Last weekend, 34 students took part in a Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Camp in Brisbane. Eleven of those students were taking part in their second qualifying camp whilst the rest were on their first practice camp. Unlike the more traditional expedition orientated camps which have been based in the tropical rainforests surrounding the Gold Coast, this camp took place in the location of a major city as part of an Urban Exploration.

Students explored the city environment working upon personal projects on urban related topics. They carried out a comparative study of the predominantly manicured Brisbane Parks with the Gold Coast’s more natural untouched parklands. Topics include the impact of humans on the environment, how do cycle paths, designated pathways and footpaths etc. impact on the natural features on the park and what is the impact of artificially designed parks on the natural environment (fauna and flora).

All students had a great time and the group dynamics, team spirit and enthusiastic approach to leadership tasks during the weekends activities was excellent. The weather had little impact on the students exploring the streets and suburbs of Queensland’s capital, visiting previously unexplored districts. A few light showers was the only weather to impact the trip as students visited the beautiful parks in Brisbane’s CBD. These included Roma Street Parklands, New Farm Park, Mount Coot-Tha Botanical Gardens and Brisbane’s Botanical Gardens.

The students were accompanied by A.B. Paterson College staff members, Andrew Sole, Genevieve Whittington, Erin Keogh and Sonya Hayes.

Andrew Sole | Head of Outdoor Education