Assignment 11 – Coastal Course Randoya 28.05. – 01.06.
In the end of May it was time for our last trip as a big group which lead us to the Island Ostre Randoya together with the Norwegian class. There we had a full week of different water and coastal activities including boats, biology and fishing. Randoya is an island south east of Kristiansand and former military area. Since a couple of years it is open for the public and amongst other things used for educational and recreational purposes. The island is characterized by a lot of vegetation, a small port and sheltered bays offering suitable conditions for diverse coastal activities.
We stayed in the old military buildings which included a big common kitchen and even a warm shower – luxus in comparison to other trips. Our class and the Norwegians were mixed and split into smaller groups of ~10. Each group had two different activities on every day and on overnight stay on an abandoned neighbour island.
The different activities were:
- Kayaking (basic techniques + trip)
- Rowing
- ‘big’ boats (motorboats)
- Shallow water biology
- Deep water biology
- Fishing with nets
On two evenings of the week two groups at a time went on a tour over the island with Kjetil (one of the lecturers) who told us a lot about the military history and showed us the old barracks and underground control centre and tunnels/corridors. Moreover, we were free to use the equipment (kayaks, rowboats, fishing rods) for afternoon and evening activities on our own. So one evening we practiced the eskimo roll in the kayaks and another day we went fishing and had a fun time cutting and preparing fish together in the big kitchen late in the night.
On the first day we met in Kongshavn where we were loading all the equipment and personal luggage on a boat and took a small ferry to the island. In the afternoon we had our first activity with our small group where we learned how to steer a motorboat. First, we checked the equipment and talked about the differences between 2- and 4 stroke engines. The more experienced group members split up, got together with the beginners and taught us how to prepare and start the boats. We had a productive learning session where everyone had some time to try handling the boat, starting, steering and arriving at the pier. The experienced Norwegians explained things and supported us which was a great advantage. In the end we went on a small tour around the area and got soaked as it was pouring down, but it was good fun.
On the second day we had rowing in the morning and basic kayak techniques in the afternoon. As I never had rowed before it was a whole new experience for me. We had a short talk about the boats and went on the water very quickly as Sveine went with the method of learning by doing’. The first tries were a little bit chaotic but Sveine explained some technical aspects of the movement which helped us to improve (although we were still pratty slow). As we were together in a rowboat with 4 people we were able to observe the others and give them tips as well as learn from their mistakes. We found out, that the most important elements are rhythm and synchronization. It was definitely harder than expected but with a bit of practice we moved quite acceptable.
In the afternoon Maike and I had to run the basic kayak technique session. As I had paddled a little bit before on recreational basic and we both already went on the kayak trip we tried to rely on our (little) experience. First, we had a chat about equipment on shore and then explained and showed the central aspects of forward paddling on the water. We paddled around the area to provide time for practice. It was fairly windy and some of the less experienced group members felt unsecure about there abilities, so we stayed in sheltered places. In addition, we taught how to use the edge of the kayak for correcting direction and ho to drag another kayak. The activity was a useful opportunity to practice teaching skills and behaviour when being responsible for a group on the water. In retrospect I would not explain the technical parts at once, but split the aspects and give some time to practice them separately, which makes it easier to focus on one part of the movement.
‘The great learning potential inherent in teaching would appear to be generated as the result of a particular aspect of the teaching process itself: the encounter with diversity, which on the one hand tends to increase reflexivity while on the other hand tends to break down resistance to change.’ (Cortese,C.: Learning through teaching. 2005)
On the third day our activities were shallow water biology and a kayak tour. The kayak tour was self-organized so we took maps and explored the area a little bit more. Some members were again scared and not motivated to paddle and stayed in a bay instead. The rest of us went further and experienced kayaking in windy conditions and wavily water. The group stuck together fairly well and kept an eye on each other in case of problems. As this short trip was a bit more challenging it was a good chance to test our own paddling abilities and see how different the conditions can be whether being sheltered from the wind or not.
The shallow water biology was lead by the other Svein who took us to a beach with flat water, some rocks at the side, seagrass and a lot of muscles and creature. We got underwater binoculars and scoop nets and went off to find as many species as possible. Afterwards we were talking about them and one of the Norwegians explained some characteristics. We found different forms of seagrass, starfish, crabs, shrimps, snails and muscles. Moreover, we got to taste some of the snails and oyster and even some kale which was great as I had now exact knowledge about which plants/animals are eatable.
On the next day we expanded this knowledge and experience during the deep water biology lecture. To collect some species from deeper water we got some snorkel equipment which was explained by the Norwegian Johanna. Fully equipped we went in the water in a sheltered bay and searched for underwater life. As the day before we inspected the results and classified the species afterwards.
In the afternoon we met for a lecture about fishing and prepared the nets and our personal equipment for the overnight stay in the neighbour island. Kaya was telling us about the regulations of net fishing and mesh sizes and we checked the nets for pollution.
Finally, we rowed to the other side of the bay to put the nets in a 90° angle to the shore into the water. Then we went to another Island where we were supposed to stay the night. The purpose of that overnight stay was to simulate an emergency situation on sea and pretend to run aground on an abandoned island where we had to survive the night without camping equipment. All we had were some potatoes and vegetables as well as a daypack each and a fishing rod. The afternoon went by fishing, swimming and relaxing. We caught some fish which we had for dinner together with a fairly tasty vegetable soup. As the island didn’t provide a lot of vegetation and we didn’t want to be eaten by mosquitos we were just laying down on the rocks for the night. I was sleeping on my life jacket, my feet stuck in my backpack and my towel served as my blanket for the night. The night was not too bad, although the mosquitos, which were there despite the chilly wind, the barely setting sun and the hard rock didn’t let me sleep very deep. I must have slept a little bit though as the others told me in the morning that it was drizzling in the night what I didn’t know. On our way back, we got the nets in and were slightly disappointed about the small catch of just two flounders. We reckoned that our two nets crossed each other as they were too close. Back on Randoya we had a lecture in how to gut and filet fish and cooked a delicious lunch with our flounders after we had checked the nets again and spread them out for drying.
Learning outcomes
As the week included a lot of different activities it also provided various learning outcomes. First, we had the chance to try several types of boats and got to improve in specific paddle and steering techniques. Besides that, we got introduced in all kind of equipment from boats and paddles over engines, snorkel gear to fishing nets. For all kinds of boats, we got to know how to tie them properly to the pier. Moreover, we could practice to read a nautical map and recognize features, as lighthouses and rocks underneath the surface. In addition, we all practiced our teaching skills as everyone was in charge of a small part or session during the week. I personally appreciated this aspect in particular although the allocation could have been better as some persons got to teach subjects they were not experienced in. The fishing lecture and fishing with nets was an extension of our knowledge we had from a previous lecture and expanded our experience. My group learned, that the nets should not be set too close to each other and a couple of meters away from the shore to maximize the catch, so we would do that differently next time.
The overnight stay on the islands showed, that it is possible to stay a night outside without the equipment, although the weather would probably be worse in an emergency situation and we would not have vegetables in our daypacks. In the end, it is a simulation, but it still contained some more learning outcomes: being able to catch and prepare our own fish and make a delicious meal with little ingredients; being able to use whatever is available to build an improvised sleeping place; supporting each other and working together as a group.
In general, it was great to be together with the Norwegian class as the learning process was positively influenced by us supporting each other and sharing our different experiences. Everyone shared the opinion that the international and the Norwegian class should have more trips mixed together, so that could be a suggestion for the next years and generations of outdoor students.
In addition, I gained a lot of knowledge about the coastal area itself and the biology on and around the island. It was interesting to see how Ostre Randoya with its nature but also with its old military facilities is used for recreation and building. As this is part of my studies at home I am going to keep this experience as a positive example for a successful reuse of an area for recreational purposes.
All in all, the coastal course on Randoya was great fun and the island is well chosen providing suitable conditions for all kinds of activities. As a negative aspect it is to mention, that the area doesn’t offer many possibilities for practicing navigation on the water as mainly the same ways are chosen for all the different types of boats.