Embracing Winter and Living Friluftsliv

The last few weeks have felt as wintery as any in recent memory. Frigid north winds, daily snow, and temperatures that have only flirted with thirty degrees. Sunsets have crept past 5:00 PM and in this part of the northeast we will gain nearly 80 minutes of daylight during the month of February, but winters in New Hampshire are both cold and long. We have a choice how we handle the winter months. We can retreat indoors and curse the cold, or we can embrace the amazing outdoor recreation opportunities available to us. At Proctor, we choose the latter. 

Scandinavians use the word friluftsliv to describe their approach to the long winter months. It literally translates as “fresh-air life” and is a cultural understanding that regardless of the weather there is value (physical, emotional, and psychological) in being active and spending time in nature. Read more about the philosophy and lifestyle in THIS article from the BBC that we highlighted five years ago during our Covid-19 winter. 

Nestled at the base of Ragged Mountain in the Blackwater River valley, Proctor’s 2,500 acres of woodlands as a campus have encouraged a culture of friluftsliv at the school since its earliest years. In 1891, Head of School James Francis Morton built an extensive trail network behind his home (the old Morton House), and in 1936 Roland Burbank started the campus improvement squad that would conduct gardening, forestry, and maintenance projects on campus and throughout the woodlands. Burbank would also start a Cabin Club in 1937 and a Forest Fire Fighters team in 1947. An official Outing Club would be launched in the 1950s, and as Proctor’s land holdings grew throughout the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, the intersection of hands-on learning in the outdoors and Proctor’s mission grew inextricably woven together. 

Generations of faculty have seen the value in weaving their academic and afternoon program curriculum into time spent outdoors. This winter, more than 150 students have spent their afternoons engaged in snow sport activities, while wildlife ecology classes will regularly strap on snowshoes and tromp into Proctor’s woodlands observing native wildlife, identifying trees, going on owl prowls late at night, learning to appreciate the intrinsic joy found on a cold winter days jaunt through the woods. Likewise, every Sunday, Alan McIntyre continues the 20+ year old tradition of Polar Swim in Proctor’s Elbow Pond (see video clip below!). Last week, our Recreational Skiing and Snowboarding team held a “Winter Olympics” on the pond with New Hampton School’s Recreational Skiing group, and the week prior adventured on a backcountry skis and snowshoes to Mud Pond. 

Proctor’s research on student health and well-being under the leadership of Chief Medical Officer Dr. Nancy Turkington, informs us that nature as a prescription for mental health challenges has a proven impact on well-being. It turns out that Proctor’s long-embraced friluftsliv mindset during the winter helps all of us navigate the cold, dark months of December, January, and February. So even as the days get longer and next week’s weather starts to show hints of spring, we encourage you to pull on your snowpants, strap on some snowshoes, and get out on Proctor’s trails to enjoy the winter wonderland that is our backyard. 

 

Read more about our connection to the outdoors here!