Join Bellows Free Academy science teacher Paul Brown at Hard’ack Recreation Area for an outdoor education class run by St. Albans Recreation. The first two classes are scheduled for Saturday, Jan.16, and Saturday, Jan. 23rd spanning from 12-2 p.m. Admission is $15 for St. Albans residents and $20 for non-residents.  The classes are intended for ages 10 and up. 

“It’s really just to get people outside in winter and expand their thinking about winter… [outdoor education] is something I love, and I think it’s something that increasingly we’re missing in terms of education in schools,” Brown said. 

The first outdoor education class is called “Snow Science and Winter Ecology,” which will focus on the science of flora and fauna in winter. According to Brown, expect to learn how animals and plants adapt to the winter and how to track and look for signs of Vermont’s winter wildlife. 

The second outdoor education class, “Wilderness Living and Natural Skills,” will focus on strategies to survive in the wilderness. Brown will create a scenario and teach the participants how to build a friction fire, find and boil water, cook a meal, construct a shelter and other important survival skills. 

Brown hopes to continue outdoor education classes in St. Albans throughout the year, with approximately three classes each season. Upcoming classes may include learning how to prepare and preserve wild edible and medicinal plants.

According to the St. Albans recreation site, “more than anything, [Brown] enjoys being outdoors at all times of year, engaged in a wide variety of adventure pursuits and experiencing nature in one way or another.”

If you want to explore Brown’s passion and expand your knowledge on outdoor science and survival, head over to Hard’ack Recreation Area or register for the class at stalbansvt.myrec.com. Make sure to dress for the weather, and stop by the new Greg Brown Lodge at Hard’ack, opening Saturday, Jan. 16th, for some snacks and water.