florida might eat me after all
in 8 short days i will begin my journey to the wilderness of the south. in preparation, i have been reading the instructor manual provided me by outward bound. this is too great a resource to be kept to myself. here are some selected excerpts:
"prior to wilderness expeditions students will be provided with appropriate toiletries. due to the nature of wilderness expeditions, students are not allowed to bring deodorant or razors for shaving."
"potentially hazardous marine fauna include jellyfish, stingrays, alligators, american crocodiles, sharks, and oyster beds:
--jellyfish: the portuguese man-of-war and other jellyfish inhabit the waters of florida bay and the gulf of mexico. responses to stings from these creatures' tentacles vary and can be serious.....
-- stingrays: these are common in this area. stingrays are primarily bottom feeders that are most dangerous to humans when stepped on. shoes should always be worn in this environment, even when the water is clear and you can see the bottom. when swimming, an instructor should clear the swimming area by walking the area with a paddle in front of them to poke the bottom to ensure stingrays have left the area....."
"potential land fauna hazards may include the following:
--snakes: there are four poisonous snakes which can be found in outreach course areas, all of which should be avoided as much as possible.....
--mosquitoes: depending on the season, mosquitoes can be a horrifying reality, and aside from being annoying can carry encephalitis and west nile.
--florida panther: though this creature is rare and endangered, it is very likely to make its presence known to groups in everglades national park.
--spiders: groups may encounter a wide variety of spiders including the black widow and the brown recluse.....
--scorpions: groups may encounter the non-poisonous florida scorpion and the similar-looking vineqaroon.....
--lo caterpillar: this peculiar creature is rarely seen, but delivers a painful sting that produces big welts. it is 2" long, pale green with yellow spines and a red-yellow stripe. it is most common in mangrove communities, and may just drop of trees onto individuals."
"you can also poop into a horseshoe crab shell if available and fling the shell into the ocean on an outgoing tide."
"in the event an alligator approaches the boards while cooking, turn off the stove and wait until the gator leaves."
"sleeping considerations: position students so as to prevent someone from rolling overboard during the night, i.e. sleep perpendicular to the canoes.....instructors should sleep on the outside boards."
"these rules are to be reviewed with each student/group upon admission or course start.
--assault and battery, with fists, paddles, etc. are problems, not solutions. i agree to refrain from fighting while in this program."
--'war stories' about my past illegal activities will not help others or me in this program. i will refrain from focusing on the negative behaviors in my past.
--outward bound is not a dating service. inappropriate interpersonal behavior will not be tolerated....."
"it is the instructor's judgment to change policy to maintain the safety of the group. examples that might warrant a policy change include sitting in lightning drill for 3+ hours when students are hungry, soaked, and lightning count is around 23 count, or sitting in lightning drill for 2+ hours in a no-rain situation where the heat becomes a safety issue."
"hurricane season is from june 1 to november 30.....august and september have a higher concentration of hurricanes and tropical storms."
"due to environmental factors such as weather, gators, sharks, and other marine life, the activity of swimming is strongly discouraged in the everglades. there are several good reasons instructors need to think twice before allowing students to spend more than a brief moment in the water.....alligators and crocodiles, sharks and currents. this does not mean students cannot get in to the water to cool down. in fact, gunwale dipping several times a day is strongly recommended, but instructors must use extreme caution when swimming....."
"students may experience high-risk periods of suicidal ideations during stressful components of wilderness expeditions or while on program site."
i can't waaaaiiiiiit.....
"prior to wilderness expeditions students will be provided with appropriate toiletries. due to the nature of wilderness expeditions, students are not allowed to bring deodorant or razors for shaving."
"potentially hazardous marine fauna include jellyfish, stingrays, alligators, american crocodiles, sharks, and oyster beds:
--jellyfish: the portuguese man-of-war and other jellyfish inhabit the waters of florida bay and the gulf of mexico. responses to stings from these creatures' tentacles vary and can be serious.....
-- stingrays: these are common in this area. stingrays are primarily bottom feeders that are most dangerous to humans when stepped on. shoes should always be worn in this environment, even when the water is clear and you can see the bottom. when swimming, an instructor should clear the swimming area by walking the area with a paddle in front of them to poke the bottom to ensure stingrays have left the area....."
"potential land fauna hazards may include the following:
--snakes: there are four poisonous snakes which can be found in outreach course areas, all of which should be avoided as much as possible.....
--mosquitoes: depending on the season, mosquitoes can be a horrifying reality, and aside from being annoying can carry encephalitis and west nile.
--florida panther: though this creature is rare and endangered, it is very likely to make its presence known to groups in everglades national park.
--spiders: groups may encounter a wide variety of spiders including the black widow and the brown recluse.....
--scorpions: groups may encounter the non-poisonous florida scorpion and the similar-looking vineqaroon.....
--lo caterpillar: this peculiar creature is rarely seen, but delivers a painful sting that produces big welts. it is 2" long, pale green with yellow spines and a red-yellow stripe. it is most common in mangrove communities, and may just drop of trees onto individuals."
"you can also poop into a horseshoe crab shell if available and fling the shell into the ocean on an outgoing tide."
"in the event an alligator approaches the boards while cooking, turn off the stove and wait until the gator leaves."
"sleeping considerations: position students so as to prevent someone from rolling overboard during the night, i.e. sleep perpendicular to the canoes.....instructors should sleep on the outside boards."
"these rules are to be reviewed with each student/group upon admission or course start.
--assault and battery, with fists, paddles, etc. are problems, not solutions. i agree to refrain from fighting while in this program."
--'war stories' about my past illegal activities will not help others or me in this program. i will refrain from focusing on the negative behaviors in my past.
--outward bound is not a dating service. inappropriate interpersonal behavior will not be tolerated....."
"it is the instructor's judgment to change policy to maintain the safety of the group. examples that might warrant a policy change include sitting in lightning drill for 3+ hours when students are hungry, soaked, and lightning count is around 23 count, or sitting in lightning drill for 2+ hours in a no-rain situation where the heat becomes a safety issue."
"hurricane season is from june 1 to november 30.....august and september have a higher concentration of hurricanes and tropical storms."
"due to environmental factors such as weather, gators, sharks, and other marine life, the activity of swimming is strongly discouraged in the everglades. there are several good reasons instructors need to think twice before allowing students to spend more than a brief moment in the water.....alligators and crocodiles, sharks and currents. this does not mean students cannot get in to the water to cool down. in fact, gunwale dipping several times a day is strongly recommended, but instructors must use extreme caution when swimming....."
"students may experience high-risk periods of suicidal ideations during stressful components of wilderness expeditions or while on program site."
i can't waaaaiiiiiit.....