Last week we went on our first school trip in two years, coincidentally it was to the same place we had last visited for ninth grade, Borderlands Kitulgala.
The trip was a mix of lots of different activities some for science some for team building, as well as some amazing outdoor sports.
The first day we got to go white water rafting and canyoning which were definitely an experience for communication as well as collaboration. It took time to be able to coordinate all of us paddling and making sure we were doing the commands the guide told us. And it was very much a trust and collaboration effort during the canyoning as we were actually the ones sending each other down a lot the slides and helping each other out. Usually this is a job left to the guides but instead we were taught how to do certain parts of the canyon and it definitely took trust to rely on each other. I remember, before one of the slides, being afraid that I was going to end up getting hit on some of the rocks or slid in a different direction. When you get to the slide there isn’t anything you can do but be in the right position and just trusting the person to send you the right way, of course it ended up being fine but it took a lot of trust to stay calm and realize it would be.
Our group going down the rapids (Credit: Wade)
Taking a river bath (Credit: Mr. Duncan)
Although the water sports of the first day were amazing I think one of my favorite parts of the trip may have been the river baths we did. Every morning and afternoon we would get to swim and wade in the river right beside the camp and it was so fun. The surroundings and sounds were really beautiful and being able to have that right next to where we were staying was really special. In addition it was just fun to play in the current and the rocks and talk to people.
Another aspect of the trip that wasn’t as fun were the leeches. I went into the trip somewhat dreading them just because they’re everywhere and very persistent. However, it ended up not being as bad as I thought I learned to be very calm whenever I got one, and also exactly how to get them off myself and others and then off my hands. I also liked what Wade said about leeches that he felt like they were a strong deterrent for people wanting to go into the forest and destroy it, in that way I suppose they’re like protector, which is somewhat likable, or at least creates a small respect for them.
One of the leeches we picked off
Learning outcomes:
LO5 Demonstrate the skills and recognize the benefits of working collaboratively: I think this was definitely the main learning outcome of the trip, through a multitude of activities we had to learn how to communicate better, and trust each other.
Featured Image – Credit: Huirong