Back to Nature: Leading 12 Kids Back to Nature on Moloka'i. . .

I had an idea, and not much more.

The goal? To get my students back to nature. To disappear from the familiar for five days. To simplify, slow down, and return to the natural Mother. To lead twelve Maui Prep students on an overland trek across our mysterious neighbor island: Moloka’i.

It is a rising practice of independent and visionary schools to designate a week of school days each year as an opportunity to explore whole new subjects through hands on experience. At the very moment when students and teachers are feeling the strain of many months of classroom learning, Interim arrives. Suddenly, students and teachers can pour themselves into something new for a week. The list of trips offered at Maui Prep this year was packed with fascinating options: Robotics, dance, college explorations, internships, Native Hawaiian excursions, SCUBA certification, and a mission to Moloka’i.

I could have happily led any of these trips, but my deep desire was to deliver twelve kids into rural Moloka’i. Initially, I imagined that P.E. Teacher and Hawaiian Survivorman Kawika Casco and I would lead our intrepid kids on a point to point trek, covering some ten miles a day, breaking camp each morning, and traversing the island.

This was clearly ridiculous.

I was somewhat emboldened by my time as an Outdoor Action Trip leader at college, when I would head into the Catskills or the Black Forest for six days with a well-provisioned army of college freshman. I forgot to remember, however, that my new trip members were 13-16, not 18.

I also overlooked the fact that I knew virtually nothing about the terrain of Moloka’i. In an island so private and pristine, moving around on foot with a troupe of 14 trekkers would have been a logistical boondoggle.

Fortunately, Maui Prep Board President and Parent Scott Shoemaker gave me a reality check.

Decades ago Mr. Shoemaker shredded across the Pailolo Channel to the East Coast of Moloka’i (8.4 miles at its shortest point, Mr. Shomaker once covered the entire distance in 24 minutes!) He came ashore in a reef-protected fishpond on one of the most lush, gorgeous, and pure stretches of coast in our archipelago. He secured a piece of land, erected a pre-fabricated octagon on stilts, and converted most of the property into a manicured Polynesian Garden of Eden.

“Mr. O,” he said. “I think we should use this as our home base.”

The trip changed in an instant. With the Shoemaker lawn as our campground, and access to running potable water and electricity, we suddenly had many of our core needs met. Admittedly, our camping trip became a lot easier (refrigeration, bathrooms, ping pong table, jacuzzi, televsion, golf cart transportation between tents). Our return to nature was slightly compromised. But in return, we ran a four-day program of activities that allowed the kids to try just about anything they imagined.

Here is a short list of what we did:

-The kids with their hunting certifications hunted a boar by 9 AM the first morning, with the gracious help of Kalani.

-We surfed, body boarded, and bodysurfed three wild coastlines (North, East, and West).

-We climbed two mountains, achieving majestic views of our Maui home and the Pailolo channel

-We hiked four miles from the sea to the back of Halawa valley with our sagacious local guide Kalani Pruet (molokaiflowers.com).

-Led by Mr. Casco, We caught two tako in the caves in front of our campsite, layed fishing nets, and the boys caught plenty ono fish that they prepared for dinner.

-We snorkeled, swam, kayaked, and spearfished.

-With the help of Coach Shoemaker and 15 knots of wind, we windsurfed.

-We chipped in to help our sister school, Aka’ula, repaint the façade of their school. We probably painted ourselves and each other as much as we did the school. . .

-We traveled to Kalaupapa lookout to see the most storied peninsula in the Pacific.

The trip was hilarious, intense, exhausting, interesting, challenging, and thrilling. It was rejuvenating not only to interact with kids outside of a formal academic setting, but also to help them do things they enjoy as well as experiment with new adventures. Education comes in many forms, and the world outside our classroom holds endless possibilities for growth and learning.

I would make the trip again in an instant. Next time, perhaps we’ll make good on the promise to get back to nature. . . .