We believe it’s important for young people to enjoy and appreciate nature whilst being active. This is important for their well being and gives them a chance to experience the great Scottish outdoors!
With this in mind, our Dundee office took eight young people to Monikie Country Park for a day of kayaking and environmental awareness.
The weather was nice and sunny and the young people were all excited to join in. In the morning, everyone took part in kayaking on the Monikie reservoir. Changing into wet suits and life jackets was a challenge for some, as this was first time they had tried to put a wet suit on. The young people then learnt some important safety instructions as well as the basics on how to paddle on dry land from the instructor. Once on the open water, the young people had to do some challenges. These included joining up the kayaks in a row and then swapping kayaks with each other by walking over them. It’s safe to say they all got wet!
After a quick lunch, we headed to the woods for a scavenger hunt and to learn about environmental awareness. This involved the young people working in teams to find leaves, birds, acorns, flowers and other exciting objects in the forest. Everyone then sat down to learn about the different types of nature that inhabited the reservoir.
The trip was a great success – all the Swiis staff and young people had great fun. The day also contributed towards an SQA award.