We explored Gary Snyder's notion of “the lessons of the wild” by intentionally cultivating our receptivity to the interaction between nature and psyche during a one-week backcountry exploration of the Escalante canyons, Utah. By paying attention to, and recording, specific lessons that emerged within our individual psyches, and discussing these with our group, we clarified what we each learned while immersed in this place. In so doing, “wildness” became less abstract, and our learning more powerful. Key Words: Wildness—Natural history—Experiential learning—Escalante canyons—Gary Snyder.
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