A Big Test and Day by the River

We had given the boys who are working towards becoming game rangers a homework project after one of our lessons on how to guide. There are so many important aspects to cover on this, and its not all going to be covered right away. But a very important part of it, is knowing your animals and how they fit into the big picture of whats around you. So we assigned each of the boys with an animal, a we chose a Rhinoceros (they could choose between a Black Rhino and a White Rhino), a Lion, and an Elephant. They each had to a deep dive and research their chosen animal on their own time, with the literature we have provided them with and any other means they needed. The goal was to have a better understanding of their animal, and to be able to relay that information to us as though we were guests on a game viewer vehicle. This is something they will need to be able to do for every animal, including birds, plants, reptiles, amphibians, as well as the entire ecosystem. So it is very important to start early.

As a reward for this difficult task, they were going to be getting brand new swimwear (they have been needing these a long time), pizza, ice cream, and an outing to a secret swimming place by a river we discovered in the forest. They were very excited to get away and have some fun, but also nervous about showcasing their work.

So with new gear we headed to the river. We had a little picnic in the forest, and then, each of the boys with notes in hand, gave their best performance and taught us all about their animal. We asked them questions to test their knowledge, and encouraged them to speak up. They did a great job, and we gave them some tips, as we knew all too well how hard it is to speak to others, even if it is about something you enjoy.

With homework done, and receiving a passing grade from us, the boys were free to go explore and swim in the river.

They swam and splashed about, kicked about on the shoreline, and we all had a fantastic time enjoying the pure bliss of the wilderness. This was a great way to spend the day! And when we dropped them off at home they were laughing and proud of the work they did. As they should be!