University Communications and Marketing

OAL students at MSUB host outdoor skills exposition

Event slated for Oct. 13 at Montana Audubon Center

University Communications and Marketing, 657-2266

MSU BILLINGS NEWS—The Outdoor Adventure Leadership Program at Montana State University Billings will hold an outdoor skills exposition on Saturday, Oct. 13 from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Montana Audubon Center. All are welcome to this free, family-friendly event including students, faculty and staff, families, and community members.

This exposition is a great opportunity for outdoor lovers of all kinds to learn essential skills that make exploring the great outdoors a little easier. Sessions will include “essentials for every hike and where they belong in your pack,” “safely traveling in bear country,” “backcountry cooking,” and “how to practice Leave No Trace.”

The practice of Leave No Trace is a set of camping/outdoor guidelines that promote protection and conservation of the environment. The goal is to have as little impact on the environment as possible when camping, hiking, or simply enjoying the great outdoors. This serves as a way to preserve nature and its beauty for everyone to enjoy.

The Outdoor Adventure Leadership Program at MSU Billings is designed to prepare students for a wide variety of careers in leadership settings. Students learn environmental skills as well as teamwork, leadership, and outdoor safety. Students will learn how to safely engage in outdoor activities and teach others to do the same, as well as how to preserve the environment while still enjoying all that it has to offer.

This exposition will be led by students taking REC 411, Techniques of Guiding and Instructing, taught by program coordinator and assistant professor Lynne Fitzgerald. Students will put their leadership skills to the test as they teach lessons and assist guests during each session throughout the afternoon.

“The REC 411 students learn how to create lesson plans, break down a skill into parts, teach step-by-step, and put the skill back to its whole,” says Fitzgerald. “They also learn to overcome the challenges of teaching outdoors. This expo gives the students an opportunity to practice what they learn in the classroom.”

This is not the first time Fitzgerald’s students have used their skills for community engagement. Annually, her students collaborate with the Billings Parks and Recreation Department on the Rimrock clean-up project, “Refresh the Rims.” Community engagement is an excellent way for students to learn hands-on while gaining experience in their field of study.

“I’m extremely excited about this opportunity to partner with the Audubon Center and hope that it will become an annual event,” says Fitzgerald.