MODULE 1: Nature and Background of Outdoor Recreation

FYI!

Cloud Nine in Siargiao, a teardrop-shaped island in Surigao Del Norte is home to the
9th Best Surf Spot in the World, according to a list released by the travel website of the
Cable News Network (CNN).

NATURE AND BACKGROUND OF OUTDOOR RECREATION

Holidays, long weekends, school breaks, and summer vacations are the most
awaited days for people who have been very busy with work and school. These are the
days they can take a break from the routine or perhaps from the stress of life, as often
said and heard. In recent years, if one observes the social media, more and more Filipinos
head to the countryside and enjoy what nature offers. Ecotourism activities in the
Philippines have been gaining popularity as well. From north to south, our country can
never run out of natural scenery to visit and outdoor activities to participate in-be it in
water, on land, or in the air. One can go trekking to Mt. Pulag, whitewater rafting at Chico
River, surfing at Siargao, or bird-watching at Candaba Marsh. All of these are what we
call outdoor recreation. In the next chapters, one will get to know and understand various
outdoor recreational activities that we can do in the different parts of our country. One will
also get to know and appreciate the different outdoor recreational spots that our country
offers.

Nature and Background of Outdoor Recreation

What is outdoor recreation?

Consider the following activities: bird-watching, caving or spelunking, camping,

and snorkeling, when and why do people engage in the mentioned activities? What is a
common factor among them? Answering these questions will lead to answering what
outdoor recreation is all about. Were your answers the same or close to the following?

ü done during vacation or school break

ü they want to have fun

ü done outdoors with nature

Putting the answers together outdoor recreation is organized activities done during one's
free time for his/her own personal reasons, where an interaction between man and an
element of nature s present.

Let us break down the ideas to have a common understanding of the terms. When we
hear "free time what does it mean to you as a student? "No classes easily come to mind
and consequently will be able to use the "free time to do things which you want to do but
have been unable to do so because of the lack of time." such as continuing a project or
undone homework, or perhaps, going out with friends to watch a movie. A day can be
divided into three parts according to Clayne R. Jensen (2006): the existence time,
subsistence time, and free time. Existence time is time spent for biological needs like
having a meal, sleeping, and other personal care. Subsistence time refers to the hours
spent for economic purposes such as going to work, chores, and for students, hours spent
in school, and school work. Free time, therefore, is all the remaining time after. How one
decides to spend free time varies from person to person. Perhaps, to those who have
been very busy with workload or school work, this is the best time to do recreational
activities, to relax, and to rejuvenate.

Recreation is derived from the Latin word recreare which means to be refreshed. Choices
for recreation vary from person to person. What makes one happy may not be so for
others. Therefore, recreational activities depend on one's interests, pursuits, and needs
which may be reflective of one's beliefs and level of gratification. For example, a natural
park may serve as a bonding place for a family to have a picnic, a great fitness area for
a jogger, and a place to commune with nature or meditate for others.

The outdoors in a broad sense is a space outside an enclosed area. Narrowing it down,
outdoors, used it in this discussion, includes the natural environment and resources which
comprises the land, water, wildlife, vegetation, open space, and scenery. The outdoors
may be in their most natural State or semi-natural" state, which is a state where it had
gone through some human modification but has retained its natural features.

People engage in outdoor recreational activities for varied reasons. Some do it for
personal satisfaction and enjoyment. Perhaps, it is a time away from the day-to-day
routine. Others do it to be in touch with nature, which they rarely have the chance to do,
especially for those who reside in highly urbanized areas. Many do it for personal pursuit
such as photography, collecting sea shells, reaching the top of Mt. Apo, conquering the
rapids of Cagayan River, or attaining a certain fitness level. Some individuals or groups
do it as part of outdoor or environmental education, such as bird watching, plant naming,
etc. Whatever reason there may be, people engage in outdoor recreational activity for
their own sake and pleasure, voluntarily, and of their own choice.

BENEFITS OF OUTDOOR RECREATION

What are the different outdoor recreational activities?

The Philippines is rich in natural resources. Despite being in a relatively small

country, Philippines is surrounded by all kinds of land formations and natural water
resources. In fact, it has been listed in The World Factbook (Maps of World, n.d.) as
having the fifth longest coastline in the world. Its natural environment has so much to
offer, whether on land, on water, or even in the air. It hosts varied outdoor recreational
activities, some of which are the following:

LAND WATER Air

Mountaineering Swimming Parasailing
Trekking/Hiking Snorkling Skydiving
Camping Diving Paragliding
Backpacking Surfing
Picnic Canoeing
Bird-Watching Kayaking
Mountain Biking Whitewater rafting
Orienteering Sailing
Canyoneering fishing
Rock Climbing Bamboo rafting

What are the benefits of outdoor recreation?

Fun and pleasure are perhaps the immediate answers of the majority who have
experienced outdoor activities. However, there is more to it than just the fun. Studies have
shown that being close to natural environment is healthy. Aside from the fresh air and the
amazing sight of nature, the outdoors has positive effects on the general wellness of an
individual most especially if it is done with regularity. Wellness encompasses the general
state of a person (physical, social, psycho emotional, and spiritual) and in the end
contributes to a better quality of life.

Physical Health Benefits

Being outdoors prevents a person from having a sedentary life. It allows people to
move, whether by walking, running, swimming, biking, paddling, etc. With the surge of
electronic gadgets, more and more people (children and adults alike) are unconsciously
getting stuck with a sedentary life, contented with playing with their computer games,
tablets, or cellphones, or watching television for hours. Green space is now called "screen
space Unknowingly, a great part of their day was spent sitting or lying down with gadgets
in their hands. The outdoors is a great distraction from these gadgets. It helps people to
be on the move. It gets their hearts pumping and their bigger muscles at work. Such
movements expend energy, promote cardiovascular and muscular fitness, and improve
the function of the immune system

Psycho-Emotional Benefits

Engaging in outdoor recreational activities helps people to rest, relax, de-stress or

unwind, feel revitalized. In fact, some research showed that too much artificial stimulation
and time spent in purely human environments can cause exhaustion and loss of vitality
and health (Katcher & Baeck. 1987; Stilgoe, 2001).

Nature has its own way of positively distracting a stressed mind and calming it down.
As Kuo and Sullivan (2001) explained it, "natural setting and stimuli such as landscape
and animals seem to effortlessly engage our attention, allowing us to attend without
paying attention." This alone helps reduce stress and prevents some cases of depression
and anxiety.

Being outdoors also improves our self-esteem, confidence, and creativity. There is a
sense of "feeling good" whenever one achieves the goal in a particular activity such as
reaching the peak of a mountain or learning a skill of paddling in canoeing.

Lastly, outdoor recreational activities contribute to one's personal and spiritual growth.
It allows an individual to discover his/her inner spirit and sense of self, creating new
behaviors and identity, person identifies with the activities that he/she does such that
he/she becomes "biker, diver, and "mountaineer. Then, that individual identifies more with
who he/she is at work. In the end, engaging in these activities contributes to satisfaction
in life and makes life happier.

Social Benefits

Outdoor activities are ways for families to become closer. They can be a family-bonding
activity" as each family member participates in an activity, achieves a common goal, and
goes through the same experience.

Spending time outdoors also allows one to meet and interact with others who share the
same passion for outdoor recreation. Participating in a team will help form lasting
friendship and develop a community.

Outdoor recreation also promotes stewardship. Activities done outdoors in the natural
setting help in making people realize the great things that nature provides mankind.
Increased knowledge and appreciation help them understand how personal actions can
strongly affect the environment. Thus, people's feelings and connection with nature are
the greatest motivation for them to care for the natural environment and advocate for its
preservation.

Economic Benefits

People who have a relaxed body and mind tend to be more productive at work. This
translates into efficiency at the workplace.

“It’s more fun in the Philippines!" as the Department of Tourism slogan goes. Indeed, it
is more fun as well for everyone involved in ecotourism activities in the Philippines. It has
been rewarding for the local folks as ecotourism in the country created jobs and other
economic activities which have, one way or another, contributed to our economic growth.

Spiritual Benefits

Positive outdoor experiences can stir up spiritual values. Being one with nature brings
certain calmness within a person. It strengthens an individual as it heals, rejuvenates,
and soothes the body and soul.

ENGAGING IN OUTDOOR RECREATION

Does one need to be athletic to be able to participate in outdoor activities?

Outdoor recreation involves a lot of physical activity, but it does not require one to
have athletic level of skills to be able to participate. However, one needs to be physically
fit to be able to carry out the activity. For instance, bird-watching requires walking to be
able to go to the birds' natural habitat and watch the birds.

Physical fitness tests are not new to students. It is usually done in lower grades or at
the start of the school year in a PE class. Maybe, some can remember having the 3-
minute step test, squats, sit and reach test, and were asked to compute their body mass
index (BMI). All of these tests were to determine one's health and fitness level which
includes learning about cardiorespiratory endurance, muscular strength and endurance,
flexibility, and body composition. If the last test one has taken was a long time ago, take
it again. If one has the result of his/her last fitness test, compare the result and see if one
progressed or even regressed through time. Do not just take this aside as a requirement
but rather look at it as data that tells a person about his/her lifestyle. For example, a male
student with a good cardiovascular endurance can finish one mile in under 11 minutes.

Reflect back on the activities for the past weeks or months and lifestyle as a student.
Were you able to carry out your day-to-day tasks as a student with alertness and vigor
without undue fatigue?

If not, then perhaps you need to rethink. Have you been spending too much time with
your gadgets? Has your body been getting enough rest and sleep? What about your
nutrition and eating habits, have you been dependent on fast food, chips, and sodas? Are
you eating on time? Have you been heavily stressed with school work?

Some students love to cram school works leaving them with lesser hours of sleep
However, one must remember that sleep has the essential purpose to rest the body and
mind for one to be able to function well the next day. Moreover, the lack of sleep also
affects eating behavior as the hormonal system controlling the appetite is also affected,
making a sleep deprived person feel hungrier than usual. According to the National Sleep
Foundation (2015), a recommended number of sleeping hours for young adults (18-25
years old) is 7-9 hours of sleep. However, 6 hours or 10-11 hours are just appropriate as
well, but lesser than 6 hours or over 11 hours are not appropriate for one to carry out a
task the next day. Moreover, sticking to a regular sleeping schedule, whether during
weekdays or weekends, helps establish a good sleeping habit.

Aside from sleep, the food that the body takes in is equally vital for a person to be fit.
You have already learned in the previous grades what a balanced diet is all about.
However, good eating does not just end on the plate. It also includes the correct eating
habit, behavior, or pattern that one has established. Have an honest assessment of how
you have been eating with the following considerations:

• TIME: When do you eat? Is it done at a certain time of the day? Do you skip meals?
Perhaps do you eat mindlessly," meaning, you eat even if you are not hungry?

• AMOUNT and KIND of FOOD: Are you conscious of the amount of food that you
eat? Do you follow a balanced diet? Do you lose control when your favorite food
is served on the table? Do you crave for carbohydrates or sweets at certain times
of the day?

• PLACE: Where do you eat your meals? Do you eat on the dining table with family
or friends? Do you have a preferred place such as your study area, computer table,
or the family room or sala?

• FEELINGS or EMOTIONS: Do you associate eating with certain moods or feelings

such as eating when bored, sad, depressed, angry, or happy?

• ACTIVITIES: Do you associate eating while doing something else such as

watching television, reading a book or newspaper, or using the computer? Do you
feel the need to eat in order to enjoy watching a movie or sports event?

The right amount and kind of food certainly will fuel the mind and body to carry out the
day to-day tasks. However, eating pattern and behavior matter as well. This starts with
having a regular eating time throughout the day. In a study done by Laksa et al. (2014),
it showed that among the young adults, meal regularity such as routine breakfast and
dinner had strong association with healthy dietary pattern. Eating regularly helps prevent
too much hunger, which often results in overeating the next meal. Eating in some places
other than the dining table allows you to do other things while eating. For instance, if one
eats in front of the television, then, most likely, the focus will be on the TV show and not
on the meal, leaving the person unaware of how much food was consumed. Studies made
by Robinson et al. (2013) have shown that distracted eaters actually consume 10% more
calories while sitting than those who are not distracted. Further, they will also consume
25% mare calories on a later meal.

Some people also crave and, thus, do not eat for hunger but for pleasure. Fluctuation
of blood sugar level is one cause of food craving. Therefore, one way to avoid food craving
is by controlling the blood sugar level through avoiding or limiting the consumption of
sugar and processed foods and by regular exercise. Food also serves as a comfort to
some who are going through emotional problems. The best way to break food craving
and emotional eating is to look for alternative activities one loves to do, such as talking
with friends, making crafts, or doing sports.

LEAVE NO TRACE SEVEN PRINCIPLES

What are the important things that should be remembered when participating in
an outdoor recreational activity?

It has been established earlier that outdoor recreation is an interaction between

man and nature. The interaction should come with care and respect. It is important
that in using and enjoying what nature offers, an equal responsibility in conserving
and preserving it must be consciously employed by the people. This way, everyone
can continue to go back and have future generations experience the great things in
nature that the current generation has. The "Leave No Trace Seven Principles is a set
of universal outdoor ethics that guides one in the activities to do with nature. It also
provides the framework for making decisions in outdoor recreation, the principles are
as follows:

THE LEAVE NO TRACE SEVEN PRINCIPLES

Principle 1: Plan Ahead and Prepare

• Before going to a place, check if your planned activity is permitted. Make sure to
know the rules, guidelines, and safety procedures they have set. Some places
require certain permits or clearances.
• Make sure you have the needed equipment for your activity and the skills needed
to undertake the activity.
• Plan how to cope in case emergency arises.
• Check the weather forecast and be prepared for changing weather conditions.
• Learn when areas are most crowded and try to avoid those times.
• To minimize environmental impact and for safety reasons, keep group numbers
small.
• Repack food to minimize waste.
• When trekking, maps and compass must be used to avoid markings or leaving of
marks on rocks and the like.

Principle 2: Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces

• Walk, run, bike, or camp on durable surfaces like established tracks, rocks, gravel,
and dry grasses.
• Avoid walking on soft surfaces like soft plants. You might be trampling on a young
tree or pasture and this will cause vegetation damage.
• Use existing trails or campsites, no need to build a new campsite that will alter the
• To avoid erosion, walk in single file in the middle of the trail. environment.
• Avoid places where impacts are just beginning to show.
• When camping, keep the campsite small and discreet.
• Camp at least 200 feet from lakes and rivers to protect the waters.

Principle 3: Dispose of Waste Properly

• "Pack it in, pack it out" means everything you brought should be brought back with
including left-over food or fruit peel. Nothing should be left.
• When camping, cat holes are dug (6-8 inches deep) for human waste and covered
just you the same with soil and weeds or leaves on top.
• Dishes should be washed 200 feet away from lakes or rivers and use
biodegradable soap. Scatter strained dishwater.

Principle 4: Leave What You Find

• Examine archeological structures, old walls, and other heritage artifacts but do not
touch
• Leave nature as you found them. Do not take any plant, rock, plants, or marine
animal nor leave marks on them. with you.
• Avoid introducing non-native plants and animals.
• Do not build structures, furniture, or dig trenches.

Principle 5: Minimize Campfire Impacts

• Use lightweight stove for cooking, campfires can cause lasting impacts.
• If fires are permitted, use fire rings or mound fires that are already set-up.
• Keep fires small and use only sticks from the ground than can be broken by hand.
• No burning of plastics or other substances that emit toxic fumes.
• Burn all wood to ash and make sure fires are completely out. Scatter the cool ash.

Principle 6: Respect Wildlife

• Observe wild animals from a distance and they should be avoided during sensitive
times such as mating, nesting, or raising the young.
• Do not feed wild animals or birds as it is not their natural food. The food might
damage their health or alter their natural behaviors and even expose them to
predators.
• Protect wildlife and protect your food as well by storing and securing the trash well.
• In case you decide to bring your pets along, make sure it is allowed and you can
control them. Otherwise, do not bring them with you.

Principle 7: Be Considerate of Other Visitors

• Respect people who live and work in the countryside.

• Respect other visitors and let them have a momentous experience as well.
• Allow the sound of nature to prevail, not your noise or your radio.
• Be courteous; yield to others on a trail.
•
• Camp away from trails and other visitors.