Pacific Index

Lisa Jo Frech, publishes “The Pearly Gates, 42 Brief Escapes”

“I put this collection together with hopes that it would inspire more people to spend more time outside and fall in love with nature,” expresses Lisa Jo Frech with enthusiasm. A professor of environmental studies and sustainable design, Frech recently completed a collection of essays documenting her many—and sometimes wild—experiences out in nature. Her book, The Pearly Gates, Before & After: 42 Brief Escapes, delves into the wonders of outdoor recreations paired with personal experiences and struggles, all in the hopes of inspiring more people to set out on their own adventures. 

Covering a wide range of adventures, like kayaking in the South Puget Sound with Pacific students and encounters with dolphins in the ocean, the stories all carry an underlying sentiment of the rewarding effects of outdoor exploration. 

Frech laments that the Earth is in rough shape, but like environmental writers before her, she hopes that by raising more awareness and appreciation to nature we could see a change. While Frech hopes her stories will inspire people to go forth and create their own experiences. 

“For me, it’s been a lifetime of balancing my work with adventure and the outdoors, whether that was snorkeling in the Caribbean or jumping out of an airplane or climbing Mount Hood,” she notes, expounding how incorporating these escapades into her life restores and recharges her. Frech acknowledges the current state of student mental health, understanding how academic and social pressures can lead to a decline in well-being. “The best medicine for that is going outdoors and engaging with it very directly and intimately and letting it speak to you,” Frech states passionately, encouraging more students to take advantage of outdoor pursuits and other school run activities.

She also recognizes that not all of her readers have the luxury to adventure like this. But by writing out stories of her experiences, Frech has found a way to provide a mental escape into nature for those who don’t have the ability or time to do so. “There’s going to be some people who read this and just get a thrill from, you know, their arm chairs,” she says, adding that her stories can reach “a disabled person or an elderly person,” and that they “can still enjoy and appreciate a book like this,” even from the comfort of their homes.