JUNE 1, 2024
Project Escape
Presented By :
Laura Lucas
Project proposal
Www.projectescape.org
project Escape
Project Escape is a program offered at Bald Eagle Trail that provides nature-based therapies in order to improve the mental and emotional well-being of children and/or adults who would not usually be able to afford these therapies.
Project Escape at Bald Eagle Trail cultivates community, connection, compassion, and respect, all within a natural and nurturing environment.
At Bald Eagle Trail, we dream big! We long to provide fully funded nature therapy to as many individuals as we can through grants and private donations. Our desire is to host programs that impact and are geared towards children and families that are healing from and/or experiencing adverse childhood experiences with a special focus on children caught up in legal and custody battles, women of trauma, at risk youth, and individuals suffering from substance abuse and PTSD. In addition, we would like to support those who are dealing with chronic illness and grief. All of these groups can be greatly impacted by nature-based therapies offered at Bald Eagle Trail through Project Escape.
Project Escape is a program based at Bald Eagle Trail in Dandridge, Tennessee that’s aimed at using Nature Therapy as a pathway to healing from adverse childhood experiences, including: poverty, neglect, violence, abuse, mental health issues, substance abuse, and legal battles/custody disputes.
Nature therapy, also called ecotherapy, is the practice of being in nature to boost growth and healing, especially mental health. Nature therapy is based on the idea that being in the natural environment can provide a calming, positive effect, especially for those struggling with mental health issues—a belief substantiated by research. Nature therapy is becoming more popular as a holistic way to improve mental health, supported by research showing it can help with many mental health conditions and physical health issues.
We believe that the well-being of children and the wild places we love are inextricably linked. And while research tells us that regular time outdoors is essential for children’s healthy development, today’s kids are less connected to nature than ever before. We also know that longstanding systems of injustice, as well as how profitable it is to prolong and drag out legal/custody battles, have contributed to rising number of children needing to heal from adverse childhood experiences that have resulted.
By providing the space at Bald Eagle Trail to hosts supervised visits and activities free of charge and exposing families and children to nature therapy, it is our hope that children and families can begin to heal and parents can practice co-parenting in a healthy manner and without the need of pharmaceuticals, which are currently being prescribed to children at an alarming rate in the United States. We believe there’s another way, a healthier way.
We are committed to strengthening efforts to advance equity in access to nature, healing and overall well-being. We support and mobilize leaders, educators, activists, practitioners and parents working to turn the trend of an indoor childhood back out to the benefits of nature–and to increase safe and equitable access to the natural world for all.
Methods
We incorporate Nature into therapeutic family and educational settings (all outdoors):
- Forest Bathing
- Nature Play
- Nature focused arts & crafts
- Nature focused activities
- Nature focused workshops
- Meditation
- Environmental Education
- Gardening
- Care of animals
- Yoga
- Stories
- Fire Safety
- Sustainability
- Mining for Douglas Diamonds
- Horseshoes
- Harnessed tree climbing
- Mushroom foraging
- Tincturing
- Outdoors Games
- Glass Etching
- Woodworking
- Vegetation Skills
- Hiking
- Camping
- Fire Safety
- Leave no Trace (Litter)
- Funds
- Wood Splitter
- Saw Mill
- Woodworking equipment
- ATV-type vehicle or golf cart
- Lumber
- Tents
- Hammocks
Our wishlist
- Farming equipment
- Tree Climbing Equipment
- Helmets
- Fishing Gear
- Ropes
- Potato Sacks
- Yoga Mats
- AED
- First Aid Equipment (Epipens and Narcan too)
- Wood Chips
- Gravel
- Watersports Equipment (Kayaks/Paddleboads/Life Jackets/Paddles)
Children Nature Network and Casey Family Programs
Minimum $50 Donation to attend adult day camp
ADULTS ONLY AT THIS EVENT! ITS ABOUT THE KIDS AND FUTURE GENERATIONS BUT WE WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THIS TIME TO SPEND WITH ADULTS, THERE WILL BE PLENTY OF TIME, EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES FOR THE KIDS TO ENJOY THE RETREAT ON OTHER DAYS.
High School Reunion
Games, RAFFLE, FUN & ART
High School Reunion BAND
Open Jam Sessions
Beverages AND LATE NIGHT TACOS
Special GuestS
Grillbillies FoodTruck
Overnight Camping
Local Artist Vendors
Handcrafted Panning system Unveiling
Cooling Misting System Throughout
Keith Lucas (Lucas Electric)
Austin Lucas (Lucas on Law)
Sharon Lucas
Matt Lambert
Bill Robbins
Debbie Turner (turner concessions)
Ashley Gentry
Sharae Spears
Deb Ellison
Wolf Fuller
Perry Fields
Todd Moore
Nate Hooper
Kirk Roegeline (acs Print)
Arjun Gururaj
Gwenn Baldwin
Jack Grubbs (Interstate Repair)
Shelton & Sons Mills
Dhaval Patel (Lakeview Market & Deli)
jerry Williams (Buster’s towing & Repairs)
Barbara SchubErg
Louie Naranjo
Andres Hernandez
Dorell Schmitt
rob Schmitt
WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK OUR SPONSORS, WITHOUT YOU THIS DREAM WOULDN’T BE A REALITY, THANK YOU SO MUCH 💚
Interested in becoming a sponsor, COLLABORATING OR VOLUNTEERING? That would be awesome, I would love to CHAT WITH you! send AN Email to Laura Lucas bet.projectescape@gmail.com or text 865.684.6985
CHECK OUT OUR RETRERAT SITE!!
