Participants in Wilderness Programs are most likely to undergo a transformation in self-image and core values when their guides are perceived to be passionate, competent, and happy; when the program components are appropriate to the stage of change they are in; and when they leave the program feeling better about themselves.

So I'm thinking about how to apply this method of counseling to encouraging pro-environmental behavior.

Perhaps, for participants at a pre-contemplative stage, just getting them out in nature would be good. Have them doing something they enjoy (whether it's extreme rock climbing/white water or a mellow float trip or eco-tour). Casually slip in some stuff about concerns for the area they are enjoying, and how human behavior is involved.

For contemplative participants, get them *doing something*. Some service project that they can feel good about when it's over. And during the project, be sure to role model responsible behaviors they could take home (recycling, composting, responsible resource use), doing so in ways that look easy to incorporate into the typical modern lifestyle. You want them to be able to visualize themselves making these changes, to feel like they are realistic.

Participants in preparation should receive active coaching on finding resources, causes, and ways to plug in with their home communities. (perhaps my favorite moment as an instructor was when two students came to me, pen and pads in hand, during free time at the end of a long day of work, and asked, "how can we get more involved when we go home?").

For participants who jump into action, it would be great to offer follow up (perhaps on-line). Answer questions, trouble-shoot obstacles, etc. My experience is that attendance for in-person meetings and discussions will be low, unless these can be made genuinely fun social events. An example of this would be the volunteer work weekends hosted by Sound Experience. Participants come for a weekend and take on little (often unskilled) maintenance projects on the ship, get to sleep on board, enjoy potluck meals, and hear updates about the crew's work in "protecting Puget Sound through environmental education".

I think that applying this sort of stuff will play a significant part in my thesis, so any thoughts would be appreciated. Maybe think about efforts you have been involved in, how those efforts fit into the rubric (lens/model) of motivational interviewing, and how effective they appear to be. Does this way of looking at those efforts ring true?

What about traditional rites of passage? How do they compare to the experiences that wilderness guides offer to participants today? Outward Bound courses (and the courses of many groups modeled after Outward Bound) include Solo - a time for participants to camp alone and reflect. Cultures all over the world have made a practice of sending individuals off into the wilds for transformative experience. Not just the so-called 'primitive' societies, either - Moses, Jesus, and Mohamed did it, just to drop a few big names.

Rites of passage during adolescence to signify transition into adulthood, rites of passage in mid life as preparation for more spiritual lives... Clearly these are 'transformative' experiences. What can we learn from them, and how might we use it to create more powerful experiences for our participants?