While typical weekend activities may consist of running errands, doing yard work and, perhaps, catching a movie, the Outdoor Education office is hoping more faculty and staff will decide to trade in a lazy weekend or two for a chance to dangle from a cliff, a paddle down the scenic Potomac River or give spelunking a try.

Georgetown’s Outdoor Education office has been encouraging Hoyas to enjoy the great outdoors since 1994. With multiple activities offered each week, the office brings together outdoor enthusiasts so they may take advantage of area attractions.

“Our mission is to serve students, faculty and staff in a way that enriches lives and continues to educate,” explains Russ Watts, director of Outdoor Education. “… We’re surrounded by elements that enable us to do it cheaply and easily.”

Enveloped by Washington’s low-slung buildings and monuments, it is easy to forget the many outdoor opportunities that abound, he says. Kayaking on the Potomac, caving in West Virginia, hiking at Great Falls National Park in Virginia, bicycling along the Capital Crescent Trail and whitewater rafting on the Youghiogheny River in Pennsylvania all are accessible without having to travel far from the city.

Watts’ office offers at least two trips per weekend and more throughout the week. Trips, led by Watts, Outdoor Education staff and student guides, known as Georgetown Outdoor Adventure Trainers (GOATs), are as close as the Georgetown waterfront and as far away as Fiji.

Outdoor Education trips tend to attract mostly undergraduate students, and the guides are encouraging more faculty and staff to take advantage of the offerings. Family and friends are welcome to join in the fun, too.

“The great thing about these trips is they draw people of different backgrounds, people you wouldn’t normally see during your routine day at Georgetown,” says Clara Hirsch, assistant director of Outdoor Education. “I love it when faculty and staff come along because they create a different group dynamic.”

Watts recalls how biology professor Edd Barrows came as a participant on a 2006 trip in Italy and pointed out different flora to the group along the way. Barrows was visiting Georgetown’s Villa de Balze study center and decided to accompany the students there on an Outdoor Education trip through Florence, Sorrento and Pompeii. Barrows says although he had never visited the region, he wanted to help students understand Italy’s native plant life.

“I loved that,” Russ exclaims. “That extra expertise makes the trip special for everyone.”

For those who have never gone rock-climbing or have rusty paddling skills, Watts says not to worry.

“Most trips are at an easy or introductory level, and most of our participants are looking for exactly that. But we can adjust to meet anyone’s needs,” he says. “The goal is for everyone to get to know each other and get the most out of the activity.”

That mission has helped acquaint Andria Wisler, visiting assistant professor in the Program on Justice and Peace, with her new campus and home. Moving to Washington this past summer from New York to begin teaching at Georgetown, Wisler looked for other outdoor enthusiasts before stumbling upon an Outdoor Education information booth one day. On Feb. 7, she joined her first Outdoor Education trip -- hiking at Scott’s Run Nature Preserve in Virginia.

“When you move to a new place, especially an urban area, it can be hard to find people with similar interests,” she says. “I wanted to do some outdoor activities, but figuring out a new city and where to go was tough, especially without a car. Going on the trip with Outdoor Education helped me meet some students I wouldn’t normally see in class, and going with a group was more fun and also safer.”

Wisler declared her first trip a success, and she’s considering other activities with Outdoor Education, such as the full moon hikes.

Outdoor Education also ventures beyond Washington’s backyard. Each year, the office offers several international trips; this year features a spring break trip to Nicaragua and excursions to Brazil, Italy, Greece, France and Fiji.
The latter is Watts’ favorite and one created with faculty and staff in mind.

“We go to Kadavu, the southernmost island, and it’s the most remote, wildest and most natural of the islands in Fiji. It’s still run by the chiefs of the island,” Watts says. “We visit different villages, so it’s really a cultural immersion.”
Watts says the previous two trips have proven “life-changing” for attendees, who combine outdoor activities, such as snorkeling and hiking, with service projects benefitting local populations.

Since the office is a break-even operation, trips may cost as little as $15 for kayaking to $1,300 for an excursion in Fiji. The local trips usually include transportation in the office’s van or vegetable oil-run car while the international trips usually cover lodging, food and other incidentals, but not airfare.

Beyond the scheduled trips, Outdoor Education also will fashion excursions for departments based on requests. Kayaking is the most popular for customized trips, Watts says, and a good way to bring colleagues together.

Additionally, the office helps those planning their own outdoor activities. Rentals are available for everything from tents and sleeping bags to rock-climbing equipment and snowshoes. Anyone affiliated with Georgetown -- current employees, students and alumni -- may make use of the rental service.

“We have a base camp in Village C East, which is a great place for people to come get to know us, check out books and see what’s available,” says GOAT Chelsea Greenwald (SFS’10), who trains other student guides.

Because Outdoor Education crafts trips based on demand from the Georgetown community, Watts is eager to hear from faculty, staff and students about which outings they’d like to attend.

“Six years ago we had a bunch of orienteering trips because people were mad about orienteering for some reason,” he says. “So if people want to go horseback riding or do more kayaking, we’ll structure our trips around those needs. They just have to let us know."

-- Lauren Burgoon, Blue & Gray Assistant Editor

(February 23, 2009)