outdoor education

daring to paddle!

Hilary Gilbert-Wilson

Head of Learning - HPE

The second VCE Outdoor Education camp took place late last term,  with students travelling to Warburton and accessing the Yarra River.

The aim of this expedition was to assess the health of the Yarra River in the Warburton region, so students travelled down the Yarra River in inflatable canoes to collect data and gain experiential knowledge about the area.  

This trip provided educational resources for students to use to complete their  Unit 4 School Assessed Coursework (SAC) as well as first-hand knowledge of another outdoor environment  to use in their exam responses.

The class has tackled 'hard-shell' canoeing on the Anglesea River last year, but mastering the inflatable canoes on white water was a new challenge. Added to this,  during their trip the students used their skills of observation as well as scientific testing to assess the air, water and soil quality and the biodiversity of the Upper Yarra area.

The Upper Yarra - Warburton expedition was a very successful event and the students can be commended for their positive and enthusiastic approach to the experience.