During the last week we learned all about outdoor recreation at the coast and on the sea. Each day we had two different activities which were taught by four different instructors. For the activities we stayed in the same group which was a mixture of Norwegian and International Friluftsliv students.

It's all about fish!

Observing my group was exciting because people behaved like they did in the beginning of this semester. This was when the International group came together for the first time and started to form. This forming restarted last week because of the new members. Additionally I observed the different roles which were played in our team and how they changed depending on our activities.

The island survival trip worked like a burning glass for the group dynamic and its development. All alone without an instructor as a fixed leader the team roles played by the members became quiet clear. One of us took over the leadership and divided the people for different tasks. This process felt like a natural forming and our group worked effectively. This process was definitely influenced by the circumstances. We were alone on this island and had to stay overnight with only our daypacks and of course you don’t take sleeping bags, insulation mats etc on a day trip. Additionally it was raining, the wind got stronger and it was quiet cold. It was no emergency situation but it was a situation were everyone wanted to be sheltered and next to a warm fire quickly. Hence there was a need for a leader who organizes the next steps.

For two hours we worked focused on our tasks. I started to really enjoy sawing dead branches to small pieces. It kept me active and made me feel effective so that my motivation didn’t  fade. Once our camp was ready we kept the fire going, had some fish and went to sleep. It was a cold and wet day and night however I enjoyed the experience even if it would have been amazing in the sunshine.

The other activities were net fishing, fishing, orienteering, kayaking, rowing, knots, driving a motor boat, preparing fish, shallow and deep water biology with wading suits and snorkeling. I can’t really tell which was my favorite one. The activities were all fun and my personal learning outcome was high this week. Beside all this it felt like a summer holiday.