{"538791":{"#nid":"538791","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Outdoor Recreation Program Connects People to Nature \u2014 and One Another","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003ELast summer, \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.crc.gatech.edu\/orgt\/\u0022\u003EOutdoor Recreation Georgia Tech\u003C\/a\u003E (ORGT) offered a number of Saturday morning hikes just for employees. \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.crc.gatech.edu\/content\/581\/crc-wellness-hikes\u0022\u003EMore have been scheduled\u003C\/a\u003E for this summer, but these aren\u2019t the only ORGT opportunities for faculty and staff with a sense of adventure.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p5\u0022\u003EWith the exception of some students-only expeditions, ORGT activities and resources are available to all members of the Georgia Tech community \u2014 alumni and sponsored guests included, said David Knobbe, assistant director of Outdoor Recreation at the Campus Recreation Center (CRC). \u201cThey just have to be bold enough to walk through the door.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p5\u0022\u003EAnd he means that literally, since all transactions \u2014 whether it\u2019s signing up for an an \u201cadventure\u201d or renting equipment \u2014 must be done in person at what\u2019s called the Wilderness Outpost, downstairs in the CRC.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch6 class=\u0022p5\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEverybody Pulls Their Weight\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h6\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p5\u0022\u003EFloor-to-ceiling shelves in the Wilderness Outpost hold everything from carabiners for rock climbing to wetsuits for whitewater kayaking, but the most valuable commodity in stock is expertise. Two full-time staff members \u2014 Knobbe and Outdoor Recreation Coordinator Matt Marcus \u2014 along with almost 200 trained student and alumni volunteers are at the ready to share knowledge and lead trips.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p5\u0022\u003EKnobbe sees a distinct Georgia Tech intensity in the volunteers\u2019 commitment to providing \u201cworld-class experiences.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p5\u0022\u003E\u201cI like to say that what we do isn\u2019t rocket science, but our volunteers tend to be rocket scientists, and that makes all the difference,\u201d he said. \u201cIf anyone dares to use terms like club or fun, we push away from that. Our department\u2019s true purpose is to help our student volunteers build leadership, communication, and problem-solving skills that complement their Georgia Tech degree.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p5\u0022\u003ETrip options range from beginner to advanced, and activities that call for some degree of know-how require a \u201cpre-class\u201d \u2014 training and orientation sessions that are typically scheduled for a weeknight before the trip and last from one to three hours, depending on the sport.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p5\u0022\u003E\u201cParticipants meet the staff, learn fundamental skills, and basically get an understanding of what\u2019s going to happen on the trip,\u201d Knobbe said. \u201cAnd yes, people must sign waivers and demonstrate some level of fitness for certain activities.\u201d Prerequisite trips are required for some advanced excursions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p5\u0022\u003EKnobbe stresses that many trips are not easy, nor are they designed to be. \u201cThis is not like, \u2018We\u2019re going to Six Flags and they\u2019re going to take care of us,\u2019\u201d he said. \u201cEverybody pulls their weight, and you really become part of that team that is together taking themselves.\u201d \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch6 class=\u0022p6\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA Great Kind of Synergy\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h6\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p5\u0022\u003ESign-up for a trip typically starts 30 days out, and most trips fill up fast. Costs vary, but because a generous endowment from David D. Flanagan (a 1976 industrial engineering graduate) underwrites student participation, faculty and staff pay twice as much for trips and equipment rental, which is usually priced per excursion. Sometimes, all participants need are proper shoes and a brown-bag lunch, Knobbe said. ORGT takes care of the rest.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p5\u0022\u003EAlthough faculty and staff are welcome to participate in most trips, \u201crelatively few\u201d take advantage of these opportunities, Knobbe pointed out. Still, some expeditions in partnership with campus organizations deliberately seek out faculty and staff participation.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p5\u0022\u003ELast year, Associate Professor of Materials Science and Engineering Mary Lynn Realff was invited to take her involvement with the Stamps President\u2019s Scholars to new heights as a faculty guide for an ORGT wilderness trek in Montana. She\u2019d been a Girl Scout and was no stranger to local hiking trails, but this would be her first time \u201cbackpacking.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p5\u0022\u003E\u201cI practiced for a month before I went on this trip,\u201d she said. \u003Cbr \/\u003E She started with an empty backpack and gradually built up to the 35 pounds she knew she would be carrying.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p5\u0022\u003EShe also attended several required meetings in advance of the trip but didn\u2019t see the time commitment as a barrier to participation. \u201cThe barrier was more mental, being 50 years old and thinking, \u2018I\u2019m going to carry everything on my back for five days in the wilderness?\u2019 A lot of people were surprised that I would even consider that!\u201d she said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p5\u0022\u003EWould she do it again? \u201cAbsolutely,\u201d she said. \u201cI think I got a lot more out of it than I gave.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p5\u0022\u003ERealff considers herself \u201cpretty approachable,\u201d but the wilderness setting gave her a way to interact with students that she had never experienced before. \u201cThere was time to really get to know each student,\u201d she said. \u201cAnd there were all these conversations, everything from singing tunes to deep conversations about what\u2019s important in life, things like that \u2014 and having fun at the same time.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p5\u0022\u003ERealff recommends that other faculty and staff give ORGT a try. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t have to be five days in the wilderness,\u201d she said. \u201cYou can try some of these smaller trips and see how wonderful it is.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p5\u0022\u003EKnobbe agrees that ORGT is a great way to connect with others in the Georgia Tech community, especially students.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p5\u0022\u003E\u201cI think students learn immensely from having faculty and staff present,\u201d he said. \u201cIn the same way that students see faculty in a different light \u2014 maybe a more human light \u2014 faculty come away with a greater appreciation for students, who they are, their ideas, and what they\u2019re doing. It\u2019s a great kind of synergy when we get them out in the field together.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022p5\u0022\u003EFor more information, go to \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.crc.gatech.edu\/orgt\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Ewww.crc.gatech.edu\/orgt\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E or visit ORGT in person, 2 to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 2 to 5 p.m. on Fridays.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWith the exception of some students-only expeditions, ORGT activities and resources are available to all members of the Georgia Tech community \u2014 alumni and sponsored guests included.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"With the exception of some students-only expeditions, ORGT activities and resources are available to all members of the Georgia Tech community \u2014 alumni and sponsored guests included."}],"uid":"27469","created_gmt":"2016-05-23 11:02:33","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:21:42","author":"Kristen Bailey","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2016-05-23T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2016-05-23T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"538801":{"id":"538801","type":"image","title":"Outdoor Recreation SPS Hiking Trip","body":null,"created":"1464703200","gmt_created":"2016-05-31 14:00:00","changed":"1558706131","gmt_changed":"2019-05-24 13:55:31","alt":"People carry large backpacks as they hike through the woods.","file":{"fid":"89524","name":"ps_montana_trip_126.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/ps_montana_trip_126.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/ps_montana_trip_126.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":4327449,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/ps_montana_trip_126.jpg?itok=1W5xFp8D"}}},"media_ids":["538801"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.crc.gatech.edu\/orgt\/","title":"Outdoor Recreation Georgia Tech"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.crc.gatech.edu\/content\/581\/crc-wellness-hikes","title":"CRC Wellness Hikes"}],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"}],"keywords":[{"id":"4523","name":"Campus Recreation Center"},{"id":"172052","name":"center for community health and well-being"},{"id":"719","name":"CRC"},{"id":"3423","name":"employees"},{"id":"1506","name":"faculty"},{"id":"57531","name":"hiking"},{"id":"446","name":"ORGT"},{"id":"12745","name":"outdoor"},{"id":"2130","name":"Outdoor Recreation Georgia Tech"},{"id":"167018","name":"staff"},{"id":"4152","name":"whistle"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:margaret.tate@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EMargaret Tate\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EInstitute Communications\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}