Workshop Session A (11:10 - 11:55)

Let's Build a Mountain Bike Park

Let’s build a mountain bike park: The intersection of advocacy, policy, and social support for community wellness and economic upturn.

Workshop Location: Raleigh Room of the UC

Author’s Bio:

Ryan Zwart, Ph.D., is a faculty member at Montreat College. His scholarly interests are in leisure motivations, human health in connection with the natural environment, and the socio-cultural impacts of adventure recreation. In his free time, he’s mountain, road, or gravel biking in the scenic WNC mountains with his wife, Lindsey.

Nick Scheuer is the Town Manager of Canton, NC. With extensive public sector experience, his passion lies in urban planning, public spaces, place-based economic development, and catalyzing change in the community he serves. In his free time, he’s either enjoying the outdoors with his amazing family or riding anything with two wheels.

Description:

This workshop will consider the current and prospective transformative potential of Chestnut Mountain Nature Park (CMNP), a mountain bike and hiking park in Canton, NC. Our aim is to explore how this park can serve as a catalyst for community wellness and economic growth by uniting advocacy efforts, social support networks, and sound policymaking. The workshop will feature a mix of presentations as well as group discussions and activities. The presenters, experts in urban planning and the outdoor recreation field, will facilitate a learning experience focusing on the intersection between mountain biking, community development, advocacy, and policymaking and share their insights, experience, and research.

Trails to Success

Trails to Success: Combining Avocation with Student Involvement and Integrative Learning

Workshop Location: Multipurpose Room 1 of the UC

Author’s Bio:

As a college and university educator for 29 years, Michael Despeaux has enjoyed a life-long love affair with trails. His roles have included advocate and volunteer, community organizer and project leader, outdoor adventure guide and instructor, Eagle Scout and camp counselor, and soft skills trainer.

Description:

This interactive program will examine how outdoor-related passions, expertise, and personal interests can be leveraged by educators to enhance programs, academic support, or classroom discussions, serve as a delivery experience for service learning for any class, and positively impact student success in ways that are supported by student development theory. As a case study, we will examine one lifelong interest and involvement in building or advocating for trails and how this has been incorporated into two classes, one learning community, one student organization, and one service-learning initiative at SCC.

Trans People in the Outdoors

Trans People in the Outdoors: How to Make Your Program More Inclusive and Accommodating for Gender-Diverse Participants

Workshop Location: Catamount Room of the UC

Author’s Bio:

Sam Beichler is a soon-to-be graduate of UNC Asheville, where he has worked as a Trip Supervisor and Trip Leader for their outdoor programs. He is experienced and passionate about making programs more inclusive, speaking from personal experience as a trans man, and professional experience as an educator and presenter.

Description:

This workshop will discuss the unique challenges that gender-diverse participants encounter when recreating in a cisgender space and how accommodations and educated leadership can positively impact these participants in nature and improve their confidence in the world. The presenter will first give a small history on overall queer culture and then dive into more trans-centric issues to give attendees a background to work off of. Then, we will discuss accommodations like maintaining a sterile field for hormone injections, minimizing polarizing language, and providing spaces for self-expression. We will discuss potential ‘what if scenarios’, answer questions, and reflect on our own experiences in the outdoors and how the benefits derived from those may impact trans participants. This workshop is designed for everyone who is interested, there are no previously needed skills, just the ask that you come in with an open mind!

How to Benefit from Stress, Anxiety, and Challenge

How to Benefit from Stress, Anxiety, and Challenge

Workshop Location: Dogwood Room of the UC

Author’s Bio:

Rebekah Henderson is part of the Parks and Recreation Management faculty at WCU. Her background is in outdoor and environmental education, as well as adventure recreation. As a career educator, she is committed to staying curious. She enjoys learning and growing alongside her students and colleagues.

Description:

This will be an active session where we will explore certain mindsets around stress and determine how it will affect us. How can we help ourselves and our participants benefit from stress or challenges simply by framing the experience in a different way? Discussing research from psychologist Dr. Kelly Mcgonigal’s book “The Upside of Stress” and “Burnout” by Emily and Amelia Nagoski, we will explore practices that allow anxiety and stress to fuel productivity and passion in ourselves and our participants.

Introducing the Himalayas

Introducing the Himalayas and the work we do at Indiahikes (High Altitude Trekking Team)

Workshop Location: Cardinal Room of the UC

Author’s Bio:

Dushyant Sharma is an EOE grad student at Western Carolina University. Before joining this program at WCU, he worked at Indiahikes, the largest trekking organization in India, leading more than 200 multi-day high-altitude trekking groups in various parts of the Himalayan range.

Description:

The Himalayas are the youngest mountain range in the world and it is still growing. This has always been an area of interest to me, learning about the formation, seasons, river systems, vegetation, people, and cultures of the region. Through my experience of trekking in the entire Himalayan range across all the seasons, I want to introduce you to the highest mountain range in the world and its features. Additionally, with over 8 years of experince working with Indiahikes, I will share stories about the work we do, and how we protect the Himalayas. I invite you to join the presentation where I will share my personal experiences through storytelling, mindblowing pictures, and videos shot in the mountains. Participants may come with plenty of questions as I am happy to answer all of them.

What am I Going to do With My Life ?

What am I going to do with my life? (aka: Exploration of career mapping and existential crises management)

Workshop Location: UC Theatre

Author’s Bio:

Debby Singleton is a recognized experiential education leader, career mentor, and certified forest therapy guide. Debby’s specialty areas include career exploration; nature as wellness; public health implementation in recreation and leisure; leadership and group dynamics; creativity exploration in leisure; nature journaling; and outdoor activities such as stand-up paddling, skiing, hiking, and forest therapy. Debby also plants a garden every year which feeds the local groundhogs and rabbits from which she harvests mostly weeds and cucumbers.

Skyler Singleton is recognized for successfully surviving many existential crises in her early 20s. Firmly entrenched in federal land management agencies, Skyler has worked as a Park Ranger nationwide. A recent(ish) college graduate Skyler knows intimately the struggle of networking, interviews, resumes, and the existentialism of the job search. Her main life goal is to spend as much time as possible having fun outside by paddling, skiing, hiking, and eating snacks in cool places. wheels.

Description:

What am I going to do with my life? How do you “live the dream”? Work in a field that is your passion? Like any journey or expedition, the preparation and planning stages can either make or break your experience. The same can be said with job searching, landing on your dream career path, and managing the fear of the unknown in the professional world. This workshop will help you explore your unique value which can be the foundation for your job search path, your resume, navigating job applications, interviewing, and more.

Inclusive Excellence in the Outdoors

What is privilege and intersectionality? How do they affect outdoor spaces, especially outdoor recreation?

Workshop Location: Multipurpose Room 2 of the UC

Author’s Bio:

Ben Stetter (he/him), Harlow Higgins (they/he), Chloë Bloodworth (they/them), and Olivia Heese (she/her) are Warren Wilson College students enrolled in Universal Adventure Programming. This workshop represents a culmination of our class’s learning and professional experiences as outdoor instructors.

Description:

 Join us as we define and discuss these terms and their importance in our everyday lives. Participants will unpack the “invisible backpack” of privilege, articulate the intersectionality of identity, and receive a useful mini-toolkit with resources on these topics. We will discuss environmental intersectionality, the history of oppression in the outdoor industry, and ways to improve accessibility in the outdoors. This workshop will help outdoor leaders recognize and navigate the dynamics of inclusive excellence in their work. All we ask is that you come with an open mind and be ready to discuss these topics with fellow participants! This workshop is for people from all backgrounds and all levels of experience with these ideas.

Workshop Session B (2:20 - 3:50)

Why Microadventure?

Why microadventure?: The importance of holistically sustainable expeditions in adventure education

Workshop Location: Catamount Room of the UC

Author’s Bio:

Kayler DeBrew is a student in Western Carolina University’s Experiential and Outdoor Education (M.S.) program. Her research is focused on holistically sustainable adventure and social inclusion in the outdoors. Most recently, Kayler has done work investigating representations of #microadventures on social media. Kayler’s teaching background in extracurricular youth programs and summer camp settings has equipped her to recognize the current generation’s potential in transitioning our current outdoor adventure culture to a more sustainable, equitable, and inclusive one.

Description:

Description: In this advocacy-focused workshop, participants will explore the topics of holistic sustainability and microadventures in the context of adventure education. Our discussion will be aimed at understanding the social, environmental, and economic context of modern day adventure; and together we will consider the implications of our practice as adventure educators in a world facing a global climate crisis. The final stages of the workshop will consist of collaborative brainstorming sessions aimed at identifying modes of adventure that are carbon-light, affordable, and inclusive. Participants will leave with resources on how to implement microadventures into their daily work as adventure educators.

Understanding Divergent Thinking

Understanding Divergent Thinking to Unlock Your Creative Potential

Workshop Location: Raleigh Room of the UC

Author’s Bio:

Daniel Cape, Ph.D. is the founder and owner of The Creativity Doctor and author/illustrator of his recent book ‘300+ Uses for A Nalgene Bottle.’ His aim is to make learning the subject of creativity as simple and practical as possible. This is accomplished through simple explanations, engaging examples, and quick activities.

Description:

How many ways might you use a rock? Can you think of 300? George Washington Carver did this with peanuts and it revolutionized agriculture around the world. Psychologists call this divergent thinking – when we generate many solutions to a problem, or many uses for an object. It’s the foundation of all creative thinking and the most important skill to develop for creative potential. This workshop will dive into the significance of divergent thinking and its 4 guidelines, how and when to use divergent thinking in daily life and work, how to promote divergent thinking in yourself and others, and how understanding divergent thinking can revolutionize our lives. Additional benefits of divergent thinking and understanding its guidelines include increased compassion among groups, greater openness to new ideas, more effective communication, and confidence in your ability to facilitate powerful brainstorming sessions. No prior skills, knowledge, or experience required. All you need is your imagination and an open mindset. This workshop is useful for everyone – whether you’re a student looking to up your creative game, a manager looking for ways to inspire original ideas, a business owner looking for more opportunities, or anyone who solves problems in their lives.

Enhancing Wilderness Programs with Environmental Ed Activities

Enhancing Wilderness Programs with Environmental Education Activities

Workshop Location: Outside on the lawn in front of the UC

Author’s Bio:

Dr. Shuman teaches Outdoor and Environmental Education at Montreat College. She has been working in this OE/EE field since 1978, with NPS, USFS, and EE Centers.

Katherine Wombwell is a junior in the Outdoor Recreation Studies Program at Montreat College. She is interested in environmental interpretation and education.

Description:

This workshop has been a conference favorite for years. Dr. Shuman and her student Katherine Wombwell will present a fun-filled, educational workshop that will leave you with specific tools and ideas to increase your focus on the environment as you travel on wilderness or adventure experiences. The workshop will be fast moving as we teach environmental science concepts through hands-on activities. The focus will be on activities that introduce and explain plants, animals, and interrelated systems. All activities will be presented with limited equipment that can be carried with you on trips. Come, ready to go outside, have fun, and learn! Participants will be presented with a handout that includes descriptions of the activities presented.

Paying it Forward

Paying it Forward: Lessons Learned from a Decade in Outdoor and Experiential Ed

Workshop Location: Dogwood Room of the UC

Author’s Bio:

Deidra Goodwin (any/they/she) has been a challenge course facilitator, park ranger, summer camp director, internship program coordinator, storytelling coach, and amateur dog trainer- among other things. Now, Deidra is an adjunct professor with a full-time job with the Sierra Club that focuses on policy and legislation to get folks equitable access to the outdoors. The thing all of these roles have in common: connecting folks, getting nerdy about being outdoorsy (in all the ways), and sharing information.

Description:

Sometimes the best part of experiential learning is that we get to learn from someone else’s experiences. Join this interactive workshop filled with things that this presenter has learned over 11 years working in various parts of the outdoor industry that almost certainly would have been really helpful in those first couple of years. From reflection techniques to group management insight to theories on connection to nature-we’ll cover a range of things. This workshop is suitable for folks who want to be educators, rangers, facilitators, guides-or honestly, any other role that involves getting other humans excited about being outside (or just excited about something in general)

The 3 Cs of Staff Retention in Outdoor Ed

The Three C’s of Staff Retention in Outdoor Ed

Workshop Location: Cardinal Room of the UC

Author’s Bio:

Frank Barnett is a current masters student in the EOE program at WCU. Prior to this, he spent three and a half years working for an outdoor education non-profit in the Durham-Raleigh area. This workshop was created with the help and partnership of classmate Lia Frasier during their courses, Group Facilitation & Teaching Methods and Current Trends & Issues in Outdoor Ed. Together they combined ideas gathered from recent scholarly literature, as well as advice given to them by past and current mentors in the field.

Description:

The goal of this workshop will be to inform practitioners about the ongoing trends affecting staff retention rates in various outdoor educational industries. The facilitator will introduce recent scholarly literature that addresses the current issues, as well as a model to be used as guidance for planning of future hiring practices. A space for healthy, constructive dialogue will be provided and encouraged. Participants of this workshop will not need any specific skills or knowledge other than being an employee or an employer in the outdoor ed. field, or a prospective candidate.

Making Adventure Inclusive

Making Adventure Inclusive: People with disabilities can be a part of your programming!

Workshop Location: Multipurpose Room 1 of the UC

Author’s Bio:

Adam Combs was the co-founder of Waypoint Adventure in 2010. Adam spent 10 years building and growing Waypoint into a thriving organization that served thousands of people with disabilities annually. In 2020 he moved his family back to North Carolina where he served as the Chief Operating Officer for Catalyst Sports – a volunteer-run adaptive sports program. Since then, it’s been his mission to make sure people with all types of disability have access to these life-changing experiences. Adam holds an M.Ed. in special education from Appalachian State University, a B.S. in outdoor education from Montreat College, is Wilderness First Aid certified, and a NICA Level I Mountain Bike Coach.

Ryan Carlson joins Waypoint Adventure with 23 years of experience leading, instructing, and innovating in the outdoor industry. Most recently he served as the Executive Director for the Wilderness Education Association (WEA) serving outdoor leadership professionals. He played a pivotal role in scaling the WEA’s International Conference on Outdoor Leadership.”  in 2008, he launched and led Black Mountain Expeditions, an adventure program of Camp Merri-Mac and Timberlake. Ryan’s work in the industry is informed by his extensive field leadership experience. Since 2000, he has instructed activities including backpacking, rock climbing, mountaineering, canoeing, kayaking, and biking across the globe. Ryan holds an M.S. in Management and Leadership and a B.S. in Outdoor Education from Montreat College. His certifications include American Mountain Guide Association Certified Rock Instructor, Wilderness Education Association Certified Outdoor Educator, Professional Climbing Instructors Association Certifying Instructor, and Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics Master Educator.

Description:

Waypoint Adventure would like to share our strategies for including people with disabilities both on adventure education programs and in our communities. According to the U.S. Census, 35% of youth with disabilities are completely uninvolved in their community. Additionally, the National Recreation and Park Association found that youth with disabilities engage in very little school-based physical activity, less healthy after-school activity, and are offered primarily sedentary amusements at structured programs. We all know that adventure and experiential education programs empower people to become more engaged in their own futures as well as more engaged contributing members of their communities. People with disabilities need those same opportunities. Our goal is to enable other organizations to meaningfully include those with disabilities to ensure that everyone has access to the benefits of adventure education. Waypoint Adventure has formulated a “special sauce” to ensure that we meet the needs of all participants. We call this special sauce the “CAP sauce,” which stands for Community, Access, and Preparation. We believe these three concepts are the foundation of running a successful, inclusive program that meets the needs of all participants. Although we specialize in running adventure education programs for children and adults with disabilities, our hope would be to see other organizations feel more comfortable including those with disabilities on their own programs. During the presentation, we …

(1) explain the definition of disability, according to the Americans with Disabilities Act, and share important data that illustrates the need for inclusive adventure education programs. Then…

(2) we will focus on each aspect of Community, Access, and Preparation and how Waypoint believes these three concepts lead to successfully including all people with and without disabilities.

Escape the Barriers of ACCESS and Inclusion

Escape the Barriers of Access and Inclusion: Understanding Needs of Persons with Disabilities in EOE (Experiential Outdoor Education)

Workshop Location: Multipurpose Room 2 of the UC

Author’s Bio:

Tiffany Shuler has over 20+ years of formal and informal teaching/coaching experience. She currently works in special education and holds a graduate degree in Experiential and Outdoor Education from WCU. Tiffany has a passion for learning and the outdoors. She advocates for learner agency, especially for students with varying needs/abilities.

Description:

Can you escape the barriers to inclusion? An interactive workshop highlighting potential barriers in outdoor and experiential programming for people with disabilities. This collaborative workshop will consist of team activities where participants will be tasked to work together to overcome obstacles simulating various disabilities and impairments which could present barriers for participants in both the field or classroom. The workshop design is based on the popular escape room and breakout box type experiences. The workshop may include demonstration, role-playing, interactive lecture, multi-media presentations, teambuilding, and debriefing. Past research has highlighted the need for outdoor education and programs to become more inclusive of people with disabilities, both physical, mental, and developmental, and for programs to accommodate people with different needs. This workshop will challenge participants to put themselves in situations where they need to complete specific tasks where their ability to complete these tasks will be hindered, just like a person with a disability would be hindered when attempting an outdoor education program. Workshop participants will be able to consider, evaluate, implement and modify their program’s policies and procedures to be more inclusive of participants with disabilities. The field of EOE is committed to addressing DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) concerns. We must anticipate and prepare to meet the accessibility needs of all participants as well. For our field to become more inclusive and equitable for people with disabilities it will require specialized training and equipment which will take time and money. This workshop will bring attention to simple ways we can begin the process of being more attentive to barriers and ways to be more inclusive and accessible in our programming and facilitating. As EOE educators and facilitators, we must move beyond the desire for greater DEI/IDEA in our programming. With this desire comes the responsibility to address the possible limitations of all participants and how best to begin meeting those needs.

Sustainable Climbing Practices

Sustainable Climbing Practices

Workshop Location: Campus Rec Center Climbing Wall

Author’s Bio:

Tom Caldwell – Has been climbing for 18 years and is an AMGA certified Single Pitch Instructor, 2018-present. Has taught as a climbing instructor at Clemson University for the past 5 years. Served on the Carolina Climbers Coalition board for 6 years with 3 years as the president. Recipient of the NC Attorney General Award and Access Fund Local Leadership Award. Developed 50+ routes up to 5.12. Built and maintained trails across the region.

Jeremiah Haas – Has been climbing for 28 years in all disciplines. Is an AMGA Assistant Rock Guide and certified Single Pitch Instructor from 2004-current. Has worked as an outdoor educator, practitioner, and has worked as a professionally certified climbing instructor/guide for 19 years; guiding domestically and internationally, over 500+ days. Served on the Carolina Climbers Coalition board for 3 years and a US Forest Service Trail Steward, assisting with building and maintaining trails across the region.

Description:

With the growing number of climbing gyms and climbers throughout the country, the climbing community is seeing record numbers of visitors who have been introduced to the world of outdoor climbing through a lens of indoor influence. With the increase of new climbers, we are also seeing an increase in unsafe practices, poor stewardship of the land and generally a lack of awareness around risk. Our workshop will begin by reviewing the basics of Leave No Trace and the importance of responsible climber stewardship, then delve into climber impacts and problems we face as a community. We will provide real solutions to solving impact issues within the growing sport of rock climbing. Finally, we will wrap up with some hands on learning with building anchors and learning ways for descending safely in a single pitch climbing environment. These are just some of the technical skills needed to transition from a gym only climber to being top rope proficient, outdoors.

This workshop will be both discussion based and hands-on and will take place at the WCU Climbing Wall.

Previous Skills and Knowledge Recommended –

1.) Have a general understanding of indoor climbing and the required equipment used along with proper fitting of a climbing harness

2.) Ability to tie the following knots – figure-8-followthrough, overhand/figure-8 on a bite