When I was the director of North Country Community College’s Wilderness Recreation Leadership Program, my staff and I worked ceaselessly to assess student outdoor leaders transparently and fairly. We ended up with a sophisticated assessment process, but when all was said and done, we had a ...

I grew up in farm country and one thing I learned was that I never wanted to be a farmer. I occasionally helped my farmer friends during the haying season and quickly learned how hard they worked. Fast forward 60 years and guess what I’ve become? A farmer of sorts: I farm trees for maple ...

I went to the Wilderness Education Association annual conference a couple of weeks ago in Asheville, North Carolina. I’ve been involved in the organization for many years, but I hadn’t been to a conference in over a decade. It’s a great organization and the NCCC Wilderness Recreation ...

During the start of the coronavirus pandemic there were runs on certain items in the grocery store. Understandably, there were shortages of hand sanitizers and sanitizing wipes. What I struggled to understand were the runs on toilet paper. I’ve traveled to several countries where toilet ...

I loved high school. Maybe I should say, I loved certain aspects of high school. I loved sports, I loved being a student leader, I enjoyed chorus and band. What didn’t I love? Academics. If a subject didn’t trigger my interest I didn’t put in any effort. I wasn’t driven to ...

Last week as I was cleaning up my excuse for an office (a tiny corner of our bedroom) I came across the obituary of my grandfather Kenyon Joyce. I met him only a few times, as he and my grandmother lived in San Francisco, and he died when I was young. I remember him being formal and ...