White Water Tripper/Outdoor Living Skills Coordinator
General Description
These two roles are performed by one person on a bi-weekly rotation: one week on trip, the next week on
site. The White Water Tripper prepares for, leads, and cleans up after all White Water trips. Along with the
Flat Water Tripper, he/she oversees all aspects of tripping, including financial, gear, food, personnel,
safety, program, campers, and team training. The Tripper oversees 4, week-long canoe trips over the
course of the summer for 7-10 campers at a time. All trips are white water or white water-related trips. As
the Outdoor Living Skills Coordinator, this person introduces campers to the natural environment around
them through increasing awareness, knowledge, and wilderness living skills. This role also places a good
deal of focus on environmental stewardship and awareness of God’s creation. The OLS Director serves
both Iona and Glen Mhor. This role reports to the Co-Directors. The White Water Tripper/OLS Coordinator
must also fulfill general resource staff duties (see “Resource” job description).
Specific White Water Tripper Responsibilities
• Plan routes for each trip; book campsites and transportation where required (work with Flat Water
Tripper)
• Plan and lead the training of trip counsellors along with the Flat Water Tripper; continue to oversee and
develop these counsellors all summer
• Organize and maintain tripping gear, including monitoring gear wear/tear, and gear cycling
• Pack and unpack group gear for each trip (stoves, filters, cooking gear, tents)
• Plan tripping menu, and supervise resource staff in packing food for trip
• Supervise camper preparation for trip, including packing and review of basic canoeing skills
• Maintain logs of progressions and events of each trip
• Plan a specific training regime for trip team
• Ensure the physical and emotional safety of all campers and staff while on trip
• Lead and/or oversee daily bible study (TLC) with campers while on trip
• Provide and/or oversee programming for campers once camp site is set up each day
• Send GPS check-in to main camp daily using SPOT (Satellite Personal Outdoor Tracker)
• Check-in with Co-Directors post trip to debrief and discuss counsellor leadership and potential future
needs
• Manage Trip budget
Specific OLS Responsibilities
• Maintain and organize OLS equipment, materials, and resource library
• Run programming pertaining to Outdoor Living Skills, which includes, but is not limited to, fire-building,
knots and lashing, orienteering, outdoor cooking
• Run programming pertaining to nature awareness/appreciation (Creation’s Quest), which includes, but
is not limited to, species ID (plants, bugs, animals, etc.), observation/awareness skills, ecological
principles (why things are the way they are), food webs, adaptation, on-site tripping facilitation
• Get camp excited about the natural environment, and foster a sense of wonder, curiosity, and
excitement
• Manage OLS budget
Qualifications and Necessary Skills
• A strong Christian faith and a desire to serve
• Standard First Aid (required)
• NLS (required)
• ORCKA Level 3 or equivalent canoeing ability
• Wilderness First Aid (Wilderness Medical Associates or Canadian Wilderness Medical Training)
• Swift Water Rescue Technician 1
• Experience with White Water canoe trips
• A minimum of G2 license and at least a year of active driving experience (recommended)
• Outdoor survival skills, including fire-building, cooking, hanging food packs, etc.
• Strong organization and planning skills
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Strong problem solving and critical thinking skills, especially under stress
Risk management skills
Group management and conflict resolution skills
Patient and flexible
Physical ability to conduct trip, including solo portaging a canoe
Ability to navigate confidently using map and compass
Active team member, as well as a good self-starter
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Ability to safely teach with potentially dangerous materials (matches, knives)
Outdoor skills, including fire building, knots, map and compass
Knowledge of the natural environment, including species, patterns, and potential dangers
Interest and excitement in the natural world
Creativity and innovation
Organized and flexible
Strong communication skills
Project WILD, Below Zero (recommended)
Hike Ontario (recommended)
Work Experience Requirements
• 2 years as a counsellor or equivalent experience working with youth
• 1 or more years in a position of camp leadership
• 2+ summers tripping experience
• Recommend 2+ years involvement in outdoor-oriented programming (Scouts/Guides, Outward Bound,
etc.)
• Experience with planning 5 day out trips