Outdoor Experience Leaders program

Outdoor Experience Leaders Program

We are grateful to Birdfy for sponsoring this program. Enjoy close-up shots and enhance your birdwatching experience like never before.

Have you ever dreamed of being a park ranger or a tour guide? Here is your chance to build skills and confidence as an Outdoor Experience Leader!

The goal of this course is to prepare volunteers for leadership experiences with SDBA, primarily as Birding and Nature Outing leaders. With this training, you'll be able to lead:

Hikes
Birding or other nature walks
Stationary nature enjoyment gatherings, such as Big Sits

Are you worried that you don't know enough? It's ok! A little passion goes a long way. You don't need to know everything to be a good leader. You'll have the opportunity to explore and try on several different leadership styles within a supportive, participatory environment. You'll use some of the forms and planning tools that SDAS makes available to its leaders. And you'll plan and execute an outing that can be scheduled and promoted by SDBA in the 2024-25 field trip season.

Course fee $150 includes:

six weeks of instruction in the form of online meetings and in-person field experiences
course materials
binoculars

Scholarships are available to University or College students, or people with financial barriers to participation. If you are interested in participating as a scholarship attendee, please register and select the "scholarship" payment choice.

After graduating this course, you can be eligible for leader stipends for the outings you lead.

Six online sessions 6:30 - 8 pm

Thursday August 15- What do leaders do, and what makes a great guide?

Thursday August 22- Follow the Leader

Thursday August 29- Off for Labor Day

Thursday Sept 5- Mindfulness

Tuesday Sept 10-Participatory Learning

Tuesday Sept 17- Trying it on

Tuesday Sept 24- Where do we go from here

5 field trips 10 am - 12 pm

August 25- Follow the Leader

September 1- Off for labor day