Winter Season Guides: Strategies for Winter Holidays
In a bid to help readers make the most of their winter break, Caitlin Larracey, the Assistant Director of Undergraduate Research, has shared a collection of informative posts. These posts aim to guide readers on how to progress on research or upcoming writing and application deadlines, while also encouraging them to spend time with friends and loved ones, prepare for the spring, and perhaps have extra sleep.
Among the posts in the collection is "Tips and Tricks: How to Stay on the Grind during Winter Break" by Andrea Reino, and "Five Tips to Tackle Winter Break" by Zoe Sims. Another post, "Now is the perfect time to build your personal portfolio!" by Agnes Robang, also features in the collection.
One of the innovative ways suggested in these posts is to integrate outdoor-based mental health practices, ecological restoration activities, and winter-specific recreational opportunities into the break. For instance, ecotherapy practices like forest bathing, horticulture, and conservation tasks can be incorporated to enhance mental health and contribute to restoration efforts while enjoying nature.
Participating in restoration projects, such as managing nature preserves and protecting native ecosystems, offers hands-on research and conservation experience during winter. Winter recreation activities like skiing and snowboarding at areas such as Hurricane Ridge provide physical engagement and connection with nature, complementing restoration and research goals.
The posts also suggest ways to balance these activities with participating in Wintersession offerings. Additional posts on this topic could explore how ecotherapy techniques help recharge mental and emotional well-being during winter breaks, case studies showing how outdoor recreation and restoration contribute to community revitalization post-disaster, balancing increased outdoor recreation in winter with wildlife conservation, practical tips for combining winter sports with ecological volunteering or citizen science for restoration and research, and university or community programs that engage students or residents in winter nature preserve restoration and monitoring.
It's worth noting that these posts are not advertisements but rather educational resources for readers, aimed at making winter break both restorative and productive. So, whether you're looking to stay on top of your research, enjoy some winter sports, or contribute to conservation efforts, these posts are a great place to start. You can find the collection of posts below in the article.
- Seniors can utilize their winter break to work on their senior thesis, incorporating undergraduate research within education-and-self-development by engaging in ecotherapy practices, restoration activities, and winter recreation, such as horticulture, nature preserve management, and skiing at Hurricane Ridge, respectively.
- Learning doesn't have to halt during winter break; one can make the most of this period by applying ecotherapy techniques to recharge mental and emotional well-being, participating in Winteression offerings, and volunteering for ecological restoration projects while enjoying winter sports, ultimately balancing learning, recreation, and service.
