Outdoor Wellness Program

Outdoor Wellness

A group of Outdoor Wellness Program mentors wearing winter clothing poses on Western's campus

Are you interested in learning ways to connect with nature to enhance your mental well-being and resilience? Check out the Outdoor Wellness Program!

Nature connection has been shown to improve mental well-being and reduce symptoms of anxiety, depression, and ADHD, and the Outdoor Wellness Program is a fun way to take care of yourself and experience that connection, rain or shine!

Developed by the Recreation Management & Leadership program, the A.S. Outdoor Center, and the Counseling and Wellness Center, the Outdoor Wellness Program pairs Western students with peer mentors who will work with participants during winter and spring quarters to create weekly individualized nature-based experiences designed to boost their mental wellness.

Learn More

For more information about the program, click the link here to email Outdoor Wellness Teaching Assistant Cheyenne Fonda.

Tell Me More!

Register

Rolling admissions—program starts Winter Quarter and runs through Spring.

Register Now!

Meet Our Mentors!

Camille wearing a hard hat while sticking their tongue out toward a frog in their hand

Camille

Howdy! My name is Camille, I use she/they pronouns, and I am a Junior at Western! I grew up in the Montana Rockies and have since found home here in the PNW. I am studying Outdoor Recreation Management and Leadership, and Dance! You can also find me at the WWU Outdoor Center! Stoked to be part of this newly cultivated community with you all, and excited to continue to strengthen our connections to self, to community, and to the natural world together!

Camille (she/they)
Casey smiling at the camera and holding two mushroom toward the camera

Casey

Hi! I am a junior at Fairhaven College studying multicultural approaches to healing through music, embodiment, and relationship to nature. I love to make music, camp/backpack, dance, do yoga, circus-y things, ski, and be outside. Joy is a form of resistance! Let's have some fun!

Casey (she/her)
Eóin smiles at the camera while holding an apple below their face

Eóin

Hi there! I'm a senior psychology major with a passion for writing, reading, and nature. I'm very interested in the benefits that being outdoors has on everybody's well-being. If you like hiking & foraging for mushrooms as well as nerdy stuff, we'd probably get along great.

Eóin (they/he)
Katie Rose smiling at the camera while standing in the woods

Katie Rose

Hi! My name is Katie Rose and I'm in my Senior year of Psychology at Western. I use she/her pronouns and have always had a fierce love for nature:) I hike, ski, forage, and do art (preferably outside) in my free time in Bellingham.

Katie Rose (she/her)
Kelsey smiles at the camera in front of a view of Bellingham Bay

Kelsey

Hi! I'm Kelsey Nicholson and I use she/her pronouns. I am currently in my second year at Western. I love getting outside in any medium and enjoy sharing that experience with others! I'm super passionate about mental well-being and want to support in any way I can.

Kelsey (she/her)
Lae wearing a hooded coat and backpack stands smiling with arms open in a snowy field with mountains in the background

Lae

My name is Lae Follette and I go by she/they pronouns. I am a senior at Western and am focusing my studies on psychology with a minor in sociology. A random fact about me is that I love walking barefoot and hugging trees. 

Lae (she/they)