50 Stories for 50 Years: Kimberly McMorrow
On Earth Day in 1972 — just two years after the invention of the environmental holiday — Kimberly McMorrow visited Yosemite for the first time. She and her eighth grade classmates were taking part in a fledgling nonprofit’s five-day outdoor education program, and like so many others in the decades to come, it would change her life. Then called Yosemite Institute, NatureBridge was that fledgling nonprofit, still in its infancy having been founded one year prior. Fifty years later, Kimberly serves on the NatureBridge Board of Directors and has seen the organization from many different perspectives. We've had the chance to interview Kimberly in 2019, but there were a few things we've learned about her over the years that we wanted to know more about.
Kimberly and I sat down virtually to talk about what’s changed since 1972, the perils of saddle shoes and how she’s giving her own kids (and complete strangers) what she never had a chance to experience as a child.
Your NatureBridge excursion in 1972 was your first experience in Yosemite; how much time did you spend in nature prior to that?
Not a lot. There were five kids in our family. I was the oldest. My dad worked a lot and my mom was really busy taking care of five children so they just didn't have the time to take us out and explore in the outdoors or send us to camp. I’d play in the creek with my brothers and climb trees — you know, just the typical stuff — but my parents really were too busy raising us kids to take us to parks or camp.
So Yosemite must have been a massive leap forward in exposure and appreciation?
I was in total awe of the beauty of the mountains and the waterfalls…Yosemite was spectacular. I remember staying in Curry Village and it was the first time I’d slept in a tent, or really anything even close to a tent. And we climbed up Vernal Falls, going all the way up to Nevada Falls. I mean, I'd never really hiked before so I didn’t have context, but that was a huge hike. I remember that clearly because it was so challenging. And I was in my saddle shoes on the Mist Trail, so…
Ignorant question, but what are saddle shoes?
Oh, you have to look them up to see them! They’re two-toned leather shoes with flat leather soles and no tread – definitely not at all like our modern running shoes or hiking boots.
Your three kids all went through NatureBridge programs, too. How did it feel going back as a parent chaperone and seeing them participate in the same kind of experience you had?
I chaperoned for my daughter's class trip to Yosemite in 2010. It was really fun seeing how excited the kids were on our hikes. I remember we all dunked our heads in the freezing cold river, and they played games with the educators and were so excited about the hands-on environmental science they were learning. I loved reliving the experience through their eyes.
Had you taken your kids to Yosemite before?
We took our kids hiking a lot. We had taken them to Yosemite, and they’d probably been cross country skiing there. I used to go for an annual environmental law conference, so they came along on many of those trips. My kids have always been active in the outdoors.
Was that something you tried to consciously instill?
When my kids were really little, like three and four, we’d explore parks in our area. I’d bribe them to hike up hills with a Starburst candy. I’d say, ‘Okay, walk up to that tree and you'll get a Starburst!’ We wanted it to be fun for them. And that was one way to get them to hike up some challenging hills and they never complained. It seems to have worked; they still do it! They started skiing very early, too. It was just the way we lived.
How does it feel to know you inspired them in part to appreciate and value the outdoors?
It's so much fun because we all do so many outdoor activities together, which is wonderful, right? It's a great way to bond as a family. This summer, two of my three kids and I climbed the Grand Teton here in Wyoming. It was a surprise they gave me for my birthday/Christmas present. What an incredible experience that was!
NatureBridge’s educators are really incredible– they’re the core of the organization.Kimberly
You took it upon yourself to instill those same values of environmental appreciation and stewardship to a broader audience at Eastside College Preparatory School. Can you talk about the outdoor environmental education program there and why you started it?
I started the Outdoor Program in 2005. I had been tutoring at Eastside for a couple of years and saw how hard students worked academically and felt there was an opportunity for students to develop deeper connections and bond as a class through outdoor experiences. So many students have never hiked on a trail, seen snow, or slept away from home, let alone in a tent. Giving students the opportunity to challenge themselves, doing something they’ve never done before, like rock climbing, backpacking, or a nighttime walk in the forest builds their self-confidence and hopefully gives them an appreciation and love for the natural world. I’ll never forget the excitement and beaming pride on the faces of a group of students who had just bushwhacked to the top of a 9,500-foot peak in the Sierras, and I feel so fortunate to be on the Board of Directors at NatureBridge, a national leader in outdoor environmental programs.
Oh so you’re going out there with the students on these overnight programs?
Yes, I go on all the trips and organize them — where we're going, the curriculum, hire outdoor educators who can help lead and drive, get the gear, and buy the food. We have about six overnight trips a year, including a four-day backpacking trip for the senior class. We can have up to 72 students on a class trip so we need helpers!
And I understand NatureBridge played a role early on?
Oh yes. I hired NatureBridge to do some day programming, so it was wonderful working with trained those educators to design and lead the program. NatureBridge’s educators are really incredible– they’re the core of the organization.
It strikes me that with your time, you’re giving kids the experience you never had when you were young. What inspires that?
It’s critically important for kids to experience first-hand the wonder of nature. The more they value the outdoors, the more likely it is that they will take their children out, and the more likely it is they'll want to protect these beautiful and important areas.
One last question: have you hiked up the Mist Trail since you went in 1972? Hopefully in different shoes?
You know, I haven’t. I need to get back there. I’ve got hiking boots now.
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