PAD3O

Mr. Laughton

Alicia Saunders

Top 8 Paddling Destinations for Wildlife

***

The Top 8 Paddling Destinations for Wildlife is a brief article containing a list of what Adventure Kayak Magazine considers to be the most exciting paddling routes for those interested in seeing wildlife up close, while furthering their knowledge of either canoeing or kayaking. The article also provides links for interested readers to explore trips to the featured destinations, which is mainly composed of Canadian locations.

The list features: a canoe trip through a collection of rivers and lakes in Manitoba and northern Ontario to catch sight of moose, ranked at number one on the list. Remote trips available in Northern Canada that will likely allow you to spot grizzly bears. Kayak trips on the coast of British Columbia is reportedly a great place to watch Orcas. Canoeing in Quebec could allow you to see wolves at a distance. In British Columbia, when paddling in the alpine rivers and lakes it’s said that you’ll be able to spot mountain goats. In Ecuador, while paddling near low hanging branches you may spot a sloth. While whitewater kayaking in Costa Rica, there’s a good chance you’ll spot sea turtles. Finally, you could spot a woodland caribou if you take a paddling trip to northern Saskatchewan.

This relates to our Outdoor Ed course because although most of us are beginner paddlers if anyone wants to go further into canoeing, or any kind of paddling activity, and if they would like to be near more wildlife, it’s interesting to discover what the most rewarding locations to paddle would be.

Adventure Kayak Magazine. "Top 8 Paddling Destinations For Amazing Wildlife." Rapid Media. Rapid Media, n.d. Web. 21 June 2016.

https://www.rapidmedia.com/adventurekayak/categories/trips/7715-top-paddling-wildlife-destinations.html?highlight=WyJwYWRkbGluZyIsInBhZGRsaW5nJ3MiLCIncGFkZGxpbmciXQ== 

7 Canadian Rivers You Need To Paddle -Kevin CAllen

Mackenzie Lagrove

Mr Laughton

PAD03

As Kevin Callan reviews about his paddling trips around Canada, he recommends some crazy Canadian rivers that you must run if you ever get the opportunity. His first river that he reviewed is called Milk River which is located in Southern Alberta. Milk River is over 3,000 years old, while you paddle the river you get a great sense of the community of the indigenous peoples art and existence. Also the river shows a beautiful view of sandstone cliffs, blowing grass and and outstanding prairie landscape.

The second River that was reviewed is called the Mississauga River which is located in the Kawartha Highlands Provincial Park, Ontario. This river is a very peaceful route, which is  surrounded with  beautiful cottages. This river is very well known for their outstanding 100 year old red oaks and sugar maple trees and the home of the 5-lined skink, which is Canada’s only lizard.

The Petawawa River which is located in the Algonquin Provincial Park in Ontario is a very well known river for the people who enjoyed using it like Pierre Trudeau, Bill Mason and many famous poets who wrote about this peaceful river. The landscape is a view of white pine and granite cliffs with moderate but challenging rapids. This route takes 7 days to complete fully.

The Sturgeon River is “ a collection of double rapids mixed with remote atmosphere and gorgeous scenery” It would take you a full week to complete with lots of portages and beautiful mountains to look at. This river is located in Temagami, Ontario, and is said to be the best river trips in the province.

The 5th river Kevin suggested was the Missinaibi River in Northeastern Ontario. It is the longest free flowing river that has two part an upper and lower. The lower part has an incredible look at the famous Thunderhouse falls. The upper part which Kevin recommends has a more technically challenged rapids to run and  a very diverse scenery.    

Kopka River in Wabakimi Provincial Park offers a Amazon feel with seven abrupt waterfalls, (which need climbing gear for portaging) the river itself is genuinely flat but is definitely an adventure you'll never forget.

The last river Kevin suggested to canoe is more of a kayaking trip because of big tides. The river is called Hillsborough/ Pisquid which is located in Prince Edward Island and it is P.E.I’s largest river system. Its is a Canadian Heritage River because of historical and ecological history.

Callan, Kevin. "7 Canadian Rivers You Need to Paddle." Explore Magazine. N.p., 28 Apr. 2016. Web. 07 June 2016.

Ultimate Frisbee Infographic

Ultimate Frisbee Infographic
Rating *****

This infographic  is about the 5 W's (Who,What,When,Where,Why and How) of Ultimate Frisbee and is informative with interesting facts with a neat way of presenting the information .

The infographic explains the basics of ultimate Frisbee in terms of how it is played and what it is.It also explains where it is played (mainly in North America) and why as well as when and who plays it,which the sport is played across 42 countries competitively in the world with players from all ages and levels in the world championships.

I learned alot about ultimate frisbee from reading this infographic,I learned that a 150 lbs person would burn 544 calories an hour playing ultimate frisbee.I also learned that ultimate frisbee is a combination of basketball,soccer and rugby,i never thought about it like that before but its true because if you stop dripping a basketball and start moving or if you travel its the other teams ball,same way in ultimate frisbee its a turnover and the other teams frisbee.Its like soccer aslo because youre constantly on your feet and moving from one end of the field to the other and lastly it has rubgy aspects because you need good aerial passing and receiving skills  to catch the frisbee and your goal is to take the frisbee to your opponents endzone.

This infographic is worth a look if you want to learn or remind yourself how Ultimate frisbee is played,if you already know how to play then you might learn a cool fact like how much a regulation frisbee weighs.

Link to the infographic: http://cache.ultiworld.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/ultimate_infographic1.jpg

Citation:"Infographic Of The Day: Ultimate Primer Edition | Livewire | Ultiworld." Ultiworld. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 June 2016.

Ontario OUT OF DOORS magazine for the outdoors enthusiast.

Ontario OUT OF DOORS Magazine

Rating: ****

Quite often, outdoors activities magazines focus on one or two specific outdoor activities. You have magazines that focus on kayaking, or on rock-climbing, or on hunting, or on any particular outdoor activity that you can name. However, it can be rare to find a local magazine that delivers quality and useful articles on a regular basis for several different outdoor activities and considerations. While the website is predominately focused on hunting and fishing... Ok, so I might have oversold its diversity of topics, but it still provides many interesting articles on travelling and subsisting in Ontario's "diverse" wilderness.

The magazine is much of what I described above, filled with tips not only on the catching of food (although it presumes for recreational rather than survival reasons), but also on its preparation. The magazine also details various excursions to parks and other secluded areas, essentially providing reviews of lovely outdoor spots that other enthusiasts are encouraged to visit. Its local content makes most spots accessible to the mildly intrepid reader with a regular or long weekend to spare, although the site also provides inspiration for longer trips and excursions. Personally, I am not much into hunting or fishing, but I can still enjoy visiting the locations mentioned for reasons similar to those used by hunters and fishers. The spots are often chosen for the enjoyability of getting to the spot, the physical beauty of the location, and the diversity or concentration of animals in a particular area. These qualities might make a hunting or fishing trip enjoyable, but they can also make for a lovely kayak or canoe trip by oneself or with a buddy. I might actually consider going on one of the trips.

While the articles are well written, I have to rate this magazine a 4 as it is not completely relevant to OE curriculum, what with its focus on hunting and fishing, but it does a good job at what it is intended to be. Not necessarily the best magazine, but it is still worth a regular read.

Works Cited:
1) Ontario OUT OF DOORS. Web. <http://www.oodmag.com>. June 10, 2016.

 getting started in  Orienteering
   

     In the article how to orienteer by an unknown author teaches you the basics of orienteering and all you need to know to participate in it. The blog takes you through all the basics he'll need to get started such as what gear you need to bring, maps and usage, as well as markers and how they work.  The blog is expertly combined with wonderful illustrations to help clearly convey points and what you'll need.  For example when speaking about the markers  and how they work the information is With the picture  that illustrates a card mechanism to confirm you have found the marker.  The article also teaches you about making routes to  streamline your process as well as how to correctly use maps and compasses to find the different markers and points. This article is essential for all new  orienteerers  before they get out and enjoy this excellent sport.


 I personally like this article due to its use of illustrations to go with the different points. For me it's very much helps convey what is needed For orienteering.  I also very much like the tips at the bottom of the page. This is great input from actual orienteerers and will help you  as well as make your experience much better. I also really like the small checklist so you know what you need to bring before you head out. The information on using maps and compasses is very important or new  orienteerers or those who are an experienced and is also a good skill to have outside of orienteering. All in all I think the how to  orienteer article is an essential read before heading out and trying orienteering.



http://m.wikihow.com/Orienteer

How to Orienteer." : 13 Steps (with Pictures). N.p., n.d. Web. 10 June 2016.

500 Mile Journey

Canoeing the Yukon, by Alastair Humphreys
Rating: *****

While it is very impressive that all the paddlers in our class, even the first time rookies, were successfully able to paddle rapids on the canoe trip, Alastair Humphreys has outdone our whole class. He and his (unnamed) companions, with no canoeing experience, paddled 500 miles up the Yukon river to Dawson.

In the article, Humphreys recounts their journey. They were attempting to bike to Dawson (the starting point is not mentioned, it's an excerpt from his novel Thunder and Sunshine), but the Top of the World Highway was closed due to smoke from forest fires, so they decided to canoe to Dawson. They had no canoeing experience, but got a couple of friends to teach them the basics. They were approaching the end of their journey with only minor mishaps when they reached the Five Finger Rapids, rated Class 2. They managed to clear all the rocks and avoided tipping during the run... but took on so much water that just as they exited the rapids they hit one last wave and flipped. The current was so fast and strong that it took them 15 minutes before they finally got into an eddy and got the boat on shore.

I really liked this excerpt. Humphreys effectively captures the spirit and atmosphere of the voyage, and I almost felt like I was in the canoe with him. The writing is very descriptive, and flows like a river. I've never been to Canada's north, but I would like to some day. Whether or not I do a similar canoe trip remains to be seen, but this excerpt helped reinforce my sense that one day I have to visit the Yukon. I also found it amusing to read Humphreys' description of the rapids. He made them sound big and intimidating, so I searched them on Google and learnt they're only Class 2, and many people find them easy enough to paddle. I imagine Humphreys and his team just ran the rapids without scouting them (and with zero experience), so I now appreciate the time we took to scout the rapids on our trip more, as they most likely prevented more people from tipping.

Humphreys' writing style is very effective, and you don't need a good imagination to visualize his paddle up the Yukon River. Anyone interested in canoe trips or Canada's north should check out the article, and maybe even the complete book. And if anyone were to be so bold as to attempt Humphreys' odyssey, at least we all have more experience than he did at the start.
The article can be found here.

 Humphreys, Alastair. Canoeing the Yukon - Alastair Humphreys. Alastair Humphreys Canoeing the Yukon Comments. N.p., 2008. Web. 06 June 2016. 

   

Why We Joined Outdoor Ed.

Video Review

Why we explore- January 2015

By Jason Silva

rating: ***

"Why we Explore", by Jason Silvia is an eccentric, excited narrative on how we travel. In equal parts, creativity and information, Jason describes indirectly how to experience travel to the fullest, and why we want to travel. He didn't make the video specifically about the outdoors, but I feel the video's most applicable to nature.

This video is set up in a motivational-style narrative, partly meant to exhilerate the viewer. It describes the emotion by which we lose ourselves in the moment, how to appreciate your surroundings, and how the experience can become transformative. It also describes breifly the search for signification, our relationship with the present, and the relationship between our mindset and our experience.

Aside from the emotional respose "Why we Explore" elicits, there is some value in the  ideas you can collect from the video. It reminds us that when we go outdoors, or do anything simply for the experience, you need to be present. Not only that, but you need to give as much attention to yourself, as your surroundings. It also reminds us that when you try to find the highlight of your trip, plans and structure can only help so much, and they won't help at all if you don't allow yourself time to enjoy the experience of breaking routine.

, It wasn't entirely outdoors- based, and the eccentric manner of presentation means that not everyone would react the same way. Some will react in interest, and excitement, while others might find the video boring. 

On the other hand, "Why we Explore" holds an interesting bit of philosophy that might help us out a bit on our upcoming camping trip. It reminds us that most of us joined this course for the enjoyment, and we should remember this throughout whatever we do. 

Work Cited:

Why we Explore. youtube. Shots of Awe. Web. 2015

May 28th, 2016

Noah Veenstra-Petawawa River - August 2013

Noah Veenstra
5/26/2016
Mr. Laughton
PAD3O

Video Review

Petawawa River - August 2013

(Canoeing Wild Rivers)

Rating ****

     This is a brief, first-person video capturing a couple of guys paddling The Petawawa River in Algonquin Park. The video shows a lot of the techniques we have learnt about in class but haven't gotten the chance to experience yet.

     The video has a lot of techniques that are now quite familiar to me ranging from the eddy hops to the proper course of action when the canoe is facing side on towards a rock. The course the men are taking is from Travers Lake to McManus Lake along the Petawawa in Algonquin Park. Through the six minute video it shows them paddling through a series of different rapids and fishing along the river. During the course of the rapids they face, they use all the manoeuvres we have learned in class. In the first few rapids you see the person seated in the bow using draws and cross-bow draws to make corrections in their path and choosing which eddies they should go to. Another important thing they show is communication, they are constantly working together to pick a route, and saying when they agree or disagree. Other than the strokes they show skills like, eddy hopping, how to safely hit rocks side on, carving turns, leaning properly, and reading the river. Overall it is a great way to see what the experience will be like for us.

     I would definitely say this video has helped me understand what we will be doing on the river. The first person view makes it easier to see all of the components involved in canoeing from a more realistic position. It makes me comfortable seeing how these techniques actually work and how calm they both are on the river even when they are hung on a rock. This shows how you really; if you use the skills properly, are in no danger. More than just that I have learned how important communication is. Both paddlers have to talk to each other otherwise the risk increases and the enjoyment decreases. If the person in the stern doesn't respond to the bow paddlers choices for navigation then they can go through a much more unpleasant scenario. Overall I enjoyed the video and it showed me how fun a day paddling whitewater can be.

Works Cited

Petawawa River - August 2013. YouTube. Canoeing Wild Rivers, 2013. Web. 26 May 2016.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t41Ky7cdKk8

Together to the Tundra

Alicia Saunders

11/05/2016

Mr. Laughton

PAD30

Together to the Tundra

By: Dan Clark

Rate: ***

You would not usually expect a family of four accompanied by a couple of seniors to embark upon a 1000km canoe expedition to the Tundra but that is exactly what happens in Together to the Tundra. Together to the Tundra is a twenty-one minute short film made by Dan Clark, documenting his family’s journey. His film illustrates himself, his wife, Alice Clark, their two children: seven-year old Koby, and five-year old Ava Mei, and family friends Bruce Bembridge and Marilyn Toulouse.

The film begins with them starting their expedition in Yellowknife. Next, they travel along Great Slave Lake, and then through Thaydene Nene National Park on the Pike’s Portage route. Their lengthy expedition includes portages, upstream travel, exposed lakes, and white water rivers. They were inspired by Canadian explorer, and Boy Scouts founder, Ernest Thompson Seton, and paddled part of the route he used. Clark believes that Seton’s stories create a connection to the past.

They were intrigued by the mysteriousness of the Tundra, and admired that it is immersed in simplicity and the immediacy of the wilderness. The overall goal of their trip was to explore the distant Tundra lakes. Their trip there was fairly easygoing however the group was forced to paddle through tough conditions (white water) specifically on their return trip back to Yellowknife.

Their return trip proved to be unexpectedly difficult; trying to travel over low water levels caused them to run out of time. In addition, the high winds, cold temperatures and constant rain forced them to give up; the group took a float plane the rest of the way.

The film ends with Dan stating that although the Tundra is fragile and obscure, and appears untouched, changing weather, low water levels, and scare wildlife are symptoms of big changes sweeping the north.

Finally, this film is extremely relevant to what we are currently studying in Outdoor Education. As we have just begun learning how to canoe, and have been preparing for the upcoming camping trip. This film applies to both; the group had to know how to maneuver their canoes over exposed lakes, through white water rivers, upstream, and portages, we will have to understand how to do most of these things as well. This film also illustrated how a group of people is capable of bonding on a camping trip when they’re away from the distractions of technology which is likely something we will soon discover on the camping trip. As for the rating, I gave Together to the Tundra 3/5 stars; I was expecting a How-To documentary or at least something with a story, however this was more like watching home videos from somebody’s family vacation at times. However I do think that the lessons we can take away from Together to the Tundra are some that will be helpful to the class on the upcoming canoe trip.

Clark, Dan. "Together to the Tundra." Vimeo. Royal Canadian Geographical Society, 16 Feb. 2016. Web. 11 May 2016. <https://vimeo.com/155524938>. 

How to Steer and Paddle a Canoe : How to Do a Forward Stroke, Reviewed by Jack Gorman

Rating: ***

            In ExpertVillage’s video “How to Do a Forward Stroke”, a canoe expert, Bruce Lessels, shows viewers how to efficiently and effectively perform a forward stroke in a canoe. The video is fairly brief, spanning a time frame of about two and a half minutes, and involves an explanation as to how a forward stroke should be carried out, as well as a quick demonstration.

            Lessels explains that your paddle should be perpendicular to the surface of the water for the majority of your stroke for the most power. He also talks about how you should use the large muscles in your torso, back or shoulder area, rather than the smaller muscles in your arms. The reason for this is that the larger muscles will not tire out as quickly as the smaller ones will, allowing for more paddling time and less resting time.

            This video is relevant to the outdoor education curriculum, as we will be involved in a three day canoe trip, where this skill will be necessary. This video is actually part of a series of videos, where viewers can learn how to perform other basic canoe strokes such as drawing or prying, and some stern strokes such as the “J” or “C” strokes as well.

            I would give this video a rating of three out of five stars. It does a good job of explaining the basic idea of performing a forward stroke, however, it does not explain with much depth. It does not go over how much of the paddle should be in the water, what side to paddle on in what circumstances, or how to select a paddle that suits your height and skill level. Overall, combined with a few other short videos on paddle theory, this would be an excellent way to learn how to do a forward stroke.

Works Cited

Bruce Lessels. "How to Steer and Paddle a Canoe : How to Do a Forward Stroke in Canoeing." YouTube. Expert Village, 2008. Web. 06 May 2016.

Click to view video

"Open Canoe Mistakes" Review By Dylan Maltais

Author of Article: Doug Wipper
Article Name: Open Canoe Mistakes
Link to Article: http://www.paddling.net/guidelines/showArticle.html?52
Reviewer: Dylan Maltais
Date of Submission: 2016-05-05

"Open Canoe Mistakes" 

Review

    

    White water canoeing can be a great activity for people of all ages and athletic abilities if it is done safely, this article does an okay job at explaining various strategies that can improve your white water canoeing experience. This article was published by a teacher at a white water canoeing school and it covers "11 common whitewater mistakes". Although this article is quite short in length, it does have some very decent information, but this is not a perfect article. 

    This article is by no means "perfect" and in my personal opinion it is barely decent. The reason behind this is: first of all I found this article by doing a Google search for "white water canoeing basics" and seeing as this article was the first article that appeared I assumed it would be just that. Wrong! This article does cover 11 steps that could definitely improve your paddling the problem for me is that I am not an experienced paddler and the vocabulary used in this article was not written with basic paddling vocabulary. Throughout my short amount of time reading this article I spent more time looking up words that I didn't understand and I would not consider myself as an inexperienced paddler because I have been paddling multiple times including during a summer camp. Another problem with this article was the miss use of the word "are" at the end of the second intro paragraph leading into the 11 common mistakes, which isn't a huge deal, but at the same time it made me think about how much effort was really put into this article. 

     I chose this article because I thought it would be very relevant to the outdoor ed class as a whole and also it could be an interesting article I could share with the class preceding our own canoe trip. After reading this article I would not do that, it was just too difficult to understand and not written very well. Although this article was not well written it did still have some important information for beginner paddlers that are trying to improve their skills. 

    If I were to rate this article out of 10 I would give it a 6.5, I think I have clearly pointed out the many flaws of this article and honestly it was a disappointing after finding that this article was published on the website www.paddling.net where you would assume there would be good paddling information. I would not recommend anyone read this article because it is border line a waste of time to read and instead do what I should have done and just spend more time looking for a more well-written, more informative article. 

Sources: White Water Canoe Mistakes | How to Articles - paddling.net | Retreived May 5th, 2016 from http://www.paddling.net/guidelines/showArticle.html?52

Rabeel Akram

5/2/2016

Mr. Laughton

PAD03

"How to Leave No Trace Sea Kayaking"

http://www.paddling.net/guidelines/showArticle.html?show=932

Rating : *****

This article, published on paddling.net, a very popular website for avid canoers and kayakers, explains and outlines the steps one should take to minimize their environmental footprint when kayaking at sea.

"No trace camping" is a commonly heard phrase, but this article uses it to direct attention to sea kayaking. Within 6 numbered off rules, it gives 4 points for each, with suggestions on what one should bring along and how/where to properly dispose of waste. It also gives alternative solutions to habits or items people usually tend to lean towards that would impact the environment negatively. These rules are really important, because we people forget at times that the nature isn't our playground and that if we would like to enjoy it, we shouldn't cause any damage to the ecosystem.

As someone who enjoys kayaking and canoeing during the summer, I found that this article was very insightful and really made me think about the little actions I should and shouldn't taking on my trips, .
I would highly recommend this article to anyone who enjoys kayaking, and wants to do it in a way that won't affect the ecosystem.

Beezley, P., & Beezley, T. (n.d.). How to Leave No Trace Sea Kayaking | How To Articles - Paddling.net. Retrieved May 02, 2016, from http://www.paddling.net/guidelines/showArticle.html?show=932

"How To Start A Fire From Birch Bark Using Only A Spark"

Title is "How To Start A Fire From Birch Bark Using Only A Spark" by a youtuber with the channel name "Forrester Bushcraft"

Rating:*****

Since the outdoor ed class will be having a lesson on fire starting with various natural objects,one being birch bark,I thought I would go ahead and find a video explaining how its done so I know what to expect going into the lesson.

This video features a man who explains thoroughly how to prepare and ignite a piece of dry birch bark with a spark created by friction between a rod and a sharp object.As you may already know birch bark is a great fire starter when it is dry as it catches flames easily,but for best results you need to prepare it by making little pieces of it with a knife as you would see in the video,then use the rod and shave a couple pieces of metal off that onto the shavings of birch bark and then just try to ignite the birch bark by striking the rod directly towards the birch bark.

I learn through this video how to make a fire with birch bark,a knife and a rod.The video explains how to go about doing it thoroughly and clearly and is a great resource for anyone wanting to learn how to start a fire with birch bark without a doubt.

I highly recommend this video to anyone wanting to learn how to start a fire with birch bark using only a knife and a rod.You can tell the man knows what he is doing and has experience in the subject matter.

Reference: ArdethVillyan. "How To Start A Fire From Birch Bark Using Only A Spark." YouTube. YouTube, 2014. Web. 01 May 2016.

"Meet California's  14 Year Old Wave Wizard"

By:Tristan Cardinal            Author: Jason Self            PAD3O

Rating: ***

                  Jason Self's article, "Meet California's 14 Year Old Wave Wizard", is an easy read that motivates readers to try something new by engaging the audience in an event of Cory Soll's life.

            This Article is about Cory Soll, a 14 year old boy who dares to try something new, and ends up really enjoy it. Cory Lives in a small village of Trinidad, California. Due to the landscapes that have surrounded Cory his whole life; sand and oceans, he has become incredibly familiar with swimming techniques. In October 2015, Cory decided to pick up a kayak  and try something new. The first few months Cory continuously fell, but it didn't want to make him give upon learning something new. He persevered through it and eventually began to improve quickly. Many of his piers became to notice his improvements, and now he enters many competitions where he performs very well. Ultimately, Cory's decision to try something new changed his life and switched around his hobbies.

              Jason Self's article has affected the way i encounter new activities and ideas. It has taught me to be optimist and try new things because it can change the outcome of my life for the better.

               This article was very inspiring and i highly recommend it.

Self, Jason. "Child's Play: Meet California's 14 Year Old Wave Wizard." Rapid Media. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Apr. 2016.

Activities in the Outside Keep You Healthy on the Inside

Outdoor activities, time in nature offer health benefits - David DeMille

Rating: ****


There is a student in this semester's outdoor ed class whose favourite phrase consists of three words: "take a hike". While it is is not always practical to trek through the forest every time the suggestion is offered, many doctors are beginning to agree with this student's opinion that more people should "take a hike".

With the increase in sedentary lifestyles and unhealthy diets, many individuals are neglecting their physical health, and are going outdoors less often. However, these individuals are losing out on the benefit of outdoor activity. Not only do outdoor activities help exercise the body and reduce the risk of heart failure or diabetes, they also provide psychological support. Patients with depression or anxiety can use a nice, long hike as a coping mechanism. For this reason, the US National Park service has launched a perennial event known as "National Park Rx Day", an event which encourage people of all ages to visit the national park that is closest to them, and to enjoy time outdoors.

As a person who lives rurally, I have daily access to forests and parks, in which I hike and perform other outdoor activities on a regular basis. However, I can understand the difficulties people who live more urbanely can have accessing these parks, especially when they have their time limited by their jobs. Still though, it is great that Ottawa has many parks and green spaces located within the more urban parts of the city. These public spaces provide good opportunities to participate in outdoors activities for families who cannot leave the expansive city limits on a regular basis in order to go to a federal or provincial park. I also find it interesting how doctors are prescribing outdoor activities in parks. To think that a thing that was previously taken for granted has now become a physician-issued medicine for some people. I think that this article covered the news well, but didn't really talk about much beyond the primary focus of the article.

While many people's lifestyles might continue to become more and more chair-bound, it is important that everyone recognizes the great impact outdoor activities in parks and green-spaces have on our mental and physical well-being. Sometimes, the best suggestion is the simplest one. Everybody should "take a hike".

Sources:

thespectrum.com. "Outdoor activities, time in nature offer health benefits". 26 April 2016. Web. <http://www.thespectrum.com/story/news/2016/04/26/national-parks-week-get-outdoors-get-healthy/83542854/>. Accessed 26 April 2016.

Black Bear Guide

Black Bear Safety Rules ~ Friends of Algonquin Park

4/5 stars

Black Bear Safety Rules is a short, comprehensible guide good for a quick brush-up or for self-education. It is nessicary to understand what the article talks about if there is any chance of encountering a black bear on a future trip or excursion.

This article outlines how to act to avoid bears around the campsite. It also describes four diffrent ways a bear might act if confronted by a person, and what the proper reaction is. The article also breifly disscusses pets and bear repellants It focuses on black bears, because they are by far the most common dangerous animal near the Ottawa and algonquin area.

Black Bear Safety Rules is a short, easy to read article, with important information. This is good, especially for those looking for fast understanding, but I certainly would have found it more interesting if there had been further details about a bear's diet, ability, or maybe how your reaction should differ from that to a grizzly bear.

If you ever find yourself in the wooded back country, you should bear this article in mind. Fur real.

"Black Bear Safety Rules".Friends of Algonquin. veiwed april 29th.
http://www.algonquinpark.on.ca/visit/recreational_activites/black-bear-safety-rules.php

SurvivorDude: Solo Survival  

Video by: Lukas.P

Rating:***/***** (Average)

This video follows a teen, Lukas P. while he pursues his hobby of sole survivor in the wilderness for a weekend.  Lukas takes us on his journey as he makes camp, starts a fire and locates food and water.  A couple of useful tips he provides are how to find a location to set up a camp, and the reasons why you should do so as soon as possible and how to start a fire using Cat Tail Ends, which catch on fire very easily.  Some tips he provided that weren't very useful were drinking directly from a stream or river without sterilizing it.  This was a bad tip because you can catch a lot of diseases if not sterilized before consumption.  Anouther tip he provided that wasn't useful in a survival situation was building a door for his shelter because in a survival situation you should focus more on staying alive and finding help before unnecessary comforts.

In this video I learned you can start a fire using Cat Tail Ends, how to build a shelter using natural resources such as branches and leaves, and helpful tips on how to find a location for a sturdy shelter.  This video helped me realize how much time you really have in a survival situation.  It also made me realize that you can’t lose focus.  In order to survive, you must stick to your game plan so you don’t forget the important tasks needed to survive, for example collecting wood for the fire or looking for a water source.

By the end of the SurvivorDude’s trip he felt satisfied with his trip and felt confident that if he was in real survival situation he would survive.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMg_BOwRjXA

Website Title: YouTube Article Title: SurvivorDude: Solo Survival

Publisher: YouTube

Electronically Published: October 10, 2012

Date Accessed: April 22, 2016

Author: bmw911bmw911

At Least My Friends Don't Kidnap Me

Dude You're Screwed Season 1 Episode 1
Originally aired on Discovery
Rating: *****

Mr. Laughton mentioned this show once in class, and I wanted to check it out for myself. Not only was the first episode fun to watch, but I also learnt some cool stuff.

This show is about a group of survival experts who kidnap a member of their group and dump him in a remote location. The kidnapped guy then has 100 hours to reach civilization or he loses "the Game". In the first episode, Jake Zweig, a Navy Seal, is dumped on Mount Loomundur in Iceland, 20 miles away from a remote village. Jake ultimately reaches the village and wins the Game, but not before making some really stupid decisions that almost cause him to lose.

While the men in the show are put in extreme survival situations, I still learnt some cool applicable tricks. For example, Jake uses the leather strap on the wooden shield in his survival kit to create goggles to protect his eyes from snow blindness. Later, Jake cuts up his shield and fashions a shovel in an attempt to build a snow cave. I was really impressed by his resourcefulness and ability to turn everything in his survival kit into one or more tools. When I next go camping I'll definitely be looking at all my gear and thinking "how else could I use that?". I also learnt what not to do by watching some of Jake's mistakes. One night, he's camped near a geothermal spring, and foolishly decides to make a bed on top of the hot ground. While he is initially warmed by the hot steam, after an hour he's soaked from head to toe. And just a foot away from his bed, the temperature's below freezing. As tempting as it is, warm steam must be avoided in a cold environment to prevent hypothermia and death.

I really enjoyed the first episode, and plan to watch more on the weekend. I recommend it to anyone else who's interested in survival shows, especially if you're bored with "traditional" survival shows. Dude You're Screwed takes survival to a whole new level. Many episodes can be found on Youtube. Here's a link to the episode I watched: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahc280Ug1aU

 Dude Youre Screwed. "Dude Youre Screwed Season 1 Episode 1 Full HD Full Episodes." YouTube. YouTube, 17 Feb. 2015. Web. 28 Apr. 2016.  

Noah Veenstra-Trail Sherpa Resource Review

Noah Veenstra
4/26/2016
Mr. Laughton
PAD3O

Trail Sherpa Review

(Author Unavailable)

Rating *****

     There are a lot of resources all over the web that give a lot of insight into outdoor activities, hiking, canoeing, extreme sports, the list, of course, goes on. This time I decided to look into camping, seeing as the trip is coming up, I figured there would be a lot of fun little things that can be done to have an amazing time. In my efforts I stumbled upon a website called Trail Sherpa, specifically a post about 89 camping tips to elevate any campsite.

     Just this one article from the site has a ton of information about all kinds of things you can do to better your camping experience. Just like what we did in class the article has tips for the essential survival needs you will have (minus signalling because that should not be necessary). For shelter it has all kinds of strategies on ways you can stay warm, where to put your tent, what tent to choose, DIY nightlights and many other neat things. For fire they go over safety, and tools. Then for food they talk about recipes, ways to store your food, ways to cook it, and faster ways to clean it up. Then lastly, there was the water section which talked about sterilization, and management of your water supply. Altogether the website has links to sites with great over-the-fire recipes, online sites that sell all kinds of camping gear, and links to tons of other posts people on Trail Sherpa have written. 

     I would definitely say this resource has affected me. It has given me a lot of ideas for the canoe trip and just being outdoors in general. There are a lot of things that I would love to try, the recipes, and the d.i.y. tools are just some of them. More than just that though, reading this article has made me think about the creative side of camping apposed to the, get work done side of camping. Both have adventures of their own but there is a lot more fun to be had when you're making it you're own experience. We don't just have to make the recipes people suggest, we can make our own concoctions, they may be awful, but we're making the most of our time. Creativity is exactly how I'm going to change my behavior, I'm going to do my best to enjoy every angle of these kinds of situations even if I don't like every activity we do.

     To conclude I hope those of you who look at this take the time to go through the suggestions this site has, and hopefully you will like it as much as I did. Creativity should never be limited to one person! It may just be three days were camping for, but as far as experiences can go, that's more than a glass half full.  

Works Cited

"89 Camping Tips to Camp like a Champ." Trail Sherpa. Trail Sherpa, n.d. Web. 26 Apr. 2016.

http://www.trailsherpa.com/how-to-camp-89-camping-tips/

Between a rock and a hard place (127 Hours)- Aron Ralston

   

     Rating ****

127 hours is an amazing movie and it based on a true story.  When I started watching it, i couldn't stop because it was really good and I want to know what is going to happen next. This movie is really interesting, amazing and it really inspired.

 

    “Between a rock and a hard place” is about a man name Aron Ralston. Aron Ralston love hiking, he want to be the first person to climb all 59 ranked mountain peaks. One day he decided to go on an adventure to Utah Canyon. He didn’t let anyone know where he is going. However while climbing over a boulder, Aron’s found out that the boulder was not as sturdy as he thought it was. The rock tumbled down fast. Aron falls down with a boulders between two ledges and leaving his wrist and his right hand trapped. He was panicking and tries anything to take his arm out but he couldn’t. Over the next 127 hours, he still trapped in the same place. It was raining, windy and sunny. He had struggle to survive and there were no food or water left for him to eat or drink. He have to decide whether to give up or cut his own arm off. And  he decided to cut his own arm off, he was losing lot and lot of blood and ran for help.

       I really enjoy the movie. I was really shocked and impressed with Aron decision because i didn’t expect him to cut off his own arm to survive. I really like the story of this movie. I liked it because it really inspired me how he still keep climbing and hiking even though he lost one of his arm. It means that he doesn’t giving up his dream of becoming the first man to climb all 59 mountains or his dream of becoming a mountain climber since he was a kid. He didn’t let the fact that he losing one of his arm stopping him from doing what he enjoys. From this movie, I’ve learn that never give up on anything and always try your best to do it. It is also okay to do something that are out of your comfort zone because life is too short to worry about anything, do what you like and enjoy no matter what people say or stopping you from doing it.

     I will put the linked of the trailer movie down below so you can check it out. I would recommended everyone to watch it. There is book as well and I definitely recommend it to people who doesn’t like watching movie. Give it a try and you guys will love it!

   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OlhLOWTnVoQ

Reference :Smith, Rodney, and Aron Ralston. 127 Hours. London: Scholastic, 2012. Print.

Castaway

Castaway is an entertaining movie which exhibits several survival skills. The movie grabs your attention and strings you along through exciting and emotional scenes of survival in the wilderness.

The movie is about a man named Chuck Noland who is the only survivor of a plane crash. In a flight over the Pacific Ocean, the FedEx plane Chuck is in crashes, killing everyone onboard except for Chuck. Having survived the crash, he uses an inflatable life boat to carry him to a deserted island. Using the items that wash up on shore from the FedEx plane and by using the island to his advantage, Chuck sets up to survive while he tries to figure out a way to sail into the water to civilization so that he can return to his life that he so abruptly lost.

Castaway can be linked to Outdoor Ed because it is a story of wilderness survival. In order for Chuck to survive, he had to use rational thinking and plan how he would use the island and items he had to his advantage. He also knew what he needed to do in order to survive and even though had gone through something traumatic, kept his mind and did what he needed to do in order to maintain life until able to make a safe escape. In Outdoor Ed we can learn survival skills that could be applied to extreme situations.

I really enjoyed Castaway and found it interesting to watch how Chuck used some of the items that washed onto shore with him. One of the items was a volleyball that he called Wilson and would talk to. Even though it wasn’t a living person, still having Wilson probably helped Chuck to not give up on his plan of escaping the island.

I would definitely recommend you watch this movie, I think you will thoroughly enjoy it.

Castaway. Dir. Robert Zemeckis. Perf. Tom Hanks. 2000. Twentieth Century Fox Film Coporation, 2000. Film.

 

Boy,nine,survives wilderness thanks to tips from Bear Grylls

Boy,nine,survives wilderness thanks to tips from Bear Grylls

Rating:*****

This article about a nine year old boy surviving in the wilderness for 24 hours after being separated from the group he was with is pretty mind blowing because most kids that age would panic and cry but this boy used what he learned from the show Man vs Wild with Bear Grylls to survive til he was rescued by a search team.Despite being scared the boy named Grayson remembered from Grylls show to find a place of shelter and spent the night under a fallen tree and using his bare hands he ripped up his jacket and tied the pieces to the trees making an effective shelter.When Grayson heard a helicopter overhead, he ran into a meadow and waved the last piece of his jacket and was rescued.This made me think about just how helpful it can be to know what there is about surviving in the wilderness from survival shows and as a visual learner I can definitely benefit from watching them.I plan on camping in the future and this inspires me because if a 9 year old boy can do it without any preparation but pure wits from Man vs Wild then I can do it deliberately and make it a good experience minus the trauma the boy must have endured.After reading this article I am going to watch every single one of Bear Grylls Man vs Wild episodes because there is a lot to take away from them and it could save you in a survival situation like it did with this boy.If you are ever in a survival situation you will be glad you watched them and I’m glad it has has come to my attention that the show is indeed very helpful in teaching you to survive in real life scenarios.  

Source:

MailOnline, Paul Thompson for. "Boy, Nine, Survives Wilderness Thanks to Tips from Bear Grylls." Mail Online. Associated Newspapers. Web. 30 Mar. 2016.

Hyperlink:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1194985/Boy-survives-24-hours-wilderness-thanks-tips-Bear-Grylls.html

World Record in Wing-Suit - Joshua Diepeveen

Flying Navy Seal Soars A World Record of 18 miles in a wing-suit

Rating: ****

Not all people would want to jump out of a plane 36,000 ft in the air with a wing-suit to raise awareness for a cause. But Andy was up for this crazy job.

The article is about Former Navy SEAL, Andy Strumpf, beating a world record distance from free falling with a wing-suit. He ended up travelling a total distance of 17.8 miles, and had to endure a 150-degree temperature swing in the process. He did all of this because he wanted to raise awareness, and raise money for the Navy SEAL Foundation.

In my life, I've always really wanted to experience free falling, and being in the military. This article has motivated me even more to try out both of these goals. Seeing his passion and his motivation is extremely inspiring, mainly because we share the same interests.

I recommend using your passion towards a good cause, like what Andy did.

http://www.wired.com/2015/11/flying-navy-seal-soars-a-world-record-18-miles-in-a-wingsuit/

Paleoplanet - Duncan Hogan

Paleoplanet – Duncan Hogan

Rating: 5/5

Paleoplanet is a forum for discussing topics related to primitive (Stone Age-Iron Age) survival skills. The forum includes sections on pottery, shelter building, primitive weapons making, fire starting, hunting, and many more as well as a general discussions area for members to post about topics that don’t necessarily fit in any other category.

The site contains information relevant to survival and bushcraft that can be used almost anywhere in the world, such as fire starting, shelter building, and tool making techniques, although some information, such as that on edible and medicinal plants, is very much regional. And because most of the members are from North America, Europe, and Australia, most of the information does pertain to those parts of the world.

I discovered this website when I was about twelve years old. Because I live right on the edge of Stittsville, I am surrounded by woodland and have grown up exploring the woods with my friends. Just like any twelve year old boy would be, I loved learning how to make weapons and fire the most. However, since then I have continues to enjoy bushcraft as a hobby, and have learned an immense number of almost-forgotten skills from Paleoplanet.

I would highly recommend this website to anyone looking to learn how to survive in the wild without the use of any modern tools or gadgets. After all, not many people these days are able to hunt, build, and survive with tools they made from scratch.

 

"127 Hours" Movie Blog

Tristan Cardinal                     127 Hours - Danny Boyle

         Rating- 5/5 stars 

          127 hours is an intriguing movie that is based on an autobiography written by Aron Ralston called, "Between a Rock and a Hard Place". This movie is taken place at 'Blue John Canyon', in southeastern Utah, USA in April 2003.

          Aron Ralston is a 28 year old curious mountaineer who decides to drive to Utah and hike for an entire day to explore the 'Blue John Canyon', purely for his love for the outdoors.  Along the way he meets and befriends two other hikers. Shortly after showing them a secret underground pool, he decides to split apart from the group and continue his journey. Not long later, when he is descending on a narrow canyon wall, he suddenly stumbles, falling towards the far ground. Along the way a large boulder begins to fall with him and tightly pins his forearm against the wall. He screams in agony, while attempting to push the boulder off his arm. He tries to call for help, pleading that the hikers he met earlier were still relatively close. No matter how loud he yells, nobody hears. He tries many techniques for moving the boulder, but none of them work. 

          Days later, Aron is exhausted from a lack of food, water, and sleep, resulting in hallucinations of friends and family. The following idea that comes across his mind is to use his pocketknife to saw off his own arm. First he breaks the bone in his arm so hes able to amputate, and next he slowly but surely cuts his whole forearm off. He escapes the crevasse he was in  and makes his way down a 65 foot rock face. He luckily comes across a family and they call authorities, they picked him up in a rescue helicopter and quickly fly him to the hospital. Today, Aron Ralston is 40 years old and continues to do what he loves, exploring canyons and hiking. 

          This movie has taught me the true dangers hiking alone, especially in an area where not many people choose to go. It showed me how important safety precautions are. It made me look forward to our shelter building unit and our rock climbing unit. Finally, this movie inspires me to continue to do what i love no matter what.

         I would highly recommend this movie to anyone interested in survival skills and anyone who isn't afraid of blood.

"Speedriding: Freestyle Skiing meets Paragliding" Review

By: Dylan Maltais

Rating: 5/5

The video “Speedriding: Freestyle Skiing meets Paragliding” was posted by Red Bull onto YouTube and what this video shows is the amazing talents of pro freestyle skier Aaron Durogati. This video follows him as he flies/skis down the mountain with a pair of skis strapped to his feet and a parachute strapped to his back. Through the view of various GoPro cameras the viewer can see and almost feel exactly what Aaron is going through as he sails down this mountain with extreme speeds.

            I personally was instantly intrigued by the title of this video “Speedriding: Freestyle Skiing meets Paragliding” not only because I am a skier myself, but also because of my pure curiosity. How is it possible to mix these two extreme sports together? This video does a very good job at showing just that, while not only is it an extreme sport is also a great way to appreciate the mountains. The views shown in this video are absolutely insane.

            Skiing has been a passion of mine for a very long-time and although I consider myself a pretty experienced skier, there is no way I would ever try this.  This sport combines two things that seem like they wouldn’t mix at all. I have been both parasailing and skiing (not at the same time) yet the things that occur in this video are still nerve racking. The way Aaron Durogati handles the extreme heights and speeds with such ease is a mystery to me, the way he stays calm even though he is only a foot above rocks or snow at times going at insane speed is just that “insane” and the fact the he keeps on speedriding is just incredible.

            This video really relates to Outdoor Ed class, because it’s a great example of an activity that occurs outside that is both exhilarating and very thought provoking. I think most of what Outdoor Ed as a class is showing us exhilarating outdoor activities, but also educating us about the great outdoors. Besides being possibly one of the coolest videos I have ever seen, this video is also not only a great example of an extreme version of the things we do in outdoor ed, but a perfect example.

 

I would highly recommend that anyone interested in the outdoors watch this video because of the many different aspects it showcases.