Risk Assessment and Management

Site Walks

Physically walking the proposed outdoor learning site is an effective and highly suggested way to better understand risks of the environment. Areas of particular interest are: physical borders, flora and fauna, sun/shade exposure, shelter from inclement weather or external threats to security. While this is a basic guide for areas to pay attention to in terms of risk assessment, there are likely more topics specific to your geographic site, community composition, and specific learning community that should be considered. Below is an example of a walk through template for note taking, completed template with site notes, as well as an example of a completed site evaluation write up. 

Every learning community and space is unique and will require unique accommodations and considerations. One key consideration are learners themselves. Community building and understanding each learner will allow for the best possible outdoor learning environment. Factor such as tolerance for weather, textures, sounds, and exposure to nature itself will impact each individual differently. Intentional time and education with the learning community will be important when creating a culture of learning in the outdoors.