Potential Barriers
People often fear the unknown. For many, being outdoors at night holds negative associations. Darkness can be threaten- ing because we are very dependent on our sense of sight; we fear what we cannot see. Also, people have been taught to fear the night by negative associations with violent acts and other threatening creatures and situations. The media have promoted these fears in our culture through horror films and tales of nocturnal evil. Ask your group what they are nervous about and you are likely to hear about Jason from the movie Friday the 13th. Organized night hikes seek to reduce fears by providing positive experiences leading to greater appre- ciation of the outdoors.
Guidelines
We offer the following guidelines for planning and leading a night hike. Leaders should:
1. Know the characteristics and background of the group including something about each individual’s experience in the outdoors at night. Children from rural areas might respond differently than a group of kids raised in urban areas.
2. Provide an opportunity before the hike for participants to share feelings about night fears and how they were learned and perhaps overcome
3. Set the tone for the experience by helping participants understand the purpose of the hike. Participants need to feel secure in themselves, the leadership, and the natural setting in order to learn.
4. Acclimatize the group to the night by beginning with playful discovery activities.
5. Make ground rules to ensure that no one will scare oth- ers by promoting negative experiences. Reassure the group that there will be no practical jokes or horseplay during the hike! There is no place for such behavior on a night hike because it can scare people and cause acci- dents.
6. Explain how each activity during the hike contributes to the overall goal of learning to love the night.
7. Explain the benefits of walking quietly and slowly (i.e. to hear night sounds, see animals, and to have a relaxing time).
8. Explain how to walk safely in the dark by lifting one’s feet higher than usual to avoid tripping hazards, and how people can help each other by alerting one another to tripping or eye level hazards.
9. Take time after the hike to discuss the meaning of the hike in order to help participants process the experience. A good night hike always includes time to reflect on what was learned. Sadly, it is a component that is often minimized or eliminated due to time constraints. It is better to do fewer activities and leave time to reflect on them in order to best develop a meaningful experience.
10. Inform participants that, prior to the hike, they are not to Page 32
use their flashlights in order to allow their pupils to dilate for optimal night vision (this may take about 20 minutes). There may be a few activities that require lights, however.
Safety Tips
A variety of factors should be taken into account when plan- ning the hike including weather forecasts, the phase of the moon and the age of the group. These factors may play a role in determining what to wear. For example, the leader might choose to wear lighter–colored clothing while leading a hike during a new moon (the phase where the moon is invisible) to increase visibility and security. If thunderstorms are pre- dicted it is best to stay away from potential lightning strikes. Night hike leaders need to have clearly defined safety
and emergency procedures that are communicated to the group before the hike begins. Leaders should only use trails that can accommodate
the size and type of group. Avoid trails that have drop-offs, stream crossings or other potential hazards. Be sure to scout the trail beforehand and to know it well. A minimum of two leaders is recommended for any group.
A leader in the front of the group and a “sweeper” in the back ensure the most safety. Leaders at the front and back often create security and a sense of well-being within the group. A third leader is sometimes required to monitor safety in the middle of the group if the participants are inexperienced and frightened. The safety monitor should move up and down the group line watching that the group stays intact and remains on the trail. The age and experience of the participants as well as the length and terrain of the hike should be taken into account. Generally, a group of 15 or more requires three leaders. When the group stops on the trail for an activity, the leader in back should have a way to let the front leader know that the group is together before the activity begins. It is imperative that each participant feels connected to
the group. A rope line is sometimes used for younger chil- dren. The rope extends from the front leader to the back leader. The children are spaced comfortably along the rope and are instructed to hold it with one hand during the hike. For teens and adults, the group line could be established by lining up and placing a hand on the shoulder of the person in front. This method permits easy walking if the participants are lined up according to their height. A participant is told to stop walking if they become disconnected from the rope or the group. The back leader can then promptly alert the head leader to stop the hike until everyone is in line and con- nected to the group. It is important that there is no conversation during the
hike. This reduces any chance of confusion or distraction, which are especially hazardous at night. Also, this proce- dure allows the focus to be on the sounds of the night. How do you make “no talk during the walk” work? One way is to use blindfolds. When the blindfolds go on, the mouths go closed. A second way is to stop walking when anyone is talking. Yet another way is to use non-verbal signals to inform the group members of any obstacle in the trail such as a root or rock. For example, thumping the ground a cou- ple of times with the foot mimics the behavior many animals use to alert others to danger. Because the thumping is not meant to be loud, participants must listen carefully, encour-
GREEN TEACHER 93
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