Philosophical Walks as Place-Based Environmental Education

Place-based education has a long tradition in philosophy, and has been a cherished pedagogy for many in the field of environment studies. The practice of taking students outdoors to discover nature is first traced back to foundations in ancient Greece, in the writings of local chroniclers and in the teachings of Aristotle and the Stoics, and then into the Enlightenment and Progressive movement with Rousseau and Dewey. Contemporary bases are also surveyed in the pioneering work of Orr and Sobel, and the Heidegger-inspired writings of Ingold, Tuan, Relph and Bonnett. An instance of this immersive approach to teaching is then narrated, based on the author's repertoire in conducting place-based environmental education on the University of Toronto campus. Offering sketches of the different kinds of pedagogical interventions and resources used, it is hoped that this particular case will inspire readers to develop their own album of locally developed outdoor lessons. The 'Philosopher's Walk' depicted is a real place in Toronto (as in Kyoto), but it is also 'imaginary' in the sense of being a free-space for group or independent modes of critical and creative inquiry, adopting Goethe's and Hesse's concept of 'pedagogical provinces' for excursively playful self-discovery.