Story of the Week

 However, as we began to hike back the sky opened and water began pouring down by the bucketful. Thunder was rumbling all around and there was a high wind whipping through the forest. I decided the best course of action was to pick a safe low land with no dead trees nearby and wait out the microburst, my co-lead agreed. We circled up campers and explained the decision to them, as well as the importance of staying calm. I led the campers in a song with a dancing aspect to warm them and distract them from the storm while my co-lead tended to two campers who were becoming cold from the drenching rain. The storm passed quickly, and we were able to hike back to the tarped camp area and change campers into dry clothes. On the way back I stepped on a ground nest and was stung by several hornets. We called the parents, explained the situation and elected for a slightly early pick-up. Despite all this, the campers, my co-lead and I all remained positive and ended the day laughing. It was an incredible learning experience for all campers who seemed to view the storm as "not a huge deal" because we "handled it safely." At the end of the day all campers were able to tell us that when caught in a storm you must 1. remain calm 2. determine the best route back to camp and 3. stick to the lowlands. As an educator it was an important reminder about the importance of focusing on the positive and keeping a clear head in a crisis.