We are quite excited to become an accredited centre for running the Sports Leaders UK national qualification in Basic Expedition Assisted Leadership. This fits well with nature therapy work as it is about using the great outdoors to nurture future leaders. To help create knowledge, confidence and self esteem through learning camp craft, navigation skills, risk assessments, how to deal with emergency situations and to be able to inspire and lead others.
Creating leaders is not just about pouring in knowledge and hoping it sticks - it is about helping that future leader think for themselves, to believe that they are capable of leading others and helping them to grow through their contact with the natural world.
As a child, the word Expedition for me meant going somewhere far flung and exotic. Somewhere no one else had ever been before to discover new things and be part of that new world. Expedition leaders were brave fearless, knowledgeable, creative and could deal with all emergencies in a cool and confident way. However, there were very few expedition leaders at that time that were female. The only one I knew of was Margaret Mead - who went to Samoa. How exotic and exciting was that to my childish mind.
Now I know that leaders can be either gender and not all leaders demonstrate those attributes. In fact delivering equine assisted therapy has taught me a lot about styles of leadership - and that education has been through the horses and through people. Some leaders can be petty and aggressive whilst others appear so laid back you wouldn't even know they were a leader. Whatever style of leadership they show impacts to a huge extent on the people (or horses) they are leading.
I also know that the most exciting, un-explored, exotic and amazing world is the one that resides in our inner most selves. Our inner world is a place so scary that not many are brave enough to visit it. It is one of the last unexplored frontiers. Do you dare to go there?
If you are interested in our expedition leaders course then feel free to contact us. It will be starting in July 2015 on the Isle of Wight.
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