California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo has a very well known motto, learn by doing. Classes at Cal Poly take a hands on approach to get students involved in their majors; they literally and physically become active within their field of study. The Recreation, Parks, and Tourism Administration Department offers a very unique class, RPTA 112: Parks and Outdoor Recreation. This class has two hours of lab and three hours of lecture each week. However, the lab is not a “typical” college science lab. Each week, the class of twenty-one students goes to a different park or outdoor setting to learn about a variety of activities. They learn about the outdoor area and activity by actually participating in the activity, like rock climbing, kayaking or trail maintenance. The class also learns about the company or park hosting the event.
Sea Kayaking Anyone?
Loading up my truck with my wetsuit and life jacket, my husband asked me, “Where are you going with that gear, I thought you had class?”
“I am going to class, but not at school. Today we’re going kayaking at San Simeon State Park,” I happily responded.
As I drove up the Pacific Coastal Highway to our class’s meeting point, I couldn’t help but notice the foreboding, grey rain clouds above. Oh well, we’re going to be getting wet anyways.
Our class was going on a kayaking tour with Todd from Sea for Yourself Kayaks at William R. Hearst Memorial State Beach. There were about twelve other students and our teacher, Dr. Goldenberg going on the excursion. Todd made sure everybody was properly outfitted with a life jacket and wetsuit. We all helped each other out, pulling up wetsuits and zipping up the backs. Then, we picked our boats and Todd spent a few minutes going over safety issues and the layout of the tour. We also learned about his business and the partnership he has with the state park.
Some of us were in tandem kayaks, while the rest were in singles. We all carried our kayaks down to the water and Todd helped us push through the surf. Everybody successfully made it through the waves; we were off on our journey!
We navigated around the pilings from the pier; a few accidentally tipped their kayaks over. We looked for sea otters, had splash fights, and talked about the amazing cove.
Then, it began to rain. And it continued to rain throughout the rest of our journey. The wonderful thing was nobody cared. We were too enthralled with paddling through caves, learning about the former whaling harbor, and watching the cormorants and pelicans dive bomb into the water looking for food. We sat in the rain watching the seals, feeling slightly nervous at their large, yellow teeth.
We concluded our trip by riding a wave in, surfing with our kayaks. Boats and paddles went everywhere. Luckily, the waves were small and the water was only knee deep. The rain kept coming down as we changed on shore into our dry clothes. But everybody couldn’t quit smiling as we splashed through the muddy parking lot to our cars. What a great day in class, I wish we could do this every week. Oh wait, we do!
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31-Aug-10
