The challenge: spend two mid-February nights in the remote Pigeon River State Forest.
The payoff: Cold but accomplished students.
With nighttime temperatures dipping to 10 below zero, Brandon Middle School science teacher Dave Green along with ten Brandon Middle School students and seven adults hiked deep in the pristine forest of Otsego County.
‘If you have the right equipment’you can do anything,? said Green.
‘Wintertime camping under diverse conditions was a way for students to do something they never thought they could do…pushing the limits in a rather harsh environment. The kids find out it’s not that cold outside if you learn how to deal with it.?
Green and his middle school contingent were trudging around northern Michigan as part of a 4-H Challenge program that aims to assist participants to see themselves from a whole new perspective. Program organizers say as society becomes further removed from the natural environment, personal alienation becomes more prevalent. The inability to cope with related stresses is therefore becoming a rapidly growing social problem.
The 4-H Challenge Club, which includes about 140 members in the Brandon School District, helps students build leadership skills, self confidence and team building through challenging outdoor activities including wintertime camping, added Green.
Prior to the winter trip, students along with 4-H Challenge Leader Tony Grix, constructed pulks or sleds to be pulled across the snow and ice. Explorers and winter travelers use these sleds to move equipment.
‘We’ve participated in plenty of activities including canoeing, rock climbing and even caving in southern Indiana,? said Green. ‘We spent some time at Pictured Rocks along the Lake Superior shoreline. We’re getting the kids in the outdoors and providing lessons in stewardship of the land and natural resources. We also take all precautions regarding safety for the students.?
For the past 20 years, Sue Stapleton, 4-H program coordinator for Oakland County, has worked with students and a host of clubs throughout the county.
‘If you’re going to be a viable organization, it needs to change with the society and the demands,? said Stapleton of the more than 2,000 individuals in 4-H.
‘The membership has stayed the same in Oakland County, but now there are more kids in 4-H in the suburban and urban areas than in the country.?
If you are interested in becoming a 4-H Challenge Leader, call Dave Green at Brandon Middle School (248) 627-1830.