An enthusiastic interpretation of the natural environment can be one of the most enriching and important contributions we make to the outdoor experience of our clients. As an aspect of effective leadership and management, we need to make sound decisions concerning the incorporation of environmental information into the experiences and activities we provide for our clients. The content, timing and delivery of environmental information to our clients must be just right.

This workshop will help participants to develop their understanding of the contribution that environmental interpretation can make to their work as outdoor leaders. The workshop will review approaches and methods for effective environmental interpretation and provide plenty of opportunities for participants to consolidate their identification skills and ecological understanding for wildlife habitats, flora and fauna species. All of this will be delivered within the stunning hills and fells surrounding the Blencathra Centre.

 The workshop will start with a brief classroom session to set the scene for the day, where we will:

• Review the interpretation of the natural environment as a component of effective outdoor leadership and management;

• Discuss a number of strategies for organising and communicating key information on the natural environment to our clients;

• Discuss seasonal aspects of environmental interpretation for our clients, including interpretation of the winter mountain environment.

We shall then spend the remainder of the day exploring the hills around the Blencathra centre to:

• Develop our understanding of broad-brush influences on the ecology and natural environment of our upland landscapes;

• Develop our knowledge of key upland wildlife habitats. For this we shall visit examples of a range of distinctive upland wildlife habitats and review key factors that contribute to their special nature conservation interest;

• Consolidate our knowledge of distinctive and characteristic upland plant and animal species. For this we shall look at key species identification features, important ecological adaptations and points of cultural and folklore interest;

• Review and practice approaches to the interpretation of environmental interest features to our clients.

The workshop will be mainly hill-based, and we shall spend most of the day exploring upland habitats away from paths so participants should be adequately equipped.

Workshop provider credentials 

The workshop will be tutored by David Broom. David is a qualified ecologist with a particular interest in upland, alpine and arctic environments and has worked as an instructor on ML training and assessment courses for many years. David regularly contributes cpd workshop activities for the MTA.

Start

20/11/2022 09:30

End

20/11/2022 16:15

Total Days

1

Maximum Bookings

9

Bookings

5

Venue

Blencathra Field Studies Centre

Town

Keswick

County

Cumbria

Postcode

CA12 4SG

Country

United Kingdom

Latitude

54.62041

Longitude

-3.08021

Name

Mountain Training Association

Phone

01690 720272

Email