New outdoor adventure group for teens in Bathurst
The City of Bathurst is expanding a new outdoor adventure group for teens.
Called 4 Directions, the group offered its first excursions for young people 12 to 17 years old in 2018.
This year, it plans several, including a five-day excursion on the Nepisiguit Mi'gmaq Trail, rafting or canoeing down the Restigouche River, a three-day trip to Mactaquac for TreeGo and citizen science projects such as Bird Studies Canada surveys.
"Things that get young people outdoors and in touch with Mother Nature," said program co-ordinator Janet Doucet of the Daly Point Nature Reserve.
Doucet said 4 Directions is a takeoff on groups such as Outward Bound, which isn't available in the region, and Scouts, which she said doesn't seem to have the same outdoor focus as it used to.
"It's not new, but we're trying to perpetuate that spirit and keep that spirit going, which is really important."
Besides survival skills, the group also aims to promote teamwork.
Doucet said there have been many other unplanned benefits.
"You see a difference in attitudes in young people who feel more self-reliant, more included, more competent, more able to focus on tasks.
The program started after what Doucet called a serendipitous meeting two years ago with Rene Vienneau while they were both out hiking.
Vienneau had his own company, Bathurst Outdoor Safety and Survival, and had led expeditions for the Bathurst Youth Centre.
Doucet had given many interpretive tours to youth groups at Daly Point.
"We both had common experiences … noticing that kids were really grateful to have these kinds of adventures. And there just wasn't enough of this element available in the city."
With Vienneau's help, Doucet was able to expand the offerings at Daly Point.
One of 4 Directions' most attractive features is it's offered at little or no cost to the youth.
"The financial obstacles can be quite discouraging," said Doucet.
That's why the group found community and provincial sponsors to pay for gear and food.
It also found other community partners, including members of the Chaleur Community Inclusion Network and Pabineau First Nation.
During the five-day trek, the teens are greeted by Chief David Peter Paul and Marie Kryszko, a traditional Mi'kmaq woman who does some drumming and ceremonies.
"They get to experience some cultural foods, for example, wild salmon, moose meat," Doucet said. "They learn what smudging means, what it means to be respectful of Mother Earth, of the site that they're conducting the activity on.
"There's a marked difference in participants before and after. They're left with a deeper appreciation for what the experience brings them."
The next adventure is an overnight cleanup on the Nepisiguit Mi'gmaq Trail on June 1 and 2. Doucet said so far eight or 10 people have signed up. There's room for as many as 14.
