At the Evergreen Outdoor Center in Hakuba village in Nagano prefecture, staff aspire to reconnect youth and adults with nature by creating fun, safe, and educational outdoor experiences. The first step to achieving this begins not with lectures, but with immersion into Hakuba’s natural areas while participating in recreational activities. Evergreen is an ecologically sustainable tour operator that has been arranging recreational tours and instruction in Hakuba for more than a decade.
Evergreen’s range of outdoor programs includes week-long summer camps for children and customized school trips. Activities such as going up the mountains, onto the lake, into the rivers, and exploring the forests firsthand come easily to children and they can get their feet wet (literally) in many exciting outdoor sports. Canoeing, kayaking, mountain biking, hiking, rock climbing, and canyoning are not competitive in their objectives but do instil and require friendly teamwork, the support of friends, and, of course, the element of excitement and adventure. From sleeping in lakeside tents and camping in the hills to cooking and eating all their meals outside, children have a chance to get back to nature and just be kids.
Evergreen uses these outdoor activities as catalysts for discovery of the natural world as well as self-discovery, so that children of all ages realize their personal strengths and philosophies while developing creative ways of solving problems. A holistic approach to outdoor education is also encouraged, teaching kids how the weather, water cycle, and flora and fauna all interact, and how humans can influence these natural systems. Evergreen also aims to impart a sense of stewardship toward one’s local environment, be it an urban area or rural countryside. Students can also try their hand at orienteering and map reading and then apply these skills to real world environments. Curriculum-based studies are supplemented by learning about the geology of the mountains and seeing the effects of erosion. Groups often include community service in their adventure, assisting with local cleanup of lakes and rivers.
A number of Evergreen’s package tours are family-oriented, so parents and kids, even grandparents, can participate. An instructional canoe or kayak tour on crystal clear Aoki Lake on a warm summer day or an evening “Firefly Canoe Tour” can be a truly magical experience. For the more adventurous, the professional guides at Evergreen would love to dress you up in neoprene and lead you into the spectacular “Kamoshika Canyon” for a day of thrills, jumping and sliding into deep crystal pools, and descending on ropes and wire zip lines alongside steep canyon walls.
Evergreen also caters to large groups, schools, and corporate events, and can assist you and your team with arranging transport, accommodation, and nightlife activities to suit your needs and budget. Just give them a call at 0261-72-5150 or send an email to [email protected]. — JAMES ROBB
