trips!

In the end, I made lots of friends at Outdoor School, had lots of fun, and learned lessons about the world we live in that I have carried all through my life.

Outdoor School was an adventure and a very important part of my growing up and learning about nature and what makes our world so incredibly awesome, as well as feeding the love in my adult life of being outdoors and sharing it with my children and grandchildren.