The Red Deer Junior Forest Warden ‘Woodchucks’ Leaders were very focused and excited for this Paddle Canada Whitewater Course and Canoe Tripping Course on the North Saskatchewan River.   The two courses were very intense; they were loaded with essential river tripping and whitewater paddling skills including the Paddle Canada IntroductoryWhitewater Canoe Skills Certification Course requirements, and the Paddle Canada Canoe Tripping Skills Certification Course requirements.  The Whitewater course focused on all the skills necessary to successfully paddle a canoe on a Class I river, while the Canoe Tripping  course focussed on everything involved in planning, organising and implementing a successful, safe and fun canoe trip including: trip preparation & gear, packing boats, safety and rescue concerns/techniques, and a very wide scope of camping skills including: campsite selection, tarp shelters, axe, saw and knife use, wild animal awareness and protection.  The list goes on, suffice it to say our JFW leaders gained a great deal of knowledge about how to properly prepare themselves for a safe river adventure.   They learned about the river environment, how to safely travel through this environment, and how to respond and react to emergencies on a river trip.   

The JFW leaders had considerable previous camping experience, but the depth of this course still surprised them.  They put their prior experience to good use, and assimilated the additional  information and skills required for the Paddle Canada Canoe Tripping Certification.   Congratulations to the Red Deer JFW Woodchucks Leaders on their quest to continue to improve their skills and knowledge base in lifetime outdoor activities.