Resource assessment for outdoor education : planning, review and implementation

This study is concerned with outdoor education and the use of sites in natural environments. To investigate the issues of selection, evaluation, and management of sites, a comprehensive planning framework has been developed. This provides guidelines for the analysis of site use at a regional level and resource assessment at a site level. At a regional level the following trends in site use are evident: (i) rapidly increasing numbers of pupils on school camps; (ii) increasing concentration of camps on relatively few sites; and, (iii) increasing use of sites with lower access costs. At a site level, two case studies have been assessed to identify: (a) their value for outdoor education; (b) the vulnerability of their soils, vegetation, and wildlife to outdoor education; and, (c) their management requirements. These three components are used to establish site potential for future use. It is intended that this approach be generally applied to other sites to determine the regional resource availability for outdoor education. The general study aim is to promote a more co-ordinated pattern of site use within a region, based on educational needs and resource capability