The Okavango Delta: A Brief Four Year Reflection

When combining all seven trips over the last four years, I have witnessed students defending half-way destroyed watering holes from bull elephants, hiding behind a termite mound at dinner as a leopard walked through camp, recovering a tablecloth stolen by painted dogs at breakfast, accidentally parking between a leopard and a dead impala only to be charged twice, being evacuated from the campfire on the first night as a buffalo slowly approached, following lions playing for hours in the morning, driving at 50km/hr through the floodplains chasing painte dogs chasing impala. I could ramble on and on about the experiences with students in the Okavango Delta for a lifetime.

Combining this multitude of experiences into a single, makeshift world salad makes me question

why a teacher would put students in these situations and what school would allow them to do it?

Well, in response, I can simply say that it has been one of the best experiences of my teaching career. It has been a true privilege to guide students through these intense moments, not built on contrivance, safe at the end of the day and arguably depriving students of deep, meaningful learning. On the contrary, these moments filled students with awe, the proximity of potential danger and consequence centerfold. Facilitating their growth through these intense, bush experiences by way of formal education and just good conversation/reflection, I hope, I dearly hope, made an impact on students’ lives.

Regards,

Forrest Donoho

Outdoor Education Program Coordinator