For one of our field trips, we went to Todd Inlet where we had the opportunity to learn about the local area, the people whose land this is, and to help do some restorative work. The day we went was wet and foggy and although the rain may have deterred some, it made for a really amazing experience. When we arrived at the park we met our guide and her dog who took us through the area, explaining the newly built fish ladder, the Indigenous connection to the land, the colonial history of the area, and the environmental changes that had happened over the last century. Of particular interest to me were the foundations of old buildings that we passed by. While I would not have thought much about what appeared to be old bricks, these foundations told the history of those people who had lived and worked in this area. Once we arrived at our final destination we were tasked with raking leaves which were to be used to cover the ground where restoration work was being done. These leaves were to act as a blanket for the plants below, as well as nutrients for the soil.

There was so much complexity in this place that appeared at first glance to be just another hiking trail through the forest. This would be a crucial area to being students to for place based learning as the complexity and multiple layers of history that exist is so difficult to understand without being able to see, hear, smell and touch. If I was to go to this place or a similar place with a class I would certainly try and go with a guide as we did because there is so much more than meets the eye in a place like this and without the knowledge of the area, so much of the learning may be lost.

I think that this field trip and using experiential learning like this relates to the teacher competency "Educators implement effective practices in areas of classroom management, planning,  instruction, assessment, evaluation and reporting". Sometimes place based, experiential or service learning can provide a richer understanding of the world around us, and it is the responsibility of teachers to recognize the value in different types of instruction. In order to make a field trip like this happen it would be crucial to have good planning and management of your students. It would also be essential that this type of learning is done intentionally and with purpose in order for it to be meaningful and engaging for students.