Back to Nature
May Back to Nature: Spring Hiking Report
Location: Mitake
Date: May 19, 2018
Participants: 17 campers, 4 LITs, 6 care workers, 15 volunteers, 5 Mirai no Mori Staff
Program:
Despite some light rain, we were graced with excellent weather for spring hiking.
First time campers and returnee campers were lively as we gathered at the meeting point. Volunteers enlivened the activities by enthusiastically participating in games.
Campers and volunteers were split into teams and came up with awesome team names like, “Team Mushroom” or “Team Butterfly.” Afterwards, campers learned how to use a compass, how to play Nature Bingo, and learned the hiking rules to ensure a fun, but safe hiking adventure. And then we were off!
Each team hiked the 6km to Mount Sougaku and back at their own paces and enjoyed being immersed in nature. One team worked hard to find a bird’s nest, which was an item on their Nature Bingo, in the trees while another team utilized their compasses to take a water break facing South. Another team hummed songs as hiked. Each team showed unique qualities, but everyone had fun while hiking!
After a recharge from a delicious onigiri bento lunch, campers and volunteers persevered until they reached the very top. Everyone’s voiced echoed as we shouted “We did it!”
Then, everyone showed amazing endurance on the way back down, some campers even ran down the trail.
At the end, some participants shared their impressions about the day’s activities. A 1st grader said, “My first hiking experience was awesome!” Another camper who worked really hard on the Nature Bingo said, “It was fun looking for puddles until the very end.” A volunteer said, “The teamwork that everyone showed was great.”
The Morgan Stanley volunteers’ enthusiastic participation greatly livened up the campers’ experience and sparked an interest in the activities. We hope these experiences helped to broaden the campers’ perspectives.
Thank you to those who participated in this month’s program!
