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[cfmoutd2511]

I Give Up. Amanda you got me.

These three things I know for certain about outdoor recreation research:

1.    After this course, my main take away that I am certain about is how vital research is within the field of outdoor recreation. Without constant research taking place in this field, the outdoor industry would never grow or expand to be even better or reach out to more people.

2.    However, one thing I did realise is that collecting good accurate research is a lengthy process and requires a lot of patience.

3. How important qualitative and quantitative data is. I learnt about these key terms in school but never realised how central they were to everything research, or that a full textbook could focus on these two words.

Three things I am still confused by:

1.    How you know when research is accurate – no matter how big sample is it will never be able to generalise to everyone as the human population is so vast and complex. 

2.    How far you can take one research question and how many angles you can take it.

3.    Why theses seem unnecessarily long and often confusing. To me it seems like only people that understand the lingo gain knowledge from the thesises. Why don’t they tailor it more so everyone can understand what is being talked about? Also not everyone may have to patience to read through 20 pages of very small words.

Three things I know for certain about me as an outdoor recreation researcher:

1.    I prefer talking to people and gaining qualitative data over quantitative as you learn so much more about a person that way and humans are super intersting to listen to rather than looking at numbers. 

2.    However i understand privileged I am to have access to education here and have the opportunities if I want them to conduct research that is of interest to me.

3. That if i can’t write a simple blog like this one there is no way that i would be able to be anywhere near a good enough researcher. 

Three areas I need to spend time developing/learning in order to feel more confident in my skills:

1.    Asking and wording the right questions in the best way (i.e to not appear leading)

2.    Spend more time researching areas by reading articles and books, watching films and having discussions with people to learn everything I can about areas in the field that are of interest to me and gain lots of different perspectives. Most importantly develop my comprehension and analytical skills so I am ready if I do decide in the future that I want to become a researcher.

3.    Finally, work on believing in myself and having confidence in my abilities as a researcher to take action. This i do not have currently. 

I’m just submitting what I have, I know this final blog sucks but I already know I’m going to fail and I can’t do it anymore. I keep reading blogs that others have submitted and comparing myself to those that have 18 references or are really funny and cleverly written and I can’t compete. I know I can do better than this however as of right now I’m burntout, my brain is blank, and the hours and hours of looking at these blogs this past week and staying up till 3 am every night trying to write them has already caused me enough stress. I don’t know why I can’t do it but I feel very stupid, incredibly frustrated with myself and not worthy of being at university so I’m sorry.

[cfmoutd2511]

Dream Summer Vacation Quiz

For this week’s blog post, I decided to participate in and evaluate a BuzzFeed quiz that determines my dream summer vacation. The quiz was made up of 8 multiple choice questions with 6 options for each. The questions that lead to me discovering this about myself are based what views I like, activities I would want to participate in and what I like to eat and drink. After completing the quiz, I discovered that my dream summer destination is Costa Rica for its “emerald rainforests and mineral hot springs to active volcanoes and stunning beaches perfect for surfing” (Loewentheil, 2019). Which is accurate because I really want to go there! However, I want to go everywhere so it wouldn’t be difficult for any destination they gave me to be my perfect summer vacation.

(Loewntheil, 2019)

For this quiz, the questions were extremely poorly written. They weren’t even questions more statements. Some examples were: “pick a breakfast” “pick an activity,” or “pick a desert” and all 8 followed the same mundane pattern. Then there were always 6 different pictures of options you could choose for each ‘question.’ The issue I ran into is that because all the options were so great, I often found myself in the impossible situation of choosing an option. On top of that the food pictures just made me hungry.

As all the questions closed questions and are very straight forward with set answers to choose from. This means that everyone can understand the quiz and there is also no right or wrong answers it’s all up to personal preference.

A strength of this questionnaire is the organisation of the questions. The order of the questions follows almost a day in the life of what view you would want to wake up to, then eat for breakfast, to an activity, lunch and then another activity and then dinner drinks and desert. It is also super accessible for everyone that has access to the internet and really short which means that there is no respondent fatigue. This is the “tendency for respondents to lose interest in participating if they perceive their participation to be taking too long or too much effort” (Neuman, 2018).

However, a weakness is that this quiz has not really any research benefit and is solely for entertainment so is fairly pointless in the field. I also repeated the quiz a couple time and it seemed like there weren’t very many destinations to end up with as I got a lot of repeats even after choosing different options.

I think a way it could have been improved would be by asking actual questions and having a variety of question types with some open questions where you can write responses out. Possibly including a partially open question which has a “fixed set of questions but in addition an ‘other’ category is offered” (Neuman, 2018).

References:

https://www.buzzfeed.com/hannahloewentheil/discover-your-dream-summer-vacation-quiz

Neuman, W. L., & Robson, K. (2018). Chapter 8 Survey Research. In Basics of Social Research Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches (4th Canadian Edition, pp. 171- 172). Pearson

[cfmoutd2511]

Hey Molly!

I got excited when I saw the topic of the quiz you chose, however after completing it I fully agree with your review! The questions were very confusing and i disagreed with alot of the answers. On my first attempt i got the same as you of 6/10 but then i repeated it just to get 100% because i dont like failing at anything :)

You did a really good job of reviewing all the questions that were up for interpretation and the questions that were blatenly wrong such as the skydiving question... It made this quiz extremely frustrating to complete. I also love how much your grandma loves mowing her lawn, she must have an immaculate lawn!

It seems to me that the creater of this quiz has had no experience in the field of recreation and used a very subjective approach to writing it. They definately could have done with doing their research or taking a class such as research design at university so they knew what they were doing... Maybe they could have done with having someone peer review their quiz before submiting it like they do with literature reviews particularly if they are in the field? 

Although i did like that at the end i got given a fancy certificate and some of the pictures were pretty cool!

Really great post this week Molly!

Charlotte

Recreational Activities Trivia Quiz

What is the context? 

I chose the Recreational Activities Questions and Answers Trivia Quiz. It asked a variety of questions regarding what is and what isn’t considered a recreational leisure activity. I got 6 out of 10 on this quiz because of the poorly written and ambiguous questions.

How well are the questions written? 

The questions are not written well. A lot of the questions could be interpreted in a variety of ways and the confusion in the wording made me get some questions wrong.

Might there be variety/ambiguity in the responses that lead to poor results?

Some questions are more open to interpretation and shouldn’t have a right or wrong ex. whether watching tv is or isn’t a recreational activity. 

What is considered leisure recreation for one might not be for another. For example, my grandma loves mowing her lawn and it’s her favorite thing to do in the summer. In her case it is recreation. This activity might be non-recreational for some and recreation for others. This is an example of where you can’t have a true or false selection.

The majority of the questions consider it to be a recreational activity only if there’s social engagement occurring as well. This is confusing because in this context, golf, for example, is considered a recreational activity if it’s done in a group setting but not if you’re golfing solo. 

This quiz is flawed because there is so much open to interpretation and many exceptions come up in their scenarios.

What are some strengths and weaknesses? 

Strengths - the type of question is varied. 

Weaknesses - images don’t necessarily match the question (ie. you were supposed to choose the correct recreation in the photo which was a photo of people diving into a pool. The correct answer was “skydiving”.)  Additionally, questions are ambiguous and open to interpretation and therefore can’t be marked right or wrong definitively.

Some of the answers in the quiz were also incorrect. In question 2, for example, it’s stated that there are no recreational/leisure activities that can be bad. Although this is open to interpretation it is also blatantly false. “There are good and bad forms of recreation” (Rossman, Schlatter 2019). Drug use is considered a recreational activity but also harmful and ill-advised.

How might it be improved? 

The quiz could be improved with less ambiguous questions with concrete right or wrong answers. A better introduction explaining their definition of recreational activities would help understand their perspective on the topic.

Consideration should be given to the definition of recreational activity. 

Some things the writers might want to consider to make for a better quiz include: implementing good question writing, not confusing beliefs with reality, and avoiding slang and abbreviations, ambiguity and vagueness. (Neumen, Robson 2018)

References:

https://www.proprofs.com/quiz-school/story.php?title=mta3njixmq==0ep9

Rossman, J.R., Schlatter, B.E. (2019). Chapter 1 Basic Programming Concepts. In Recreation Programming (8th Edition, pp. 1-20). Sagamore-Ventre.

Neuman, W. L., & Robson, K. (2018). Chapter 8 Survey Research. In Basics of Social Research Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches (4th Canadian Edition, pp. 161- 191). Pearson.

[cfmoutd2511]

Hi Drew! 

I really like the article you chose to review this week! As someone that really wants to get more into canoeing and has an avid love for seeing canoes hanging from the ceiling such as the one on campus and at the Thunder Bay airport this sounds like the kind of place i really need to visit someday! Thats insane that they have over 600 canoes! I can’t help but think about the history and incredible places all those canoes would have gone! 

By them interviewing a variety of current museum staff with different job roles thats a really good primary source of data as i bet they have alot of interesting insights into the process of moving all those canoes. Do you think it would have also been of benefit to have interviewed the indigenous community members who are helping with the exhibition and what kind of questions if you were the interviewer would you ask them? 

I really like that you found extra sources from the page that would have made a good secondary source of data for this article. I was just wondering what do you think are the key take aways of those articles and why would it have been of benefit for the author to have included them when they wrote this article? 

Thank you for sharing this article!

Charlotte

Canada's Canoe Museum!

The article I chose to critically analyze for this week’s blog post is Canadian Canoe Museum in Peterborough prepares to move world’s largest canoe and kayak collection by Caley Bedore, a Global News reporter. (Link to the article is below in my references.)

Canadian Canoe Museum. Photo Credit: kawarthaNOW.com

This article focuses on Peterborough’s Canadian Canoe Museum and their preparations to move their 600+ piece collection to their new location. Currently the museum is located at 910 Monaghan Rd, and is moving to 2077 Ashburnham Drive (Bedore, 2022). They are moving buildings as they would like to showcase more of their collection, as right now the current building can only house and show less than 20% of their collection (Bedore). The new building will not only showcase more canoes, but also “…have a full outdoor campus, a full new suite of exhibitions, [and] a café” (Bedore). Some staff members are also interviewed and asked about the move and their work, such as how they are carefully cleaning each canoe and making sure it will be safe on its journey across the city to the new building. The museum is also “…working with many Indigenous, First Nations, Metis and Inuit communities to also support the exhibit development” (Bedore). The museum is currently open to the public on weekends from 10am-4pm, and plans to close their doors in September of this year to finish their prep work for the move (CCM, 2021). The new building is set to open in the summer of 2023 (Bedore).

Model Picture of the inside of the new building. Photo Credit: kawarthaNOW.com

The article does not directly list their sources, but some sources they might have used could included the following:

The Canadian Canoe Museum website, and their page on their new building

https://canoemuseum.ca/

https://canoemuseum.ca/new-museum/the-building/

Other Global News articles about the museum, that were linked on the page as ‘Read More’ options

https://globalnews.ca/news/7607438/canadian-canoe-museum-purchases-land-johnson-park/

https://globalnews.ca/news/4910464/canadian-canoe-museum-hires-director-to-develop-relations-collaborate-with-indigenous-communities/

https://globalnews.ca/video/7821252/canadian-canoe-museum-unveils-new-details-on-new-museum

Museum Staff Members

Carolyn Hyslop, Executive Director

Jeremy Ward, Curator

Dane Allendorf, Staff member cleaning the canoes

The information gathered from the museum staff interviews are primary sources of information, and the information from the other Global News articles are secondary sources.

References:

Bedore, C. (2022, February 17). Canadian Canoe Museum in Peterborough prepares to move world's largest canoe and kayak collection . Global News. Retrieved February 20, 2022, from https://globalnews.ca/news/8627255/canoe-museum-move-collection-new-location/

CCM. (2022, January 31). Home Page. Canadian Canoe Museum. Retrieved February 20, 2022, from https://canoemuseum.ca/

[cfmoutd2511]

Hi Evan!

Nice post this week. I like how your research that you’re conducting is very specific and indepth about one topic and location within Thunder Bay. One thing that makes research tricky ive found is trying to go too broad and overcomplicating the research whereas you have focused on the quality not quantity. 

You’re right the introduction question is a positive and friendly way too start the interview but maybe if you only have 5 questions for the interview this could be part of a friendly conversation until you get into the qualitative interview and the other questions below will likely give a sense of how they view the skating at the rink. 

Do you think its possible for skaters to enjoy using the trail however there still be aspects of the trail that they feel could be changed? Maybe it would be of benefit to have a question asking if there is anything vickers park can do to improve their trail system no matter how small of a detail. I know if it was me, unless something was really badly done at the park, i likely wouldnt have brought up anything negative unless specificalyy asked to. data collected from this question would be able to improve the trail for future skaters.

I was also wondering if you had a particular key thinker in mind that you would be interested in? Rather than showing up and randomly choosing a member of the public, is there possibly a specific student you know that visits there often to stake or a thunder bay local that is renound known for their skating abilities that has visited alot of different skating parks. Do you think when collecting research it is better to choose people for interviews randomly or someone in particular that you know will be able to give full and meaningful answers to all your questions?

I like how you used the funneling technique though! I’d never heard of it before but will for sure keep it in mind if I have to conduct an actual interview.

Charlotte

Blog 6

This past year Thunder Bay opened a new skating trail at Vickers Park. My podcast group and I are looking to uncover the benefits and impacts this trail is having on our city. Interviewing a key thinker in the field would help us find our answer. I would interview a skater at Vickers Park to get a firsthand understanding of how the skating trail is affecting a member of the community. 

Questions:

How was your skate today?

This question is a friendly way to start my interview. My hope with this question is to be polite with the skater so that they feel comfortable with me. This would hopefully lead to more in depth answers later on.  

2. 

How did you hear about the skating trail and did you come with anyone?

I would like to understand how the general public knows about the skating trial. Is it word of mouth? Social media? This would help me understand how the skating trail is interacting with Thunder Bay. I would also like to know what demographic of people are using the trail to understand its benefits. This is why I would ask if the skater came with anyone. 

3.

How often do you use the skating trail and what is your purpose for coming?

It is important for me to know if skaters are repeat users of the trail. If they are, that would be a sign that the trail is having a positive impact on community members. Skating can be for leisure, for expertise, or for social reasons. Finding out the purpose of the skaters visit will help me further understand the demographic of skaters. 

4.

Describe your skating experience. Have you been to a skating trial before coming to Vickers Park?

This question helps me understand the skill level of skaters. Are the trail users people that already skate through activities such as hockey or figure skating? Knowing if skaters have pleasure skated elsewhere gives an understanding of why a trial is better or worse than a regular pad of ice. The skating trial is a new thing in Thunder Bay but similar trials exist elsewhere in Ontario. I would be interested to know if users of Vickers Park are trying something new or already experienced in trial skating. 

5.

Do you enjoy using the skating trial? Why or why not? 

This question would hopefully reveal the impact the trail is having on skaters in Thunder Bay. If skaters are not enjoying the trail, this question gives an opportunity to voice concerns and criticism. If skaters are enjoying the trial, this question will provide an opportunity for specific examples of positive things the trail gives to the community. 

Summary:

The questions I have listed have a few main objectives. Firstly, I would like to find out how people are finding out about the skate trail, and to see what demographic the skating trail advertisements are catering to. For example, if skaters are becoming aware of the trail through social media then that would likely generate a younger crowd. This would impact Thunder Bay in a different way than a radio advertisement which would likely bring families and older citizens to the trail. Secondly, I am looking to find out what the skill level of skaters is and what their desired use of the trail is. Finally, I would like to know if the skating trail is a successful development. Happy skaters and repeat skaters would speak to the success of the trail. 

My questions follow the funneling technique. They start out light and open for interpretation and become more specific towards the end of the interview. My intentions with this technique are to develop a good relationship with the skater through friendly and easy questions at the beginning. This would hopefully lead to stronger and more full answers in the final specific questions.  

[cfmoutd2511]

Interview with a Key Outdoor Thinker

For my group podcast, we are researching the benefits that participating in outdoor recreation has for university students. We are focusing on the mental, physical and social benefits and how they help cope with the stresses and lifestyle of university, specifically at Lakehead. Based on our topic, the key thinker that I would interview is Joey Miller. Joey is currently a technologist in the outdoor recreation program however he is also a graduate of the same program at Lakehead and has been a guide for many years. Therefore, through his love and dedication for the outdoors and bringing people outside it would be interesting to see how he thinks it has benefited him through his first-hand experience.

1) What is your favourite thing about spending time outdoors?

I first chose this introduction question as it is very open ended and I feel sets the tone for the rest of the interview. By getting Joey’s perspective on how much he values the time he spends outdoors is important it gives me an overview of Joey’s opinions and feelings towards the outdoors.

2) Roughly how often would you spend outdoors doing activities a week while you were at university?

Despite doing a qualitative interview, this one question gives a quantitative idea of how often he would go outside. If I was to ask the same question to current university students or other alumni, I would be able to easily compare responses. However, I would keep in mind that this would not be a totally accurate number as it would have varied from week to week as university students fluctuating schedules of when to do assignments. Joey may also not quite remember as it was a long time ago however it was likely a lot of time.

3) Did you find that spending time outdoors had a benefit to your university life and in what ways?

Although all the questions relate to our topic, this one is the most important as directly relates to our question. “Qualitative interviews have an explicit purpose to learn about the informant and setting” which this question definitely accomplishes. By pairing with the previous question, it may show a correlation between spending lots of time outdoors and experiencing all the benefits that come alongside.

4) Do you feel like you became closer to people and made more connections at university through having a love for the outdoors and how so?

This question is more specific to the social benefits of outdoor recreation. University is such an important time for meeting lots of likeminded individuals, especially in the outdoors. It is likely Joey would say yes to this question but by asking how so at the end it opens it up for further elaboration if he has any reasons to add.

5) What are your favourite outdoor activities to do in Thunder Bay and what would you recommend for current university students?

To close the interview, I chose this as a final question in hopes that Joey can provide some cool examples of outdoor experiences to be had in thunder bay and maybe even a local spot not many people have heard of!

Overall, by using these questions to conduct a qualitative interview to gain research, it allows me to learn more about joeys experiences and ‘see the world from the perspective of my interviewee’ which is a major advantage. However, Joeys experience may not relate to a lot of students at university who may not have the same access to the outdoors so the data collected may have issues of validity and reliability.

References:

Neuman, W. L., & Robson, K. (2018). Chapter 1 Qualitative Interviewing. In Basics of Social Research Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches (4th Canadian Edition, pp. 265-269). Pearson

[cfmoutd2511]

Article Review: How Climate Change will Affect the Future of Outdoor Recreation in the West

The key message of this article looks to inform readers on what research has found about the impact climate change will have on the outdoor recreation industry which is very prevalent in the west particularly and how the industry can adapt. The article enforces that the impacts are already noticeable and will likely get worse and more unpredictable only with time. Some examples include increases in wildfire smoke in the summers and implications of wildfires on trails and wildlife such as at eagle creek pictured below, “ski resorts with fluctuating snowpack’s, rivers with low water levels” (Henderson, 2022) and changes in bear populations. However, the article then goes on to provide “activity-specific strategies” to be prepared for these changes. By preparing for longer seasons, creating summer activities at winter recreation sites to stay open and preparing for ecosystem changes, managers and businesses will have to adapt for the future. A key take away from the study is that managers will have to work together and learn from past successes and failures in order to best prepare and keep the outdoors safely accessible for people.

(Eagle Creek Fire, Miller, 2022)

The main source that was used in this article was a journal article (referenced below) called Climate Change and Recreation in the Western United States: Effects and Opportunities for Adaptation. This journal was evaluated by the author reading the full journal and then summarising the key take always as well as citations of the lead author from the study Anna Miller. This means that consumers can learn about the article and take away the key information of the journal in a shorter amount of time without needing to read the full journal or data.

This article is valid as the literature and data that’s being summarised was peer reviewed. This means that it went through rigorous evaluations by others in the same field that validated the findings before it could be published. The article is also very concise and well organised by highlighting the issues of climate change, implications for the outdoor industry, followed by what action could be taken in the future.

After reading the article, consumers should realise that if durastic changes aren’t made to combat climate change, the effects to the outdoors industry in particular will be huge and different to what we are currently used to. The impacts of climate change are vast over a lot of industries however they are huge on the outdoor environment. Managers of outdoor centres should read this article to understand how their business will be affected if not already and implement changes to better prepare for the future. However, everyone has a responsibility to help protect the planet and do their part so the impacts of climate change are lessened and we can continue to experience what nature and the land has to offer for many generations to come.

Article Link - https://www.news-medical.net/news/20220225/Research-shows-how-changing-climate-will-affect-the-future-of-outdoor-recreation-in-the-West.aspx

Miller, A. B., Winter, P. L., Sánchez, J. J., Peterson, D. L., & Smith, J. W. (2022). Climate Change and Recreation in the Western United States: Effects and Opportunities for Adaptation. Journal of Forestry. https://doi.org/10.1093/jofore/fvab072

[cfmoutd2511]

Hi Rachel,

I firstly wanted to say that I admire your work ethic. The fact that you submitted an assignment that you weren't full proud of but completely did it again to submit something that you felt was your best work is really admirable and not many people would do that!

Thats a super interesting topic to research! I went on a school trip a couple years ago to conduct research on coral reefs and we learnt all about their importance and they are vital to the health of our planet. Humans and climate change are having a huge impact on the health of our coral reefs which have accelerated so much in recent years so it is so interesting to discover the use of artificial reefs that could help solve this issue. Which would give natural reefs a big chance to recover. Even though obviously the route cause of damage still needs to be dealt with alongside...

I really want to go scuba diving too! It was tragic on my school trip that I had to watch all my friends get their padi qualifications while I snorkelled due to health reasons :( but someday I hope I can! Being able to swim underwater and among coral reefs its like a whole other world!

Really good submission!

Charlotte

#3.5 A mashup

There is no prompt for this post as this is a bit of a mash up and I intend to make 2 post for this week on a few different things. This is a partial use of prompt 4: a free write prompt to come up with a partial write of prompt 3.  

I have a few things on my mind this week. One being I would like to rewrite my post about the blog #3 prompt as I feel I did not do it justice and I was generally unhappy with my post. Despite having an extremely stressful week on top of having to attend about 20 zoom presentations this weekend as the coordinator and host of the ORPT ORSS Career Fair I am exhausted and I did not have time to remake my blog 3 post so although it it is not a full post I would like to attach it here because I think it is actually a really interesting topic. 

(Sidenote: if you are looking for summer employment or any outdoor Rec employers many of the presentations were recorded and are posted in the ORSS D2L page as well as various job postings!).

Anyways here goes nothing: 

After writing my first answer to this prompt I came across another idea credit of my friend Reid and I thought it was a pretty good idea and tourism related. This is a reworked answer to prompt #3. (This is not a completed research idea answer to prompt 3 - just a more interesting idea). 

If I could research anything I would like to design a research project regarding whether the artificial sinking of ships or various other things (Ie planes etc) near coral reefs for the purpose of aiding in the regrowth of the coral reef is beneficial to the coral reefs or if it really just a tourist attraction and provides additional entertainment for scuba divers. 

This could be turned into a long term study regarding the health of coral reefs and if these artificial reefs actually do grow in a similar fashion to support the ocean life or if they are just a ploy and scheme to make scuba diving companies who use them look good. I feel this would benefit those who actually partake in research about the growth and decline of coral reefs. 

Megan Denny mentions in her blog Diving Artificial reefs on PADI that “In addition to providing a home for algae, barnacles, corals, and other marine life, an artificial reef can help control erosion, improve surfing conditions, and attract tons of divers with selfie sticks. Over time, the artificial reef becomes a feeding area for small fish, and later large fish that prey on the small ones. Artificial reefs also benefit areas with a healthy, natural reef. At Tamar reef in Eliat, Israel scientists found more divers visited the artificial reef than the two natural reefs nearby. Fewer divers means less stress on the corals and other marine inhabitants of the natural reef.” (Denny, 2018.) This is a really interesting take and I did not consider it this way. 

These kinds of artificial dive sites are popping up all over the world in partnership with organizations who want to protect oceans and coral reefs. I think my view of myself as a researcher in 10 years would stay the same as I wrote about in prompt 3. I just thought this was a really cool idea and not something that is even relevant to my world because I have never been scuba diving although I really want to. 

Diving artificial reefs. PADI Blog - Scuba Diving and Freediving Tips, Dive Travel Insights & More. (2018, June 26). Retrieved February 7, 2022, from https://blog.padi.com/artificial-reefs/#:~:text=Artificial%20reefs%20also%20benefit%20areas,inhabitants%20of%20the%20natural%20reef.

[cfmoutd2511]

Ultimate Research Project

A decade from now I will hopefully be working in outdoor education as so as a woman who is also interested in history, I would be keen to research the history of women in the field and how that has shifted to present day.

I believe studying history is so vital in our world. Doing so allows us to develop an understanding of the world around us through learning about past societies, systems and ideologies so we can see how far we have come, where we stand today, and learn from past right and wrongs. Through researching heroic women who deviated from the norms, followed their passions in the outdoors, and shaped the role of women today, it may inspire girls today to do great things. By studying history, in particular women’s roles in society, it is the key to improving the future and ensuring that past patterns and events are not repeated.  

Throughout history, a key trend that has arisen has been women not getting the credit or respect they deserve for the work they have contributed to society. For example, Rosalind Felix who discovered the double helix, however it was Watson and Crick who claimed the credit in their book Nature and received a Nobel prize. Also, Katherine Johnson who was vital in landing the Apollo 11 on the moon but went unrecognised by her male collogues. There are thousands of these instances throughout history which dismiss the incredible intelligence of women, we have a lot to thank women for and the same applies within the field of outdoor recreation.

For my research project, I would like to research the key women in history that have help shaped the male dominated outdoor industry answering questions like what inspired them to pursue their jobs, why they did it, what the impacts on them were, and how they shaped the industry today. I would also look into what the differences are between then and current times in regards to both women’s roles and the ratios of women to men in the field. I would use both quantitative and qualitative data.

I think a lot of people would benefit from this research including young women today making their way into the field, males understanding that women have just as key a role to play in this field in history and now, but also so that these incredible women get the credit they deserve.

#Betterlatethennever

[cfmoutd2511]

Hi Alison,

What a great topic to blog about! I agree dogs are for sure outdoor rec enthusiasts and they for sure encourage humans to get outdoors and reap the benefits. I know for me I would not have been on anywhere near the number of walks I did if I hadn't had my dog Skye. 

After years and years of persuading my family to get a dog, when I was about 14 the thing that threw my mum on board (as she was always pushing us to go on walks with her) was the comment ‘walking is wasted without a dog.’ I obviously don't believe that now but I fully agree that being outdoors with a dog makes it so much more enjoyable. I remember when I would take my dogs for walks watching her just jump around in the fields so you would just see her head poking out and her roll around in manure (which she obviously thought smelt amazing and would be confused why we wouldn't want her anywhere near us...), but the best part was the huge smile she would have every time we went outside. I do believe watching her experience the outdoors whether its a huge lake she would swim in or the smallest bee that she would follow (until it stung her) made me appreciate the outdoors so much more and notice all the wonders it holds no matter how small. 

Thats an interesting topic to discuss. Personally, my dog Skye was half lab half border collie so being a medium size dog would not be invited into the small dog zone and would have probably been upset about not getting to introduce herself to every dog. But I can see how if you are a small dog it would be slightly less scary running around with dogs your own size that you knew couldn't trample on you!

I would give anything to go on just one more walk with my dog Skye, so make sure you go on all the adventures you can with Molly! You are so lucky to have one another and its so evident how much you love her which is so special!

A blog post about the topic of my choice; my dog! This is Molly my chihuahua Pomeranian Yorkie. While she is a whopping 9 pounds that sure doesn’t stop her from being my adventure buddy. She loves running and hiking but you won’t catch her anywhere near the water.

I want to discuss the topic, just as an idea or debate; should dog parks have small dog zones? I think they should! The dog park can be a great outdoor recreational activity to participate in and meet other dog owners while your furry friend gets to burn off some energy, which if you’ve ever met molly, you know she’s got more energy than 10 people combined. Having a small zone at dog parks can allow small dogs the socializing that both them and their paw-ents are looking for. Dog parks are generally a large amount of space fenced in, all small dogs are asking for in maybe 1/4 that space fenced for a safe place for them to play as well. Feel free to share your thoughts with me!

Secondly, let’s talk about how dogs are somewhat of an outdoor rec enthusiast themselves! Dogs obviously come from nature and enjoy exploring the outdoors and all the fun that comes with that for them. Dogs can encourage humans to receive the benefits outdoor recreation can provide! I know Molly has gotten me outside (at least when it’s warmer) so much more than I used to!

Share with me how an animal has encouraged you to enjoy outdoor recreation.

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My Ski Journey

This week, I’ve been skiing a lot and have decided to dedicate this blog to my ski journey and overcoming my fears following a ski accident I had 10 years ago this weekend.

I fell in love with skiing from a really young age but growing up in England, the only time we got to go was in Canada when we visited my mum’s family. My mum grew up competing in ski races so I would love watching her fly down the hills and getting to ski between her legs. I always wanted to be as good as her and join her on the harder runs!

In 2012 we went on our first (and last) family ski holiday in the south of France. My first day went really well, I had a lesson and was feeling confident and excited for the week ahead. This mindset led me to make the fatal decision at the end of the day to take the ski out rather than the gondola. It was going well however I soon got too confident for my own liking… bombing it down the mountain I quickly lost control and didn’t know how to stop. I flew over a mogul, hit a tree, then went tumbling down a cliff. Okay that didn’t happen, but it would have made a far more exciting story than the truth of me purposely falling to the side to stop, only to have my skis not fall off. After checking I was alright, my mum proceeded to make me keep skiing to the bottom. Little did we know until the following day when I had to wait 5 hours for an X-ray (pictured below) I had in fact broken my leg and the top of my tibia bone had completely sliced off. This abruptly ended my ski holiday and turning it into a fancy hospital holiday for the rest of the week.

I surprisingly enjoyed my time in the fancy French hospital for the week but I still would have rather been out skiing with my family. My journey to recovery consisted of spending 6 weeks in a wheelchair, then 2 months on crutches and attending physio-therapy twice a week.

My first-time back skiing was in fact later that year when little brave me thought it would be a good idea to go to our local indoor ski ‘resort’ with one hill and fake snow. Believing I would just pick up from where I left off, I was very much mistaken. As soon as I got to the top of the little slope, extremely intense fear overcame me and I proceeded to bawl my eyes out for the full hour-long time slot we were there for, but I still tried. Since then, I have skied a couple time (still cried every time) but have been able to stay in control and do the easy slopes.

That brings us to present time. Now that I live in Thunder Bay, this year for Christmas the only gift I wanted was a ski pass so I could finally overcome this fear and live out my dream of being able to ski. I have already improved massively and have been doing slopes that just last week I would stop in the middle of, start crying and almost refuse to continue down. I won’t lie and say it hasn’t been disheartening watching little kids fly past me, feeling extremely judged, taking huge tumbles or being nowhere near as good as I would like, but I am so proud of myself for pushing myself to face one of my biggest fears and get over this psychological hurdle.

I end this week’s blog with a quote by Judy Blume: “Each of us must confront our own fears, must come face to face with them. How we handle our fears will determine where we will go with the rest of our lives. To experience adventure or to be limited by the fear of it.” I will continue to live by this and never let fear stop me from experiencing everything I want to in life.

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Hi Evan!

I really liked your description, especially including the history of how her family  came to live in the Taiga following Stalins rule. 

I also liked that you compared the two lifestyles, particularly how technology is different for each of them, and for Agafia her technology consists of homemade snowshoes and axes. Probably to Agafia the technology the filmmakers had seemed crazy and pointless! 

How you think the fact that they couldn't understand or relate to her lifestyle affected the outcome of the research and documentary?

I fully agree with the fact that because of her lifestyle, she would be totally unaware of the vast exposure her story would be receiving. Even if they had tried to explain it to her I bet she would still struggle to understand! I had never even heard of VICE before this assignment so there is no way she would and probably not even YouTube. Therefore because she didn't really know who would be seeing her story and the fact she didn't have much say in the finial footage, if she had the documentary would have turn out differently and better. 

The fact that you acknowledge your invisible backpack and how it benefits you as a student researcher is important aspect that the filmmakers at VICE never did. I think you would make a much better researcher than VICE and I too would be interested in finding out the answers to those questions so let me know if you ever get the opportunity to meet her and ask... 

Charlotte

Blog 2

Link to “Surviving in the Siberian Wilderness for 70 Years”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tt2AYafET68 

“Surviving in the Siberian Wilderness for 70 Years” is a VICE documentary that takes a look into the life of Agafia Lykov. In 2013, when the case study was filmed, Agafia Lykov was 70 years old and had been living in Siberia’s taiga for her entire life. Agafia comes from a family of Old Believers who fled into the wilderness in fear of Stalin and oppression in 1936. Agafia was born in the Siyan Mountains in 1944 and has lived off the land ever since. 

The researchers in the case study traveled to Agafia’s home and stayed with her for several days. The crew used various research techniques to learn about and record Agafia’s unique lifestyle. The research done in the documentary is qualitative as the information is collected through first hand observation and interviews. The researchers helped Agafia with labor around her home which gave them first hand experience of her day to day life in the winter. The research is presented to the audience in a YouTube video which consists of direct interviews with Agafia and a geologist named Yerofei who lives close to Agafia’s home. The documentary also includes footage of Agafia praying and working, as well as reflection from the research crew regarding their time helping and staying with Agafia. 

The researchers are from urban civilizations which clearly made it hard for them to understand why Agafia would choose to remain in such harsh wilderness conditions. Their lifestyles are completely different from Agafias. The documentary was sponsored by The North Face which gave them the financial power to use expensive forms of transportation such as helicopters. The technology used by Agafia and the research team is vastly different. Agafia uses traditional technology such as homemade snowshoes, axes, and livestock. On the other hand the VICE team used presumably state of the art cameras, microphones, and winter gear. The difference in technology between the two parties speaks to the power and privilege of the researchers. They were able to leave at their will and collect as much information as they saw fit. 

For the most part VICE was respectful of Agafia during the filming of the documentary. Their questions were largely up for interpretation and I felt that they let Agafia paint her own narrative of her lifestyle. However, I do have a couple of ethical concerns. I do not think that Agafia has the life experience to fully understand the reach of YouTube. As of January 23, 2022 the video has 7.3 million views. I am not convinced that Agafia is comfortable with that level of exposure seeing as she lives alone and only comes in regular contact with one other human. Secondly, I am concerned that Agafia had no say in what footage would be included in the documentary. For example, Agafia is asked about her relationship with Yerofei, the geologist who is the only other person in close proximity to her. The researchers are clearly wondering if the pair of them ever had a romantic relationship. The persistent questioning on the topic seemed to make Agafia uncomfortable and I doubt she would want that footage in the documentary. 

If I had the opportunity to do the same research I would be interested to learn more about the relationship between Agafia’s faith and her unconventional lifestyle. Is it her faith that keeps her in the taiga? I would also like to learn about her yearly routine. What specific tasks must she get done in each season to insure survival? I would be a student researcher. This gives me the privilege of funding the university may provide. My lifestyle as a student is also vastly different to Agafias and much more privileged. I would try to keep an open mind and be respectful to new ideas while making sure Agafia feels that she is in control of her story. Ethically speaking, I would like to make sure Agafia knew exactly where the research would be presented and what material would be focused on.  

[cfmoutd2511]

Case Study Review - Surviving in the Siberian Wilderness for 70 years

This case study highlights the life of Agafia Lykov, a 70-year-old Russian orthodox Old Believer. She was raised and currently lives alone in the Taiga, following her family’s death over 25 years ago. It was produced by the American film company Vice in 2013, alongside sponsorship from North Face. Vice was keen to document her story to discover why and how she survives in the Siberian wilderness all these years as it is such a unique lifestyle.

The research technique that the filmmaker used to collect his information was qualitative research. Qualitative research collects non-numerical data. This allows for much more in depth and meaningful collection of data. They also used longitudinal studies to collect data which focus in great detail on an individual. Methods used to collect the data were observations of her going about her daily life from her prayers to collecting and cooking her food and taking care of Yerofei. The filmmaker also used unstructured interviews of Agafia to learn more about her life from her point of view.

In my opinion, the filmmaker’s invisible backpack was indirectly identified as one of privilege through being raised in the western world with money from a good job. Additionally, the access to transport and good quality resources that enabled traveling to the remote location of Agafia’s home and the expensive camera gear document her lifestyle further demonstrates this point.

The main key ethical consideration I don’t believe the filmmakers took into consideration was protection from harm for Agafia. She looked uncomfortable and was exposed to stress and embarrassment in particular when talking about her suspected sexual history with Yerofei. Based on her religious beliefs, I don’t believe she would want to bring this up and I believe leading questions from the interviewer were what pushed her to talk about it. It doesn’t benefit what the film should be documenting and there were other aspects such as how she survives through getting food, staying warm or even her religion which is a huge aspect of her life that could have been researched in more detail instead.

If it was me conducting the research, I would have used a female interviewer and not solely male filmmakers. This would likely allow her to open up more honestly with perhaps different information and not feel as on the edge, especially with her implied past experience of men. Additionally, I wouldn’t have used any leading questions to avoid bias, and let her control what she wanted to share with the world about her lifestyle so she too was happy with the final outcome. I also would have stayed with her for longer than a couple days, assuming she felt comfortable with that, to get more of an insight into the way she lives, help with projects and chores, and learn as much as I can about her lifestyle to fully gain valuable research and give her story the attention and respect it deserves.

In my opinion, as a student researcher, I think whoever is being researched should feel like they received the most benefit (or at least equal) and feel comfortable throughout the process as it is their life and story that is being exposed. If this isn’t the case, then the research process should be revisited or not studied at all. To me this case study didn’t show this and the chicken and goat seemed more like bribery to get her to share her story, rather than her genuinely wanting to share.

References:

Vice. (2013). Surviving in the Siberian Wilderness for 70 Years (Full Length) [Video]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tt2AYafET68

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Sarah Jessica Webb…

You have taught me something new today. I never knew that chemistry and outdoor rec could be linked when one I personally find very boring and difficult and the other everything I want to do in my life. But you have incited me with new knowledge of different ways they can be interrelated and you're right they can! I do believe everything has some way of being related and benefiting the other no matter how polar opposite they may seem.

I love so much that you are following all your passions regardless of your parents ideals! It’s inspiring! But what I love even more is that in your life you plan for your hobbies to align with your job. That way you are living a life of happiness and doing what you're passionate about, also getting paid but it is not at the forefront of your mind. I believe that’s how work should be for everyone and to have in your head that’s how you want to live your life is amazing :)

I like your idea of cross-referencing the data with not only different news articles but also different sources of information to check reliability. Also how chemistry has helped you to think in this analytical way to be able to do this.

I am so glad you are loving your program here at Lakehead! Lakehead is lucky to have you.

P.s that picture of you skiing is adorable. You were better at the age of 5 than I am at the age of 20

1. Balancing Chemistry + Outdoors -> a Unique Career

The Outdoor Recreation program at Lakehead is unique. It allows students that have passions that cross disciplines and extend to various aspects of knowledge to pursue them. Most of the time the passions at first glance do not seem to correlate, but after looking deeper, they blend seamlessly into one another. This is what drew me here in the first place. The ability to continue in the chemistry field and build toward my end goal of becoming an educator all while learning about the outdoors. It seems strange to hear chemistry and the outdoors in the same sentence, but they build on each other through practical applications. For example, learning about the chemical content of nutrients in various food items teaches me which are best to have on trail for optimal nutrition and energy output. Growing up, my parents always pushed me to follow my passion for chemistry as it was safe and provided a guaranteed job where outdoor recreation wasn’t something that seemed to have many jobs that were financially stable. They would still support my passion for the outdoors through hobbies such as hiking, skiing, and outdoor climbing but would say that work and hobbies are different. This program provides me with work that is my hobby and incorporates my passions into one. It did take some time and research to prove to my parents that this program was the best choice for me and my goals, but having the opportunity to cross disciplines and fields was what really sold it. 

Me in approximately 2006 racing my brother down the hill while skiing

Me absolutely in love with Chemistry and seeing it in action in 2017. 

Research is crucial to proving the importance of the outdoors in our everyday lives. There is a prejudice upheld by some that outdoor recreation is not as important as other fields like physics and this must be disproven by providing solid data on its benefits, this is the exact thing I did for my parents’ approval for this program. Having chemistry and education at the same time as outdoor recreation allows me to use skills gained in one area and apply them to another to disprove this prejudice. Such as research and application skills gained in chemistry and education being used to gather information about the positive psychological impacts the outdoors has on individuals, or the economic potential of working in the outdoors. 

Having the scientific practice of proving experimental results in chemistry is extended into finding knowledge that is peer-reviewed and published by an external party. For example, scientific articles that have been peer-reviewed and their data replicated in multiple external trials are much more reliable than one article published by the same company that produces the item and only shows the data from their internal study, especially when the company will make money off of that item. A regular source of information for me is the local news/social media which I cross-reference with another news publication or articles to confirm the information is correct. As well as various journals (e.g. National Geographic) and documentaries as sources and again, cross-referencing the data. Having an analytical thought process from the sciences has supported my education by not taking the first piece of information presented to me as solid truth without finding more data to back it up. Especially throughout the past 2 years, fact-checking information has become much more essential and this has helped grow my love and respect for the outdoor recreation industry even more as data about the importance of the outdoors has been released. 

Being in the program I am in and having the opportunity to cross research fields while pursuing all my passions is something that I never thought I would be able to do for university, which is exactly what drew me here to this program. This program supports all the various paths of research and application in such a freeing way, it makes the Outdoor Recreation program at Lakehead truly unique and is what drew me here.

Move in Day with my parents, September 2, 2021 via lakeheadreslife Instagram. 

[cfmoutd2511]

New Challenges and Brave Adventures

Growing up across the pond in the rainy climate of England, there's not the same abundance of lakes, forests, wildlife and outdoor opportunities as are present in Canada. For this reason I knew, after I finished school, it was time for a change. I came to the seemingly easy decision to take geography (because it was my best and easiest subject in school) at the one and only Lakehead University. After looking a little deeper my mum discovered I could take geography alongside outdoor recreation! Outdoor recreation? I didn't really know at all what that entailed (still struggle to explain it to people) only I knew it was the program for me combining what I was good at with what I really enjoyed. A meer two weeks into my degree I paid the EXTORTIONATE $40 to drop geography and solely do what perhaps I wouldn’t find the easiest but I was passionate about and enjoyed... outdoor rec. 

My LOVE and admiration for the outdoors stems from my mum. She taught me the wonders of nature and how it should be treated whilst leading me to the top of over 30 mountains across Scotland and Wales. Watching her lead groups on trips and teach in forest schools, inspire others and follow her passions, she is my biggest role model. 

At the age of 18, relocating to a new country for university not knowing a single soul was by far the most terrifying challenge I had ever set myself up for. I had to be braver than I had ever been before despite balling my eyes through the airport after saying bye to my mum as she was forced to shove me through security due to my reluctance. However it for sure paid off. 

This has been the best decision I have made in my life and there is no where else I would rather be. I have been on so many adventures from canoe tripping, to outdoor rock climbing, to mountain biking and a new passion for outdoor swimming in freezing waters. None of which would have been possible if I hadn't taken the risk to move here and do this degree. However it hasn't been without challenges, as trying new things and struggling with them has never felt comfortable for me. Due to being highly competitive, I was quick to get annoyed with myself when I wasn't the best but through perseverence and acceptance I learnt so much more.

I still have no idea what my future entails but I am excited for all the adventures I will have up ahead because of this degree, whilst opening peoples eyes to the wonders the world has to offer. 

          [Photo by Charlotte Marsden, Glencoe Scotland, August 2021]

Some may call it gullible, I call it trusting, but I have always been very quick to believe people when they tell me things (even when it is obviously false). The same applies to consuming knowledge. If it sounds believable to me I view it as true which is pretty dangerous. 

I never learned in school there were so many different ways of referencing (let alone even how or what referencing is), where to find reputable sources (other that AVOID Wikipedia at all costs!), or why to avoid plagiarism. Therefore when I came to university and had to write my first paper I was in for a shock and a new challenge. 

A few ways I have been able to combat this little issue of mine but still gain lots of new knowledge is:

1. Looking at academic journals from sources such as google scholar, Lakehead Library that contain the authors names, institution and ensuring its peer-reviewed. 

2. Reading books by authors that specialize in their area of field and through a reputable publisher. Also looking at reviews of books online to assess others’ insights after having read the book to determine the relevance of certain books. 

3. I really enjoy watching documentaries but they often only show one biased point of view and so I try to find documentaries that show lots of different views and truths allowing me to learn more and decide my own opinions on topics. 

4. Asking experts in the outdoor field for information. For example, I ask my profs questions and trust their judgement because they are knowledgeable and have a lot of experience. 

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**Disclaimer**

- This blog was created for OUTD 2511, Lakehead University

- The opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of Lakehead University

- Lakehead University is not responsible for the accuracy of the information supplied by this blog