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Outdoor Skills & Leadership Courses
Explore and practice essential outdoor skills, gain imperative field and leadership experience, and become confident in wild places.
All of our courses are led by expert local instructors with diverse backgrounds, skillsets, and experiences.
Paddle Canada Courses
Learn about the only national canoeing skills development program that introduces the canoe to beginners and takes advanced paddlers to a whole new level.
Intro Canoe Skills
This interactive 6-8 hour day paddling course will introduce participants to safe and rewarding canoeing day trips. You will learn foundational paddling strokes, safety, and risk management as well as essential outdoor skills such as trip planning, emergencies, fire building, navigation, and more.
Intermediate Canoe Skills
2.5 day course with a systematic approach to planning and managing a paddling and hiking activity for one day. Prior to the course, it is recommended to obtain a technical paddling certification from Paddle Canada. To be paddling leaders, you should have paddling experience and participate in low risk, day long paddle on sheltered waterway. Participants must have ability to paddle up to 4 hours. Most of the course will take place in a classroom setting with 4-6 hours on a local waterway.
Camping Basics
Dynamic multi-day & overnight camping & learning experience where you will explore the foundations of trip planning (food, gear, routes, etc) plus build on your paddling skills to grow competency and confidence on the water and in a front country environment.
Wilderness Camping Skills
An intermediate 3 day/2 night camping course for those with some camping and paddling experience but would like to learn the skills necessary for wilderness travel as well as develop basic leadership and risk management skills. Throughout the course, students will be expected to lead the group in various activities including navigation, meals, and camp set-up and take-down. Successful students will have a strong camping skill set and can plan and participate in camping trips up to a week long in a wilderness setting. They will be able to provide peer leadership and navigation skills while on trip.
Pre-requisites:
- Camping Skills certification or Equivalent skill & knowledge at the discretion of the instructor.
- Intro to Tandem Canoe Skills certification.
- Camping Experience of minimum 4 trips of 8+ nights.
- Must be ages 18+.
Camping Leadership Skills
This 4 day/3 night course is an intermediate/advanced camping program for those leading groups. At the end of this course, the successful student will be able to take a formal leadership role in the planning and execution of a recreational camping trip, provided the participant has also achieved the Paddle Canada certification appropriate to the vessels used and expected conditions of said trip. Throughout the course, participants will be expected to take on leadership roles in various activities such as trip preparation, extended scenarios, group decision making, advanced navigation, meals, etc.
Pre-Requisites:
- At least 18 years of age.
- Camping Skills Certification:
PC Wilderness Camping or equivalent experience and knowledge at the discretion of the course director.
- Paddling Skills Certification:
PC Intro Tandem Canoe Skills.
- Wilderness First Aid (minimum 16 hours).
- Leave No Trace training strongly recommended.
- Camping Experience: Minimum of 4 logged camping trips with a combined 12 nights or more of camping in a wilderness environment. Two of the logged trips need to be a minimum of 4 days each. It is not necessary that any of the logged trips involve paddling.
Outdoor Council of Canada
The Field Leader program is designed to educate outdoor leaders on ensuring physical and emotional safety for their participants, managing logistics, solving problems, and providing meaningful experiences outside.
Field Leader - Hiking
2 day course with a systematic approach to planning and managing a hiking activity for one day. To be hiking leaders, participants should have hiking experience and able to fully participate in a low risk hiking environment on a designated hiking trail. Participants must have ability to hike up to 6 hours. Most of the course will take place in a classroom setting with 4-6 hours on a local hiking trail
Field Leader - Paddling
2.5 day course with a systematic approach to planning and managing a paddling and hiking activity for one day. Prior to the course, it is recommended to obtain a technical paddling certification from Paddle Canada. To be paddling leaders, you should have paddling experience and participate in low risk, day long paddle on sheltered waterway. Participants must have ability to paddle up to 4 hours. Most of the course will take place in a classroom setting with 4-6 hours on a local waterway.
Field Leader - Winter
One day certification course with extension of other Field Leader courses. This module will review and deepen the event cycle and offers effective group management techniques for cold environments. The Field Leader (Hiking) is a prerequisite. Module length is 8 hours, most of which is spent outside. Graduates of the FL (Winter) module are qualified to lead one day trips in low-risk winter environments as defined by the OCC Hiking Terrain matrix.
Field Leader - Overnight
This 3 day/2 night certification is an extension of other Field Leader courses. Students must have complete at least one other Field Leader course prior to registering. This module will review and deepen the event cycle and offers effective group management techniques for longer outdoor trips. Module length is 20 hours of instruction time, most of which is spent outside, plus one night outdoors. Graduates of the FL (Overnight) module are qualified to lead longer trips in low-risk terrain classes relevant to their activity.
Outdoor Leadership Courses
These EXCLUSIVE courses from Wilderland Adventure Co. encompass stacked learning where successful participants gain multiple nationally recognized certifications. Facilitated by professional instructors with extensive local outdoor leadership experience.
Day Canoeing Leadership
This 2.5 day canoeing leadership course includes both the Paddle Canada Canoeing Basics and Outdoor Council of Canada Field Leadership Paddling certifications. This course is accommodated both in a classroom setting as well as time spent on a local waterway. We will work through both canoe paddling skills & safety as well as group risk management and safety while on the water.
Day Hiking Leadership
This 2.5 day Day Hking Leadership course includes the Outdoor Council of Canada Field Leadership Hiking certification. This course is accommodated both in a classroom setting as well as time spent on a few local trails. We will work through hiking skills & safety as well as group risk management and safety while on and off the trail.
Intro Canoe Tripping Leadership
This multi-day canoe tripping leadership course is designed to empower participants to lead group canoe trips up to 3 days in duration while overnight camping in a remote setting. This course includes a pre-trip Zoom meeting and 3 days / 2 nights while on trip. Participants will expand their learning from the Day Canoeing Leadership to multi-day camping skills and leadership. Included certifications are Paddle Canada Wilderness Camping Skills and OCC Overnight.
Pre-requisites:
Day Canoeing Leadership or
- Camping Skills certification or Equivalent skill & knowledge at the discretion of the instructor.
- Intro to Tandem Canoe Skills certification.
- OCC Field Leader (Hiking or Paddling).
- Camping Experience of minimum 4 trips of 8+ total nights.
- Must be ages 18+.
Intro Backpacking Leadership
This multi-day hiking leadership course is designed to empower participants to lead group canoe trips up to 3 days in duration while overnight camping in a remote setting. This course includes a pre-trip Zoom meeting and 3 days / 2 nights while on trip. Participants will expand their learning from the Day Hiking Leadership to multi-day camping skills and leadership.
Pre-requisites:
Day Hiking Leadership or
- Camping Skills certification or Equivalent skill & knowledge at the discretion of the instructor.
- Camping Experience of minimum 4 trips of 8+ total nights.
- Must be ages 18+.
Extended Canoe Tripping Leadership
This 5 day/4 night course is an intermediate/advanced camping program for those leading groups. Successful students will be able to take a formal leadership role in the planning and execution of a recreational camping trip. Throughout the course, participants will be expected to take on leadership roles in various activities such as trip preparation, extended scenarios, group decision making, advanced navigation, meals, etc. Certifications include Paddle Canada Camping Leadership and OCC Field Leader Overnight.
Pre-Requisites:
INTO CANOE TRIPPING LEADERSHIP or
- At least 18 years of age.
- Camping Skills Certification: PC Wilderness Camping or equivalent experience and knowledge at the discretion of the course director.
- Paddling Skills Certification: PC Intro Tandem Canoe Skills.
- OCC Field Leader (Hiking or Paddling).
- Wilderness First Aid (minimum 16 hours).
- Leave No Trace training strongly recommended.
- Camping Experience: Minimum of 4 logged camping trips with a combined 12 nights or more of camping in a wilderness environment. Two of the logged trips need to be a minimum of 4 days each. It is not necessary that any of the logged trips involve paddling.
Extended Hiking Leadership
This 5 day/4 night course is an intermediate/advanced camping program for those leading groups. Successful students will be able to take a formal leadership role in the planning and execution of a recreational camping trip. Throughout the course, participants will be expected to take on leadership roles in various activities such as trip preparation, extended scenarios, group decision making, advanced navigation, meals, etc. Included certification OCC Field Leader Overnight.
Pre-Requisites:
INTRO HIKING LEADERSHIP or
-At least 18 years of age.
- OCC Field Leader (Hiking or Paddling).
- Wilderness First Aid (minimum 16 hours).
- Leave No Trace training strongly recommended.
- Camping Experience: Minimum of 4 logged camping trips with a combined 12 nights or more of camping in a wilderness environment. Two of the logged trips need to be a minimum of 4 days each. It is not necessary that any of the logged trips involve hiking.
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