Wild Ed News

Navigation in Wild Ed

This term we have focussed on navigation in Wild Ed Years 9-11. Students in Year 9 start by learning features of maps and compasses, then test their skills on two small navigation courses at Lidsdale near Lithgow, and Asgard near Mt Victoria. While they’re on their navigation course, they work in small groups to navigate off track and find markers in the bush. The sense of achievement when that elusive bottle is discovered is a real reward for the students.

Year 10 students extend their skills by working in smaller groups on larger courses at Lidsdale and Asgard, during the afternoon. At a picnic dinner in the bush, they’re given more checkpoints to find in the night time. Night navigation really hones skills to enable students to accurately find specific locations when visibility is very limited. This is an excellent practise run for the potential of navigating in white-out conditions on the snowshoe expedition in August.

Year 11 step up again to even larger courses, working solo or in pairs both in the day and night. The next step for Year 11 is a challenge where they are placed in the bush, at night, unaware of where they are. The students use advanced navigation techniques, planning small experiments and testing their theories, to figure out their exact location.

Year 10 have also started practising their leadership skills by teaching these techniques to Year 9. It is excellent to watch them supporting younger students and showing their skills.

If you come across our students out in the bush, you can be assured they have a good idea of where they are!

Cover photo: Year 11 Night Navigation

Adele Stubenrauch

Wilderness Education