Now that we are only five days away from the campers’ arrival it is time to put all of the finishing touches on our pre camp work. Over the next few days I will be going over ever aspect of my program area to ensure that it is all ready for implementation. In this post I will summarize all of the activities that my program area will be responsible for. I have purchased all of the necessary gear and products for these activities through the grant fund that our agency received this year. I have had experience leading and participating in each of these activities in such classes as PRM 340 Outdoor Survival and PRM 303 Program Planning.In terms of hiking in general campers will be educated on leave no trace ethics, and will examine the effects of trail erosion while on various trail explorations. They will learn about both forest and beach ecosystems taking into account the animal and plant wildlife inhabiting our area of camp. The campers will also fill in animal tracks with plaster, and after the plaster hardens they will be able to have a replica of an actual animal footprint. In additon campers will be taught the basics of ground to air signaling based on smoke from fires, and recognizable codes that can be formed on flat surfaces.
Navigation is an essential part of camping and outdoor education. In order to teach the campers useful navigation skills, I will use a number of different methods to ensure that they are able to do so on their own. We will begin by learning how to utilize a standard compass including how to orient a map, travel a heading, and take a bearing. Once the campers get the hang of these techniques we will then use a GPS unit to seek out geocaches that I have hidden in the forest surrounding our camp.
In case such tools are not available, campers will also be taught how to use the shadow tip method to determine which direction is north. This is done by placing a stick in the ground, marking the end of its shadow, and then returning at least twenty minutes later to mark the new end of the shadow. Once this is done the campers will place their left foot on the first mark, their right foot on the second mark, and the direction they will now be facing is always north. In addition we will teach the students that in order to locate the north star they should follow the front two stars on the bowl of the big dipper, as well as which side of a tree moss typically grows on.
The next aspect of outdoor education that the campers will learn about is shelter construction. In order to prepare for their group camping trips we will first make sure that each camper is able to assemble and disassemble the Eureka Tetragon 7 tents that we have purchased for these occasions. Campers will then be educated on how to set up an A-frame, immediate action, and lean to shelters using only the forest products around them.
Campers will also be taught to start a fire in a number of different ways to be used for signaling, warmth, cooking, and light. Basic fire pit construction methods such as making a log cabin or a teepee will be used followed by lighting techniques. These will include using flint sticks, and steel wool with batteries. In addition we will challenge the older campers to begin one match fires. In addition I will demonstrate to the campers how a paper cup filled with water can be put into a hot fire without burning the cup at all.
Along with simple and fun trail games, campers will also participate in a number of team building low ropes activities. Poison peanut butter is a favorite of mine which involves teamwork to cross an imaginary canyon filled with sticky and deadly peanut butter. Another activity known simply as the spider web challenges teams to cross from one side of a tree to another while passing through gaps created by tying rope between two trees. Another game called the crows nest forces campers to all fit onto a small space on top of an object that they will then have to flip over without anyone touching the ground. Finally the disabled human knot is a well known game whereas teams must untangle themselves while holding hands, although some of them will not be allowed to speak whereas others will not be allowed to see.
I will also be collaborating with the arts and crafts director in order to form joint activities between our two program areas. Although we have yet to meet, I have come up with just a couple basic ideas that can be expanded on later. I believe that the younger kids would enjoy finding a bug in nature, and then trying to recreate that bug using arts and craft supplies and recycled materials. For the older kids I would like them to use these same arts and crafts and recycled materials to build a boat or floating object. We will then see whose boat is able to last the longest when they are actually put into the water. In addition feather painting can also be used to create very interesting patterns and designs. I would also like to have the kids cut out pictures of animals from old National Geographic magazines and put together paper food chains. If anyone has any other ideas for arts and crafts projects that are related to either nature or outdoor pursuits please let me know.
Attached to this post is a picture of my new office which consists of a trailer full of all of the gear that I have spent the past four weeks ordering for the camp, a gazebo tent which is extremely hard to set up by myself, and my personal tent.
Here is a website where you can find additional team building and low ropes activities
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