david providing dry land instruction to students

We can meet the following curricular goals with engaging, easy to grasp course material geared towards students and delivered within the allotted class times:

• Camping/Survival Skills - Front vs. backcountry, trip selection, route selection, site selection, hygiene, etc.
• Fire-building - Fuel sources, methods, tools, etc.
• Equipment Selection and Maintenance - Clothing selection and care, materials (ex. fleece vs. wool), waterproofing, footwear, survival gear, etc.
• Shelters - Tents, quinzhees, snow pits, traditional vs. technology, etc.
• Packs & Daypacks - Necessary vs. technology etc.
• Sleeping - Environments, seasons, conditions, equipment, etc.
• Environmental Sustainability - Leave no trace, trail impact, waste and water disposal
• Warmth Management - Heat loss & production (convection, conduction, evaporation, radiation, perspiration), hypothermia, frostbite
• Nutrition - Accessibility, cultural influences, traditional methods, seasons, trip length, preparation, menu planning , fire vs. stove, hydration/dehydration, etc.
• Navigation - Map reading, compass skills, star guides, tracking, pacing, etc.
• Transportation - Methods, past vs. present, tradition vs. technology, pacing, routes, etc.
• Wildlife Management - Prevention, etc.
• General Skills - Knives, saws, hatchets, knots, ropes, etc.
• Hazards - Weather, land, water, etc.

We can help design, deliver, and facilitate lesson plans, activities and goals to students, in assistance with teachers or contract basis.

Certification

David possesses all the necessary certificates to lead back-country canoe camping trips, including Remote First Aid. He grew up with a family cabin in Missinipe and is extremely familiar with the area. The cabin is still in the family today, and David continues to go on many back-country canoe trips to the area each year. A lifetime of exploring the various waterways of the North, a home base in Missinipe solidifies David's ability to deliver a safe and comfortable tripping experience to his clients.

An experienced guide, David has previously aided in leading Southey and Lemberg schools up to Otter Lake in 2023 and Lemberg school on the French-Ducker route in 2024. He thoroughly enjoys guiding school groups on their adventures. His enthusiastic personality and past experience working with at-risk youth and special needs adults only serves to enhance his connection and rapport with the group he's leading.

David will be a Paddle Canada Instructor certified to teach 'Paddle Canada Intro to Tandem Lakewater' this fall. This is one of two Paddle Canada certifications an educator requires to lead a school canoe trip themselves. The other is the 'Wilderness Camping Course' (formerly canoe camping). David has previously helped deliver this course, and is working towards his Instructor Certification, enabling him to certify other educators.