Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
The inspiration for a new business can come from any number of sources. For Tom Cammermeyer, a native of Norway, it came following a bout with a life-threatening medical condition.
Tom had a blood clot in his brain and was left unconscious for two weeks and unable to do almost anything. Getting a second chance at life helped him develop the desire to give back and teach children and adults to appreciate the beauty all around them without having to face a catastrophe. He learned of the Norwegian philosophy of frilufsliv (free-less-leave), or free-air-life, which involves living the unselfish and simple life of nature. This became the basis for the Norwegian Outdoor Exploration Center, which launched in March 1980.
Today, the Park City-based Norwegian Outdoor Exploration Center works with 10 public schools in Summit County to give students access to nature. Two mentors take a team of six students into nature from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Instead of leading the group, the mentors are considered an equal part of the team. Students are allowed to make decisions on what activities they want to do during the day — cross-country skiing, hiking or just enjoying the mountains. Activities are designed to help them learn respect and reverence for nature and support what they learn in school.
Recent research has suggested a link between Attention Deficit Disorder and a lack of access to nature and free, unobstructed play. Both Tom and assistant director Trevor John hope to remedy this by providing children access to nature during school hours and also teaching them the importance of unplugging from electronic devices. They also hope NOEC can be the forerunner in programming that helps get children back into nature. This is such important and timely work. They have developed a four-week course called "Living with Nature in Norway" that will be offered through University of Utah Parks and Recreation starting in May 2011.
Tom says that operating the Norwegian Outdoor Exploration Center, a non-profit organization, has helped him learn just how important it is for everyone to be involved with nature.
For Zions Bank, I'm Chris Redgrave, speaking on business.
