Outdoor Leadership Training and Physical Arrangements at Strathcona Park - Case Study Example

Outdoor Leadership Training Trip Due   Introduction to Outdoor Leadership The outdoor leadership trip provides hands on training to individuals on the skills necessary for learning scouting skills, and on leading groups of people in the outdoors. The concept of outdoor leadership is necessary to learn as participants will absorb: pitching, hiking, cooking, and above all, survival skills. Detailed Schedule (Specific Routes each day) The trip is planned for Strathcona Park on July 6th, 2013. Friday evening is the meet up, and from there on, the training begins right away. There is a change in the previous proposal as the same results can be achieved in a ‘two weekends’ session. So instead of continuing the trip for one whole week, it is scheduled for two weekends, four days in total. The first meet up is July 5th, and the second is on July 12th, Friday evening. The team of four boys and four girls will leave the college premises on July 5th and will arrive at Strathcona Park. The trip to the park is arranged by the College. It takes about one hour to reach there from the education campus. However before we leave, there are some formalities that the scouting administration needs to take care of; The first one is the flag ceremony. This will be performed both at the school campus and then at the park. The theme is everything will be done under the scouting flag. It symbolizes the whole event and gives it more meaning. Each individual will be given a cook book by Claudia Person, National Outdoor Leadership School Cookery (2012). This book gives useful information about outdoor adventures and it is highly recommended that each scout should have it in his arsenal if he wants to have a good time while camping. Friday Evening 6:00 pm – 7:10 pm Arrival of participants, check-in & orientation 7:20 pm – 7:50 pm Introduction with the staff Explanation about patrolling Flag raisin ceremony Flag ceremony will include 8:00 pm – 9:10 pm Selecting Campsite At this point, the trainer will demonstrate how to put up a camp, pitching a tent, and make bed for the night. 9:40 pm – 10:05 pm Training how to leave no trace behind at all 10:05 pm – 10:45 pm Dinner Saturday Morning 6:50 am – 7:55 am Breakfast at the camp 7:55 am – 8:55 am Ropes tying (The trainer will show participants how to tie knots and different uses of ropes) 8:55 am – 9:55 am Various camping tools like knives, saw and ax, will be shown to use properly and possible ways in which these tools can be used. 9:55 am – 10:55 am Making arrangements for fire 11:00 am – 12:00 pm Cooking session: different recipes will be prepared and participants Will active prepare food with the trainer 12:00 pm – 12:30 pm Lunch (fresh from cooking training) 12:30 pm – 2:30 pm First aid training 2:30 pm – 3:30 pm Training about identifying plants 3:30 pm – 5:00 pm Training about identifying animals 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm Dinner and entertainment 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm Individual attention and training 9:00 pm – 10:00 pm Campfire program Sunday Morning 6:55 am – 8:25 am Campsite breakfast 8:25 am – 9:00 am Prayer time 9:05 am – 10:15 am Hiking & packing training 10:15 am – 12:00 pm Navigation training – Map and wind direction reading, compass technique 12:05 pm – 1:25 pm Participants will be encouraged to have lunch 1:25 pm – 1:55 pm Break camp; at this point participants will be asked to clean up the campsite leaving no trace behind 2:00 pm – 2:45 pm Closing ceremony For the very next weekend, the same schedule will be followed. But this time, participants will be encouraged to do everything on their own with minimum instructions by the trainer. However this time more focus will be on individual training and on areas of concern or interest. Physical Arrangements at Strathcona Park Strathcona Park is a huge place and the campsite selection will be based on convenience and availability. This is summer time and different schools will be there for summer camps. Convenience to overall areas of access, preferably a central location will be selected. There is a possibility that we will be adding more participants to the camping program, which is why we will probably send more than one trainer with the team. In that case, participants will be asked to spread out as not to interfere in others’ training. The training will be done in such a way that each participant will be asked to make a patrol team. This will encourage them to take lead of team, an essential part of outdoor training. Taking the initiative is something that the participants will be asked to create in them. Equipment List (group and individual) The participants need to equip themselves with both physical and mental tools. The physical tools will be provided to them as soon as we are ready to go. But for other mind tools, they will need to work hard to acquire them. For instance; Ability to plan and organize Confidence Technical competency, including navigation, first aid and weather reading Empathy Decision power Create rapport with others Skillful communication Keeping the morale high Be solution oriented Appropriate clothing is the essence of camping. Participants will be asked to pack light equipment: only bring necessary items, carrying extra luggage is never advised at camping trips. Tent for two people is the aim as carrying tents of these sizes makes it easier to set up and carry. Following is a list of items that individuals will be required to have in their possession (“Introduction to Outdoor…” 2010). Individual Equipment Items Guide Book Boy Scout Handbook: National Outdoor Leadership School Cookery (2012) by Claudia Person is highly recommended. Essential Items First aid box Pocket knife Rain attire Clean water bottle Flashlight Matches Sun block lotions and shades Navigation equipment (maps compass) Seasonal Clothing Water proof backpack Sleeping bag, pads or blankets Ground cloth Eating tools Spoon Plate Bowl Plastic cup Hygiene Soap Towel Toothbrush Toothpick Toothpaste Floss Comb Optional Items Camcorder, camera Pen, paper, book, notebook Swimsuit Gloves Group Equipment Items The following items will be available for each individual to borrow from group’s resource. The same items can also be borrowed from other trainers depending on the availability: Tent for two people, (with all supplements; poles, sticks, lines, stakes, ground clothes) Nylon cord, about 55 feet Hygiene Kit Dishwashing cloth or sponge Biodegradable soap Bleaching agent for sanitizing Scouring pads Trash bags Roll(s) of toilet paper Repairing Kit Needles Thread Safety Pins Optional Items for the Group Hot Pot Tongs Shovel(s) Water container(s), the size of the container varies, so it is completely dependent on the group if they want to pack a gallon or a half gallon plastic bottles that are also collapsible. Grill Washbasin Saw Canadian flag An ax Water sources (Water purification methods) There are plenty of fountains and faucets at Strathcona Park. However, it is always advised to pack one’s personal clean drinking water. The team will be staying at the campsite for about two days, for two weekends. So there is a good chance that they might run out of water. To take care of this, available water from fountains and even the river can be used for drinking and cooking purposes ONLY after cleaning. The cleaning of water requires conventional methods such as boiling and using special filters to pass the water through them. At this time of the year, there won’t be any snow at Strathcona Park, otherwise that would have been an excellent source of water. Open water, regardless of the location of the campsite, needs to be purified without any exceptions. Three main methods are used for this purpose; Boiling Boiling water for over a minute kills most bacteria. After this technique, the water is reasonably safe to drink. Water purifying tablets These treatment tablets are very convenient and require no processing. The only caution with these tablets is that they need to be fresh, so before leaving for Strathcona Park, participants will be asked to check the expiration date of their water treatment pills. Water Filters Water filter is also an efficient way to treat water. They are easy to use but participants will be asked to carefully read the manufacturer’s instruction as it is not always the case of common sense in using such items. Although, there will be supplies such as water filters in the group’s resource but participants are asked to pack some treatment pills too in case the filter malfunctions. Weather Info (average temp, weather patterns, Sunrise, sunset, water level Strathcona Park has a mild climate as temperature usually ranges between 2 degree centigrade and 20 degree centigrade. In January, there is some snow. During winter season, Arctic bursts bring the temperature below zero (“Canadian Climate”, n.d.). We are leaving in July and expectation is that there will be hardly any rain. Rains are expected in November (“Canadian Climate”, n.d.). Right now the temperature of Strathcona Park should around 20 degree centigrade which is perfect for our outdoor activities. According to www.weather.com, there is a 30% chance of rain in Ninette, and SE winds blowing at about 16 mph for Friday, July 5th, and a 60% chance of rain for the very next day, and Sunday will be cloudy (“Ninette, Canada”, 2013). Transportation – driving directions for all part of the trip including routes to closest hospitals/evacuation The location is at the bank of the River Campbell and the Upper Campbell Lake. This opportunity will help participants explore the central Vancouver Island. Please see appendix for maps of the Park downloaded from www.maps.google.com. They give the exact location of the park and the park administration. For the most convenient way to reach the park, do not cross Campbell River when coming from Campbell River airport and southern areas. From Highway 19, Inland Island Highway or 19A, signs will lead you to the Gold River. This will lead west out of town following the Campbell River before moving up the hill, there is almost a 40 minute that leads straight to the Park Lodge (“Strathcona Location”, n.d.). Rules and Regulations Besides the scouting code of conduct, participants will be briefed on additional rules and regulation. They will need to follow the trainer’s instructions at all times. Other instructions pertain to specific equipment and that needs to be strictly followed. For instance, oil stoves come with their own set of instructions; they must be followed at any cost. Fire accidents at campsites can be deadly, avoidance is the best medicine. Moreover, the participants will be instructed on kitchen safety. Any inflammable material or cloth needs to kept away from the stove at all times and when the person is cooking, all the tools, utensils and items that he/she might need must be placed around the stove, in the reach of the person cooking. The cook is not supposed to reach across the stove to grab something. Hiking and tracking rules are extremely crucial to follow. Whatever signals or noises the trainer tells the participants to make or create I case they are lost, participants must follow it at all times. There are different hiking rules; on a highway and on a cross country. Plus rules also change a little when its night time. Leaving no trace behind rules are very easy to follow, and participants need to follow them at all cost. For instance, during hiking, the group needs to stay together, and make stops with the group. Hurting any bird or animal is absolutely prohibited. Strathcona Park is a natural habitat for many birds and animals. There will be no compromise on animal safety and care. As far as other rules are concerned, the group is in the legal size and the trainer is well aware of the fire size allowed in that area. Participants will be further briefed on the fire sizes at the demonstration. Only an appropriate amount of food will be allowed, packing extra food creates more garbage and more weight to carry. It’s an outdoor leadership training tour, if they create an environment with bags of fried chips and sandwiches it kills the purpose of surviving in the bewilderment with less amount of food. At this time of the year, the weather is really pleasant at the park. There will be crowds there and other camps from other schools. Rule is to stay away from the crowds and respect wildlife. The fires at the campsite are purely for scouting symbols, not for cooking. We are carrying stoves for cooking purpose, so there is no need for creating additional wood fire. Trekking poles must also be carried in the backpack when they are not needed as they scar rocks and increase soil erosion. Although, average temperature and climate at the park at this time of the month is exceptionally well for camping and scouting however, each participant is urged to read weather report before leaving for park. If rain pours down heavily, it can cause hypothermia if care is not taken. These decisions and the ability to follow rules is expected of outdoor leaders. Risk assessment & management This is a huge niche in scouting, as there are so many risks and ways to manage them. For instance people can go missing at camping and panicking is never helpful. Such risks and more importantly, their management, are the true test of an outdoor leader. A common scenario that might occur; suppose three people wake up earlier than usual and ask the trainer if the can go for hiking a little early as they have nothing to so. Apparently it is a harmless request and after a fair bit of judgment by the trainer, he might let them go. The trainer might give them the map and would make sure that at least one of them is an experienced hiker. In case the hikers fail to return at the expected time/location, it is a very serious situation and needs to be managed with special care; There is more than one way to manage such risk. These scenarios start with assumptions, such as; hikers are walking really slowly to the destination or are really tired and can’t walk fast. It can be fair judgment as sometimes trainers are experienced in reading people’s personalities and strengths. In such a case, the leader and the team will stay at the meeting spot for at least an hour before taking any action. Another assumption for the same problem would be; if a missing person is ill/injured or lost. In this case the trainer needs to contact the park rangers immediately. For our trip, the Strathcona Park Lodge administration is very vigilant and offers support in such cases. Contingencies As much as there are risks, contingencies are attached to them. There are ‘hurry cases’ that need immediate attention of an expert. In case someone stops breathing that is an emergency case. It pertains to the first aid training that participants will benefit from. In case a participant stops breathing, the situation needs to be assessed if the heart has stopped beating or not. Plus it needs to be determined if the participant has eaten any poisonous fruit/berries or has there been any bleeding. As far as the first aid is concerned, that will be available; however, first aid is never an alternative for a professional treatment. So in case of such a severe contingency, immediate contact with the Park administration needs to made to assess the severity of the accident. In case breathing stops and no heartbeat/pulse is felt in the body of the victim, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) might be a life saver. Appendices (Maps and Bibliography) Bibliography "Introduction to Outdoor Leader Skills." Scouting. Boy Scouts of America, 2010. Web. 29 June 2013. . "Location." Strathcona Park Lodge & Outdoor Education Centre. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 June 2013. . "Ninette, Canada Weather." The Weather Channel. N.p., 2013. Web. 29 June 2013. . Pearson, Claudia. National Outdoor Leadership School Cookery. Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole, 2012. Print. Maps Read More