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On Top of Old Baldy
Shawnigan’s location, with easy access to natural features like lakes, rivers, rainforests and mountains, provides a unique advantage. It’s obviously beneficial to co-curricular programs like Beyond the Gates, the Outdoor Leadership and Development 360, and adventure sports, but teachers also find ways to integrate our surroundings into academics.
That was the case last week as two Human Geography 12 classes hiked Old Baldy Mountain, a 10-minute drive away from the School, with the themes of the course in focus.
“The purpose was to get the students thinking like human geographers,” explained Mr. Galen Loiselle, whose class hiked Baldy on Friday, a day after Ms. Andrea Robertson’s class made the trek. “It was about working with maps, the importance of place, and technical skills. The new perspective they get from the hike is invaluable.”
The students took with them handheld GPS systems, compasses, and topographic maps. Some also had smart watches that assisted in getting geographic information.
Mr. Loiselle has been doing the Baldy hike or a variation of it for over 20 years. Not only does it give students a different perspective on the area where they live and go to school, but it is an experience they can use as a common point of reference throughout the year.
“When they read something or see it online, it’s hard to develop that sense of place,” Mr. Loiselle related. “You have to be there to know it.”
From the top of Baldy, hikers get a 360-degree view that includes the Cowichan Valley to the north, the Gulf Islands to the east, and Washington state to the south. It’s a good place to think about the five themes of geography – region, movement, place, location, and human-environment – which they will study all year long in class.
“This is a starting point for them, and a metaphor for the school year,” Mr. Loiselle said. “It’s steep at first, and there are difficult parts, but it’s worth it when you get to the top.”
We acknowledge with respect the Coast Salish Peoples on whose traditional lands and waterways we live, learn and play. We are grateful for the opportunity to share in this beautiful region, and we aspire to healthy and respectful relationships with those who have lived on and cared for these lands for millennia.
Shawnigan Lake School is an independent co-educational boarding school for ages 12 –18 on Canada’s beautiful Pacific Coast. Our diverse, interdisciplinary and innovative programming helps shape the next generation of global leaders.
