Exploration and Outdoor Recreation

Get Outdoors and Explore!

Do you like being outdoors? You can become the ultimate explorer by designing your own outdoor adventure! Choose from backpacking, camping, fishing, or hiking or create your own adventure in the outdoors.

Youth who participate in 4-H outdoors programs develop life skills that include leadership, responsibility, decision making, communicating, planning and organizing, community service, a positive attitude, and a sense of self-worth. The goal of this project is for youth to learn experientially about living more simply and exploring their environment by getting out into it!

Learn about:

• Day Hiking Skills
• Base Camping Skills
• Backpacking Skills
• Navigation

Participant outcomes:

• Develop hiking, camping and backpacking skills
• Become confident and competent with a variety of outdoor equipment
• Enjoy the outdoors more responsibly
• Learn the basics of orienteering

Youth interested in outdoor adventure can explore careers like:

• Outdoor Product Designer
• Adventure Course Designer
• Wilderness Guide
• Environmental Educator
• Camp Owner
• Outdoor Association Representative

Projects:

Outdoor Adventures (Levels 1-3)

• Level 1- Hiking Trails - Learn about hiking essential, packing a day pack, food to pack, first aid and Leave No Trace
• Level 2- Camping Adventure- Learn What equipment will be needed, knot tying, camp cuisine, and earth care.
• Level 3- Backpacking Expeditions- Learn how to plan a trip, what to pack, what food should you take and finding your way on trails.

Orienteering

Orienteering is a combination of using map-reading and compass skills to may your way among designated location as fast as you can.  Use this project to learn about the sport of orienteering.

Sportfishing (Levels 1-3)

• Level 1- Learn the basics of knot tying and casting, what types of tackle to use, how the aquatic environment can affect fish populations, and interaction between people and habitat.
• Level 2- Learn the basic types of casting, making tackle, understanding the biological needs of fish, and analyzing the relationship of fishing regulations and environmental concerns.
• Level 3- Learn to make their own artificial lures, explore aquatic ecology, and consider ethical issues related to fish and fishing.

Cloverbud Outdoor Opportunity: Nature Start

Body: What’s Nature Start? Nature Start is a new grassroots initiative for youth, sponsored by Pennsylvania 4-H. It is different from anything 4-H has ever done before. Nature Start involves locally-based groups for youth ages 5-10. These may be family, neighborhood, or community based, or they may be preexisting groups from schools, child care centers, homeschoolers, after-school programs and others. Nature Start groups will be organized and facilitated by adult volunteers (“Nature Start Mentors”). Youth involved in these groups will participate in monthly “gatherings” to increase their awareness and knowledge of the natural world, gain interest in spending time outside, and demonstrate improved mental and physical health as a result of spending more time outdoors exploring nature. Nature Start is for all youth, regardless of where they live –- cities, towns, suburbs, and rural areas. There’s a piece of nature in every Pennsylvania community.

The bottom line: Nature Start youth have FUN while connecting with nature.

Explore more programs and events

• Forestry and Wildlife Field Day