In Maine, USA, students at Morse High School go hiking as punishment. An original idea driven by Leslie Trundy, 54, the establishment’s guidance counselor. A keen hiker herself, she knows the virtues of adventure in the woods. Many students are initially reluctant: what’s the point of walking for hours when they could be sitting quietly in class? Gradually, however, the idea seems to be gaining ground.
The discussions in the open air, bathed in the smell of pine trees and lulled by the song of birds, were enough to convince the group. Thus, since 2024, the hours of detention are spent in contact with nature. The naughty brats aren’t the only ones walking, Trundy having launched a walking club for high school students, which is now enjoying great success.
For approximately five kilometers, students immerse themselves in the nature of the Whiskeag Trail passing behind the high school. Rustling leaves, buzzing insects, crunching twigs: young people connect with nature, often for the first time. Meal breaks by the creek are punctuated by the reading of poems by Wendell Berry or Mary Oliver. A more pleasant punishment than a two-hour detention in a classroom.
An effect on health, physical and mental
For the students, these walks represent moments of conviviality. The hikes soothe and relax the walkers who extend the Trundy initiative including during the long winter months – this time armed with ponchos, hats and gloves! In total, the guidance counselor led nearly twenty hikes the previous year.
Morse High School student Elsie Nelson-Wallin has participated in five expeditions into the woods. She, who is used to skipping classes and has difficulty remaining seated in a chair, recognizes that these escapades do her good and help her maintain a diligent pace at school. She enjoys the hikes so much that she volunteers to attend them outside of detention hours.
Alexander Soto went on three excursions after being caught vaping in the building. The famously agitated and turbulent high school student says Trundy’s idea allowed him to approach his schooling from a new perspective. Walks in the heart of the Maine forest soothe him, he explains.
Amy McDonnell, a postdoctoral fellow and cognitive neuroscience researcher at the University of Utah, says spending time in nature has a significant effect on mental and physical health. Taking a walk in the fresh air would reduce stress and improve concentration. Contact with others during hikes would also develop social bonds, important throughout life and crucial for young people.
According to Trundy, this method has helped reduce the number of detentions. If the last hike was very busy, it’s because many high school students were volunteers. Some parents, however, take a dim view of this new type of gentle discipline, believing that such activity is not an appropriate punishment – some have even banned these walks from their children. Maybe they should go get some fresh air too.
