Saturday November 22nd Baltimore Inspiring Connections Outdoors (BICO) hosted 17 participants at Southwest Baltimore Charter School for Outdoor Leadership Training 101! This training is designed to help potential leaders learn more about how to plan and assist in leading safe, fun, and inspiring outdoor adventures with youth.
To anchor the training the group went on a mini-outing, bike riding through Carroll Park to the Gwynns Falls where they tested water quality and discussed issues impacting our local waterways. Fred Tutman, Patuxent Riverkeeper, spoke about stormwater pollution and environmental justice issues and some participants shared thoughts about how to incorporate water issue education in outings and programs. Attendees then spent the afternoon taking part in a wide variety of activities, such as role playing scenarios of possible conflict on a trip, breaking down the principles of Leave No Trace, sharing ideas around how to engage youth in environmental topics, and mapping out what trip leader should do pre / during / post trip, all to aide in expanding their skill sets. These volunteers are now on their way becoming certified leaders for BICO (of which their must be 2 on every trip). Having certified leaders and an engaged volunteer base has been the key to BICO being able to lead over 400 trips while reaching more than 4,500 youth over the last 15 years.
Want to learn more about BICO? contact Nicole Veltre at BaltimoreICO@gmail.com
Learn more about Inspiring Outdoor Conections at the Sierra Club webpage! http://content.sierraclub.org/outings/ico
