PETERSBURG, Pa. — Former Outdoor School Director Bill Hug has many fond memories from his time at Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center, but, perhaps, none are as special as the ones he is making with his daughter as he comes back to visit more than 30 years later.
This spring, Lilianna Hug, a Penn State junior, just wrapped up her third year of working at Outdoor School, a four-day residential outdoor education program offered through Shaver’s Creek. With Shaver’s Creek celebrating its 50-year anniversary, her dad came out to visit and spend some time with her at the program that has had an impact on both of their lives.
“We took a walk at Shaver’s Creek, and it was kind of nice to have the nostalgia of the time when I was here and hearing Lily's stories about what she's doing today. That was a wonderful opportunity to have a father-daughter moment,” Bill said. "It's really kind of fun to be there now, 30-some years later. A lot has changed, but it's mostly the same. It's nice to have that connection.”
Indeed, many things have changed over the past three decades, such as moving from Stone Valley Recreation Area to Camp Blue Diamond and the evolution of the curriculum to align with PA STEELS education standards, but one thing remains the same: the goal of providing a positive outdoor experience for all the participants
Part of that Outdoor School experience for the Penn State students and staff who guide the campers on their journeys, is choosing a nature name that reflects their connection to the natural world.
Back when he was director of the program and of outdoor education at Shaver’s Creek from 1989 to 1992, Bill said he chose to honor the bird that would sing outside of his childhood bedroom window. Even after all these years, when he is back on the grounds of Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center, Bill still harkens back to his nature name, "Whip-poor-will."
Lilianna has taken up the nature name of "Trillium," and said her work with Outdoor School has given her the opportunity to share with the next generation something that her father helped to instill in her: a connection to the natural world.
“Having this opportunity to share what I have learned in class and through my life with kids is really cool, because I grew up in a family that did a lot of outdoor activities. We went outside, we took hikes, but a lot of kids don’t have those opportunities,” said Lilianna. “So, I think that making sure that kids get that experience is really, really impactful because that is how change is going to happen.”
Providing schoolchildren with those kinds of outdoor experiences is what Outdoor School has been doing for almost 70 years. Led by the professionals at Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center and staffed by Penn State students, the residential program provides area elementary-school-aged children with positive, outdoor education experiences as they learn about the natural world through hands-on lessons and guided exploration.
Now an associate professor of early childhood education at Pennsylvania Western University, Bill said that programming is important for developing minds.
“One of the most important things a person can do is connect with the outdoors and understand their relationship in the natural world,” he said. “Helping other people understand that connection is vitally important for us all. The opportunity to be outdoors and help children be outdoors and learn about nature and science is vitally important stuff. That is what Outdoor School has always been about.”