“This Trip Changed My Entire Life”: Rebecca Welch and the Transformative Power of Outdoor Learning
When high schooler Rebecca Welch boarded a bus at 5 a.m. in a Safeway parking lot, she had no idea that she was about to embark on a journey that would forever transform her worldview, career path, and relationship with the outdoors. A quiet tenth grader from Burney, CA, Rebecca had never gone hiking, never camped, and rarely traveled outside her small rural community. But thanks to a teacher’s encouragement and a winning essay, she found herself en route to Yosemite National Park to take part in a NatureBridge program.
Now a teacher herself, Rebecca credits the NatureBridge trip during her sophomore year with unlocking a whole new path for her future.
Growing up in a lower-income household, Rebecca experienced few opportunities for travel or outdoor adventures. When her high school English teacher suggested she enter an essay contest to vie for the prize of attending a NatureBridge program on a full scholarship, Rebecca had never heard of the organization. She was only vaguely aware of the existence of Yosemite National Park—or any national parks. Winning the contest brought Rebecca an unexpected opportunity—and a level of nervous excitement. She didn’t know anyone else on the trip, and it would be her first time away from home by herself.
Arriving at NatureBridge, Rebecca found that all her previous anxieties vanished almost immediately. “The counselors were so welcoming and so energetic,” she recalls. “It was so beautiful. I had never gone hiking, never gone camping. It was all brand-new to me.” The immersion in nature, led by enthusiastic NatureBridge educators, opened her eyes to the world in ways she had never imagined. “This trip to Yosemite changed my entire life,” Rebecca says without hesitation.
This trip to Yosemite changed my entire life.Rebecca Welch, former NatureBridge student
On the trails of Yosemite, Rebecca worked hard to live up to the expectations of the NatureBridge leaders and rise to meet every challenge she encountered. But she was keenly aware of her inexperience in the outdoors, and long days of hiking proved difficult for her. During one particularly challenging hike, Rebecca remembers how compassionately her NatureBridge educators responded when they realized she was struggling: “They took my pack, rubbed my back, let me take a break and talk,” she remembers. “They made me feel like I belonged.”
That sense of belonging and encouragement has stuck with her. Rebecca now encourages others who don’t have a lot of outdoor experiences to try them with her, and it’s become her mission to introduce as many people as possible to the wonder of the natural world that she first discovered at NatureBridge. “It’s hard to pinpoint [just] one thing that I’m grateful for because I’m so grateful I got to go” on the NatureBridge trip, she says. “Had I not gone on that trip, I don’t think I would be hiking, camping [or] have so much wanderlust and adventure.”
Prior to her NatureBridge experience, Rebecca describes herself as a shy and introverted student. But something clicked for her in Yosemite. She came home bubbling with facts about wildlife and plants, eager to share with others what she’d learned at NatureBridge. She began begging her family and friends to take her hiking, exploring Northern California’s trails and parks with new eyes. She dove into nonfiction reading about ecology and the environment, and she began pursuing a deeper understanding of her natural surroundings.
I still do, to this day, love science, and I bring it into everything that I do.Rebecca Welch, former NatureBridge student
Rebecca’s new-found passion was reflected in her academic performance—she scored in the top 80% nationally in ecology, a success she directly attributes to her NatureBridge experience. She later earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Simpson University.
During college, Rebecca started working at a local preschool and fell in love with teaching. Although her original dream was to become a high school science teacher, Rebecca’s teaching career began in elementary education. (This fall, Rebecca will transition away from working at the elementary level and will begin teaching high school math in Springfield, OR.) Since 2019, she’s been inspiring young minds, and—even amidst the challenges of teaching virtually during the Covid-19 pandemic—she has remained deeply committed to bringing science and nature into her classroom.
“I still, to this day, love science, and I bring it into everything I do,” she says. Rebecca regularly organizes field trips to local parks, contacting ranger stations and park associations to create meaningful outdoor experiences for her students. “You can be in nature and really instill joy,” she says. She helps her students discover that nature is all around them—and that it’s accessible to everyone—“even inside the city,” she emphasizes. Responding to Rebecca’s enthusiasm, her young students excitedly share their own stories about wildlife and plants they’ve seen and the places they hope to explore.
Rebecca’s story is a testament to the power of outdoor education. NatureBridge didn’t just introduce her to parks and hiking—it sparked a lifelong love of science, a passion for teaching, and a mission to introduce nature and its accessibility to everyone, especially those who’ve never had the chance to experience it.
“There’s still so much that the world has to offer,” she says. “It’s not all doom and gloom. There’s still so much beauty in the world.”
Thanks to NatureBridge, Rebecca knows how to find that beauty—and how to help others do the same.
Photos courtesy of Rebecca Welch
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