Written by Robin McGeough, Head of Programs
Our Spring Training this year took us from Prospect Lake to Sidney Island. Our goal was to bring our program team together to connect, have fun, sharpen our skills and enjoy a breath of fresh air. We learned skills like trip planning, knot tying, and tarp placement, which was brought to life by getting to set up our own tarps to sleep under the stars. New camping level unlocked: No Tent Needed!
We loaded up 3 canoes and made our way to Tulista Park in Sidney to pack and set off to Sidney Island. We were set off by STIWET from the WSANEC Leadership School who gave us words of reflection and encouragement for our journey, and called in the animal members of our community in the hopes we would see many cool things. And boy did we! We saw orcas, bald eagles, seals, sea lions, falcons, hawks, and plenty of geese.
Sidney Island is very special because it has a dune ecosystem along the spit. Part of our learning was testing out new environments for us to bring the TrailRider. We packed it up in our canoes and brought it to Sidney to explore how it managed on beach terrain. It was a successful mission and our staff got to practice using the vehicle and gaining confidence to provide Trail Rider Over Night programs.
The organizing team shared amazing knowledge on how they went about planning the trip, and we explored how to make useful systems for planning food packing for multi-day trips, and how to pack coolers and barrels.
We also practiced First Aid related to common injuries that come up on program, including sprained ankles and blister care. Beyond the technical skills, we learned a lot about one another. It was a really lovely way to introduce our new staff to the group, and enjoy the connection we have as colleagues but also as community. We returned feeling a strong bond and a lot of relief for how much we were able to learn and appreciate while being off site.
