The recognized first formal outdoor education was initiated by author and war hero Lord Robert Baden-Powell in 1907 in Great Britain. The lordship recruited 20 lads to participate in an eight-day outing on Brownsea Island in the southern United Kingdom. His lordship tutored the boys in fishing, tracking, and wildlife study.
This novel approach proved so popular that in two years the participants numbered 100. The idea flourished into the Boy Scouts and was exported to the United States and some British colonies.
Commentary: Environmental education deserves more support from Minnesota leaders
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