In the MUIR outdoor education class we worked on a variety of skills such as archery, orienteering and snorkeling. during each unit we learnt safe practices for each activity. We were given lots of opportunities to use the new skills we acquired during, camp, excursions and at school. My main goals for this subject was to be as involved as possible and push through any challenges i was presented with.
Archery
Our archery instructor’s name was Mary, and she showed us the various shooting techniques as well as how to handle the bow and shoot correctly. She showed us how to hold the bow properly before letting us begin shooting with the target near to us to make it easier to hit. As the unit developed, we shifted the target back, and Mary began presenting challenges for us. We spent some time trying to pop balloons that were pinned to the target as of one of the tasks.
orienteering
We learned how to read a map and use a compass while participating in orienteering to navigate our way around a predetermined area with set markers. We first just went orienteering around the school, but as we advanced, we also visited Piney Lakes, Manning Park, and Jorgensen Park outside of the school. On each of these excursions, the orienteering routes we chose grew increasingly more difficult. Knowing the key components was necessary in order to learn how to read a map. BOLTS was the acronym we used to learn these components:
Border
Orientation
Legend
Title
Scale
Snorkeling
In the snorkelling unit, we started out by passing a swim test in the pool. As a result, we were able to start using the snorkelling gear that we were required to bring to each class, which helped us to become more organised. Before venturing into harsher waters, we spent a lot of time honing our swimming abilities and snorkelling techniques in the pool. We practised duck dives, swimming for extended periods of time while wearing snorkels, cleaning water from our masks without taking them off, and many other skills in the pool. We played lots of team building exercises in the pool to build confidence and trust in our group. in class we used the acronym SAFE SNORKEL to remember some things that we have to remember for our safety and the environments. SAFE SNORKEL stands for:
Safety
Accidents
First Aid
Emergency
Sun
Nutrition
Ocean
Reef
Keep Safe
Environment
Leave no Trace
After all of this, we proceeded to Coogee for our first successful open water snorkel, despite the hazy water. We managed to spend the entire time we had in the water without any interruptions, issues, injuries, or people becoming cold because the water at Coogee was cold.
Rottnest camp
I learnt a lot about myself during my time at the MUIR outdoor education camp, as well as a lot of new abilities that I can use anywhere, including teamwork and leadership. I discovered all of this through having the opportunity to work with people I don’t often hang out with. This has provided me with the chance to develop abilities like leadership, organisation, and resilience. This camp was a new addition to the MUIR elective last year the camp was only one day but this year it was overnight so we got to spend 2 days at Rottnest. When we got to Rottnest we walked straight to our first snorkeling sport the little parakeet, where we set on a beach and and went snorkeling class by class. we got in the water twice and took 2 different routs each time. There was also a swim through where we could go under water. i pushed myself passed my fears and went through. while waiting for our class to go in we sat on the beach or played cricket it was a really relaxed fun time. when we were done snorkeling we went to camp setup our tents and we did the amazing race in teams of 4. this gave us the opportunity to walk around the island and have so freedom. we got back to a barbecue for dinner, we all sat around and had a good time talking with friends and having some downtime. the next day we woke up early to pack away our stuff and tents before having breakfast and making our way to the second snorkeling area, the basin. when we got to the basin we all set down our stuff. our class was the last to go in so i had some down time before i had to go snorkeling. while i waited i stayed down on the beach walking around. Myself and friends saw animals like a octopus, crabs and fish in the shallow waters. when it finally came our time to snorkel i was hesitant because the water was cold but once i was in it was lots of fun. while we were out there i saw lots of fish and everyone was taking lots of photos. we got back and everyone had the option for a second swim a few chose to, but decided to stay on shore and clean up my stuff and get ready to go. when they got back we cleared all our stuff and walked to the bakery where we got to buy lunch before getting on the fairy and going back home.
Leave no trace
When you go camping , it’s crucial to understand the concept of leaving no trace. To keep the environment you are in the same condition as when you arrived or better, Leave No Trace has seven fundamental concepts. These ideas include:
- Plan Ahead and Prepare
- Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces
- Dispose of Waste Properly
- Leave what you Find
- Minimize Campfire Impacts
- Respect Wildlife
- Be Respectful of Others
we made sure to follow all of these step to ensure that we are not harming any of the wild life or the environment.
over all this subject was so much and i really enjoyed pushing my limits and trying new things that i probably would have not done if not for this opportunity. this also helped my make friends with people i wouldn’t usually talk to which was a great change and built some amazing connections that could help me in the future.
