Outdoors Night: Leave No Trace

As due to scheduling conflicts we were unable to take part in the Ontario Outdoors Day on
Saturday, we had our own Outdoors Night on Friday! We based our event on the Leave No Trace Amazing Race instant meeting plan from BC Girl Guides.

We had 6 Guides and 3 Pathfinders join in to try some outdoor cooking, practice their outdoor skills, and learn about the principles of Leave No Trace. Each station had information about the Leave Not Trace principle it represented and instructions for the challenge the team was to undertake.

Once the girls arrived, we prepared supper - pita pizzas with chips, veggies and dip. Each group of 3 had a buddy burner and tea lights to heat up their pizzas and melt the cheese. We were also going to make kick the can ice cream, but as the Guiders forgot to get the ice, we'll be doing this on Tuesday at our Messy Night!

We had 7 stations in total. Four of them were done by all the teams at the same time (competition style), and the other three were done one at a time in a rotation. We alternated competition and individual group activities. The girls were divided up into 3 teams - Team Pathfinders (aka "Boss"), Team A Guides and Team B Guides, each with 3 members. We covered the LNT principle "minimize campfire impacts" with out outdoor cooking. The other six were covered in the game:

Station #1 Dispose of Waste Properly - Cat Holes (Competition)
Identify a landmark on the site that would be about 60m from where you are standing. This is how far from your camp site you should go before relieving yourself.
Follow the instructions below to bury the poop out of the way so that no one and nothing knows you've been in the area.

6 D's of Human Waste Disposal

• Distance - 60 metres from water, trail and campsite
• Dig - with a shovel or trowel
• Depth - at least 15cm deep, 10cm diameter
• Dump - do your thing!
• Disguise - mix, bury, cover
• Decompose - Let nature do its thing!

Each team was provided with a cooking spoon and a ruler, and directed to a patch of soil to dig their whole. The first team to dig a whole of the appropriate depth and diameter won. The holes had to be properly filled in before moving on to the next activity.

Station #2 Plan Ahead and Prepare - First Aid Kit (Competition)
Before you head out on an adventure, you need to be prepared to take care of yourself in case of an emergency.
Put your memory to the test with a First Aid Kim's Game, then test your knowledge of what each item is used for!

The contents of our first aid kit were spread out on a tray and the teams were allowed to look at them for 1 minute. They then had to write down as many items as they could remember. As we went through the answers, we talked briefly about what each item is used for.

Station #3 Plan Ahead and Prepare - Be Bear Aware (Individual Group)
Bears and other wildlife are a real part of outdoor experiences in Canada.
As a team, hang a bear bag to keep your food out of reach of hungry visitors.

The team was provided with a bucket (in place of a bear bag), rope, a carabiner, a stick, an instruction street on the PCT method (see Resources at the bottom of this post), and knot cards for help tying the knots.

Basically, they had to tie the carabiner to one end of the rope using a bowline, and through the weighted end up over the railing (we didn't have a tree with high enough branches). Once the rope was over the railing, they clipped it to the bucket, pulled the other end of the rope through the carabiner, and pulled the bucket up as high as they could. They then attached a stick to to the rope with a clove hitch and let the bucket slide back down until the stick met the carabiner. The idea is that this method allows the food to be far enough from the branch to deter smaller critters, high enough in the air to deter bears, and since the long piece of rope is left hanging, the food is safe even if a bear slashes the rope.

Station #4 Leave What You Find - Photo Challenge (Competition)
Take only pictures, don't even leave footprints!

As a team, move around the site to capture the following things on your cameras. Be creative!

• Wildflower
• Wildlife (insect or critter)
• Life under a Rock
• Dead tree/nurse log
• A hiking stick
• Landscape or sky scene
• 2 kinds of trees

Station #5 Respect Wildlife - Tracks & Scat Game (Individual Group)
De not disturb wildlife, and be aware of what is living around you.

Can you identify animals from their tracks and scat? Use the charts provided to match the track and scat cards to the correct animal.

We used the Leave No Trace: Paw Print & Scat Game from the Girl Scouts of Central Maryland (see Resource at the bottom of this post for the link). Two charts - one of animal tracks and one of scat photos - were provided and the girls had to sort through the cards and arrange them in the same format as the charts. (There is a second set of cards so this can also be played as a matching game or a memory game.)

Station #6 Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces - Build a Boat (Competition)
When hiking or camping, always use the most durable surface available to protect the
environment.

You have come across a stream on the trail and need to cross it. Work as a team, using the supplies provided, to build a 'boat' to cross the stream. Your boat should be small, big enough for only two people, and it must always have at least one person in it.

Each team was provided with bamboo poles and rope to make their boats. Some of the girls used proper lashing techniques, which resulted in much sturdier creations than those who tried to just tie quick knots. Once the boats were built, it was a race to see which team could get their group across the stream (grassy area) first.

Station #7 Be Considerate of Others - Web Teamwork Challenge (Individual Group)
On your travels, it is important to remember the needs of others as well as your own.

Your objective is to help your team members make their way through the web. Team members must work together to get through the web without touching the ropes - which would disturb others! Can you get your whole team from one side to the other without anyone touching the ropes or the ground?

A web was set up between two trees and the teams had to work together to get everyone from one side to the other.

Resources
BC Girl Guides - The Leave No Trace Amazing Race
The Ultimate Hang - Hanging a Bear Bag-The PCT Method 
Girl Scouts of Central Maryland - LNT Paw Print & Scat Game
Girl Scouts of Central Maryland - Leave No Trace Activities

January & February With the Pathfinders and Rangers

Outdoor Know-How
January started off with a meeting to finish up the Outdoor Know-How Module by making high-energy snack bars, taste-testing different pre-made high energy foods, and planning a campfire that will be used for Thinking Day in February. We used a fruit and nut bar recipe for our baking, and discussed different types of foods that can be eaten for an energy boost during outdoor activities. Some of the foods we sampled were Trails Mixes, Almond Butter, Dried Fruits (banana, pineapple, papaya), and Nuts. (We have no allergies in our unit, but did talk about how it is important to know about allergies beforehand and prepare foods that everyone can enjoy.)

No-Bake Fruit 'n' Nut Snack Bars
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups Rice Krispies
1/2 cup Chopped Cashews
1 cup Dried Cranberries
1 cup Sliced Almonds
1/2 cup Raisins
1/2 cup Agave Nectar (or Honey)
1/4 cup Almond Butter
1 tbsp Brown Sugar
2 tbsp Butter

Directions
1. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with tin foil. Lightly grease foil and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine rice krispies, almonds, cashews, cranberries and raisins.
3. Place agave nectar, almond butter, butter, and brown sugar in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a low simmer, stirring occasionally until the mixture is smooth.
4. Pour liquid mixture over cereal mixture and stir gently to coat. Press mixture evenly into prepared pan.
5. Chill for 1 hour or until completely firm. Once firm, cut into 12 bars and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Healthy Eating
The second week of January we joined the Guides for a visit to Zehrs - see post here
http://caledoniaguiding.blogspot.ca/2016/01/healthy-eating-at-zehrs.html

Winter Camp
The Guides, Pathfinders and Rangers held our annual winter camp weekend at Camp Teka in mid-January - see post here http://caledoniaguiding.blogspot.ca/2016/01/winter-camp-at-camp-teka.html 

Thinking Day Planning
The rest of January was spend exploring World Guiding and making plans for our annual town-wide Thinking Day event. We started off with a quick facts quiz about Thinking Day and the Canadian World Friendship Fund to get everyone thinking on the same lines. After, we did a WAGGGS Quiz - girls were allowed to use their phones and books to find the answers, as well as their own memories. Planning for Thinking Day involved looking at the activities in the WAGGGS Thinking Day Pack, coming up with ideas, and considering if each activity was suitable for girls aged 5-11 to do at the same time (this was the most difficult part, I think!).

WAGGGS Quiz
1. In which four countries can you find a World Centre? England/UK, Switzerland, Mexico, India
2. Where is the fifth World Centre located? Africa
3. Who was the founder of the Boy Scouts and Girl Guides? Robert Baden-Powell
4. At which World Centre can you go skiing? Our Chalet
5. Why do Guides and Scouts shake with the left hand? The story about B-P meeting the Ashanti people in Africa, and when meeting their chief, he put down his shield which was held in his left hand. By leaving himself vulnerable to attack, he placed his trust in the other person. B-P then adopted this for Scouting.
6. At which World Centre might you wear a sari?  Sangam
7. In which country did Guiding begin? Great Britain/UK/England
8. Where is each World Centre located?  Pax Lodge - England; Our Cabana - Mexico; Our Chalet - Switzerland; Sangam - India; Kusafiri - Africa
9. How many countries are members of WAGGGS? 146
10. What does WAGGGS stand for? World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts
11. What does "Pax" mean? Peace
12. What does "Sangam" mean, and what language does it come from? Coming Together - Sanskrit
13. What languages are spoken in Switzerland? German, French and Italian
14. What is the date of World Thinking Day? February 22nd
15. Which World Centres have swimming pools? Our Cabana, Sangam
16. What flag is flown at all World Centres? World Flag
17. What are the 5 WAGGGS Regions? Western Hemisphere Region, Europe Region, Africa Region, Arab Region, Asia-Pacific Region
18. Who started the Girl Scouts in the USA? Juliette Gordon Low
19. One World Centre takes guests to visit a woodcarver. Which one? Our Chalet
20. at which World Centre might you visit Big Ben? Pax Lodge
21. At which World Centre might you make a pinata? Our Cabana
22. Which World Centre has an elephant for a mascot? What is her name? Sangam - Sangalee
23. Which World Region does Canada belong to? Western Hemisphere Region
24. How often does WAGGGS hold a World Conference? Every 3 years
25. What is the World Bureau? The administrative body and office for WAGGGS, located in London, England

Find Your Inner Leader
 With the arrival of February, we took a break from our planning to work on our leadership
skills. We started the evening off by looking at what makes a good leader. The Pathfinders added skills and qualities they associated with being a good leader to a poster with a picture of a Pathfinder. We then talked about which of the skills and qualities they feel they already have and which ones they need to work on. Next, we looked at Edward de Bono's Six Thinking Hats and applied each to our Thinking Day planning to see how they worked. Last, we all took a Leadership Quiz to see what type of leadership we prefer, leading to a discussion about different types of situational leadership:

A. Directing Style - Getting the Job Done
This style is used when something needs to be done quickly. It provides clear expectations on who, what, when and how something should be done. There is also a clear division between the leader and the followers. When using the directing style, leaders make decisions independently with little or no input from the rest of the group. This will be the primary leadership style in situations where girls need a lot of direction or where safety is a concern.

B. Selling Style - It's a Good Plan, Don't You Think?
This style is used when leaders need group members to participate, but retain the final say over the decision-making process. Group members feel engaged in the process and are more motivated and creative.

C. Participating Style - So What Will It Be?
Here leaders offer guidance to group members, participating as part of the group and facilitating input from other group members. Here the leader plays more of a teaching role and engages girls by encouraging contributions.

D. Delegating Style - It's the Journey, Not the Destination
Leaders in this situation offer little or no guidance to group members and leave decision-making up to group members. It is typically used in situations where group members are highly qualified in an area of expertise or where the process is more important than the outcome. Though it may lead to poorly defined roles and a lack of motivation, it can also lead to creative results and be empowering for the group members.

Thinking Day Preparations
The second week of February was spent getting ready for Thinking Day. The Pathfinders and Rangers made the craft kits for the beaded bookmarks, create a bingo card for the Initial Bingo Game, choose countries for the WAGGGS Compass Game, and prepared to lead the different activities at our Thinking Day event.

Spa Night
The week before Thinking Day was turned over to the Pathfinders for a Spa Night. The girls did facials, nail painting, foot soaks and hair. They had a great social night eating and talking!

World Thinking Day
February finished up with our annual town-wide Thinking Day event - the girls did a great job leading the activities! See post here
http://caledoniaguiding.blogspot.ca/2016/02/happy-world-thinking-day-2016.html