This April, we hope you will join us in celebrating Andee Dow, our newest Instructor of the Month! Andee teaches Level 4: Swiftwater Rescue Courses, most often on the Cache la Poudre River (the Poudre) in Fort Collins, Colorado. Nicole will be coordinating an Illinois River cleanup and boater/ floater safety weekend in spring 2024, contact her if you would like to be involved using this dedicated email address for the event.Get involved with Rogue Riverkeeper film festivals, fundraiser trips, water monitoring, and clean ups.S upport expansion of protection for the Smith River to include the North Fork Smith watershed in Oregon by signing this Petition to Include Oregon in the Smith River National Recreation Area !.The course was immensely stressful for me but afterward when I shared that with the group, people said they felt safe and appreciated how I involved them in decisions every step of the way.Īt the ACA, we love Nicole’s authenticity, and the thoughtful, collaborative way she delivers instruction.ģ Stewardship Initiative’s Nicole Wants the Paddling Community to Know About We worked together to run the course, but we started every day with a serious group discussion about what was appropriate for our skill set and group dynamic based on flows that day. I arrived early to scout out appropriate locations for river-based activities, and involved my entire class in deciding what we could do to manage the environment and achieve our learning goals. The flows spiked up last minute to over 30,000 CFS and I needed to decide whether to cancel the course or if the risk could be mitigated by changing my regular venue. We spent a lot of time covering thermal layering techniques, risk assessment, and pre planning for potential accident recovery. I planned a 3-day winter course to address special considerations for winter boating like high flows, short days, and cold conditions. My most challenging course was my last Swiftwater Rescue on the Smith River in January. In Oregon, our most exciting boating season is winter and early spring. I have been continuously challenged to present each course in a new and different way to accommodate learning styles, ability levels, flows and weather conditions. I can think of more than a few moments while I was teaching, I was also learning about how to manage dynamic situations. “I hope to earn an Instructor Trainer credential eventually as well as continue to add disciplines to my repertoire.” Nicole currently holds certifications as a Level 4: Whitewater Rafting Instructor (Paddle and Oar) and a Level 4: Swiftwater Rescue Instructor.Ī Glimpse Behind the Scenes of Nicole’s Teaching Process The ACA gave Nicole a path to become the instructor that whitewater paddlers in California and Oregon were looking for. Seeing firsthand the demand for instruction from the private and recreational boater community in Oregon and California, Nicole sought to become the solution to an ever-growing market of paddlers seeking formal education. Nicole was motivated to become an ACA instructor to align the curriculum of her business, Nature Nicole Whitewater with industry leading best practices and to begin offering swiftwater rescue courses. “Sometime around 2019 I truly began to evaluate my role as a leader and my long-term intentions around continuing to progress, mentor others, and create a lifelong strategy for working and living on rivers.” Nicole’s teaching style combines a fun-loving passion for water and a present, committed teacher-student relationship that is sure to create the next generation of lifelong paddlers. Nicole’s Motivation and Teaching Philosophy I strive for others to have the privilege of connecting to the natural world in the same way that I do.” Meet Nicole Smedegaard, May’s ACA Instructor of the Month! “I’m one of the newer ACA Instructors and I love teaching! I’ve worked with youth in outdoor settings my entire career, doing environmental education and outdoor education.
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