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.