There is no shortage of studies that speak to the health benefits of kids being outside. Google it. But then get off your phone and go outside. 

For years Loomis Chaffee has owned property and a cabin in East Hartland, Conn. The Darwin Club, one of the oldest organizations on campus, has used the property for hiking and overnight trips. Now there is an initiative to make the cabin and its property more accessible and a better equipped space for use by members of the LC community.   

Douglas Wilson ’54, who died in March, had donated money through the Shenandoah Foundation to be used toward student wellness. Some of those funds will be used for the property.  

“The school is continuing to address the topic of student health and wellness, considering various programs and facilities that would benefit students’ well-being into the future,” Chief Advancement Officer Tim Struthers ’85 said. 

Jess Matzkin, the dean of student wellness, and Lance Hall, the director of the Physical Plant, visited the property last spring to envision what improvements could be made. Lance said that plans include a parking area, dedicated trails, a camping supplies storage area, solar lighting, a composting toilet, and a long-range cellular antenna for communication. The work will start in early fall. Jess envisions the property being a retreat center. 

A place to relax. 

“When we talk about educating the whole person, so much of that for adolescents today is emotional support,” Jess said. “We can be more intentional around our programming, so providing a space off campus for kids to retreat is a great step. A space where kids, especially on the weekend, can go to get off campus and have an opportunity to relax and rejuvenate. It's right by the river, quiet, beautiful.” 

A place to unplug. 

“Kids don’t like to disconnect from their phone, but when they do and reflect on it, 99 percent of the time they will talk about how they feel so much better,” Jess said. “So providing opportunities and spaces for them to do that is a really good thing.” 

A place to learn. 

Jess and Marley Matlack, the Christopher H. Lutz Director of the Alvord Center for Global & Environmental Studies, also see the property as a great opportunity for place-based education activities. 

“The Alvord Center is excited to collaborate with and help support teachers and student leaders to maximize these opportunities,” Marley said. “That could be anything from an ecology field trip for biology students, nature writing for the Literature in the Environment course, or a sustainable art project with the Visual Arts Department to increased After School Land Management and Darwin Club activities.”