Bridging Risk and Resilience: A Natural Connection
Longtime Supporter Jill Wehrly Talks about Gateway’s work and Impact
As a former social worker and special education teacher, Jill Wehrly has a deep recognition and appreciation for children’s capacity for resilience and adaptability when they are surrounded by trusting and supportive relationships. She is also a nature lover and believes in the healing power of the great outdoors. So when she was first introduced to the work of Gateway Mountain Center in 2012 and learned about Gateway’s mission of “bringing the transformative power of human connection and nature immersion to help young people learn, heal, and thrive,” it connected immediately for her.
Jill and her husband, Mark Wehrly, have been steadfast supporters of Gateway for the past decade as the organization’s work and impact have continued to grow. In a recent conversation, Jill shared her reflections on her connection to Gateway, why she and her family are proud to support the organization’s work, and her belief in the power of nature as both a teacher and as medicine.
Jill’s Gateway Journey
“I first met Gateway’s founder, Peter Mayfield, in 2012, when my kids were participating in the Sugar Bowl camps that Gateway was running at that time. I was really impressed with how the program got all the kids engaged and out in nature. I loved how the staff created experiences of managed risk. You could see how the kids were so proud of themselves and of some of the things they accomplished — whether it was rock climbing, river rafting, or some of the hikes that were really challenging.
“I could see that by supporting kids through managed risk-based experiences, the program was not only building their confidence but also helping them build a community. Because you’re kind of all doing it together. I also really liked that it was quite organic. A lot of times, you just don’t know what’s going to happen when you’re out in nature. I have three children, and they’re all very, very different. All of them just gained a lot of skills and confidence through the Gateway program, and they also had a lot of fun. So that was just kind of the beginning of me and my family seeing what Gateway was doing, and becoming personally engaged with the organization.”
“I was really impressed with how the program got all the kids engaged and out in nature. I loved how the staff created experiences of managed risk You could see how the kids were so proud of themselves and of some of the things they accomplished.”
~ Jill Wehrly
How nature experiences support young people’s mental health
“As a former special education teacher and social worker, I have worked with kids who were experiencing social and emotional challenges; this population is very near and dear to my heart. I was working with kids in residential treatment and providing wraparound services in the community. While I think there’s definitely a place for residential treatment and medication, it’s all [happening] in the office. But real life is outside — helping these kids with clinically supervised experiences in nature and seeing what it can really do is just amazing.
“Applying this approach to support kids experiencing moderate to pretty severe symptoms, some of whom have been repeatedly hospitalized, is really a wonderful way of building their confidence and helping them learn how to manage the unexpected. It’s a managed risk approach but with a true clinical bent. It’s really wonderful to see some of these kids and hear the stories where they weren’t even able to walk across a log by themselves without someone holding their hands — and then at the end, they’re doing that by themselves and so much more.”
“ . . . real life is outside — helping these kids with clinically supervised experiences in nature and seeing what it can really do is just amazing.”
How nature-Based therapeutic mentoring helps build resilience and lasting connections
“Nature supports physical development, mental development, social emotional development, and even spiritual development. So all of it is combined in Gateway’s Whole Hearts program. I think a lot of that is just lacking for a lot of kids right now. So it’s just getting ’em out, exposing them to managed risks with clinically trained mentors, and challenging them in real and healthy ways to build their resilience. And I think that’s really beneficial for the kids. Let’s say there’s a big hailstorm — these kids are out there in the [outdoors] and they gain those experiences of what you can do, how you don’t panic, reminding themselves that it’s not the end of the world and that you can go back out the next day.
“The other important part of Gateway’s work is how the mentors create these deep, long-lasting connections with the kids. So many of these kids have had so many hardships in their lives, and they need someone to just believe in them. Traditional mentoring programs can be very goal oriented. For instance, with college track mentoring, you’re kind of, like, getting ’em off to college and it’s like, goodbye. But therapeutic mentoring is more community based; it’s really giving back to the community. That’s where Gateway’s mentoring is so different. Gateway invests in the individual.
“As a clinical mentor, you’re boosting confidence and self-esteem in these young people. You’re teaching them how to face the unexpected and instilling confidence in how to handle it and how to believe in themselves. So Gateway mentoring is really preparing these kids for the future to realize their potential as healthy and connected human beings and valued members of the community.”
“Traditional mentoring programs can be very goal oriented, but therapeutic mentoring is more community based; it’s really giving back to the community. That’s where Gateway’s mentoring is so different.”
Why Jill and mark are proud to support gateway
“What motivated us was not only the staff really taking the time to explain the program to us but also having my children experience Gateway’s model through the Sugar Bowl camps the organization used to run. So we got this firsthand experience, which was incredible. When you donate, you want to get behind something that you really, truly believe in. And I truly do believe in helping Whole Hearts mentees access healthy opportunities and develop resilience and self-confidence. There is such a need for that right now.
“Lastly, for us it’s also about the community connection. We love the Sugar Bowl and Truckee community, and so we want to support that and it’s great to actually see how you’re making an impact. I feel excited about the [Ilfeld High Mountain] Lodge. Getting a permanent physical space [to do this work] is just a game changer and that’s so exciting. There are so many possibilities with that space for the organization. And so that also helps us want to continue to support Gateway because there are just so many possibilities that haven’t even been tapped into yet.”
“When you donate, you want to get behind something that you really truly believe in … There are just so many possibilities that haven’t even been tapped into yet.”
To learn more about how you can get involved and support Gateway Mountain Center, contact Kate Frankfurt at Kate@sierraexperience.org