Orienteering in Jamaica

25th November, Monday

First participants begin arriving at 9:00. By 10:00, 7 of the 10 participants are present and S. Koenig commences lecturing with an introduction to the course, why it was developed (based on the needs observed by S. Koenig with field assistants and also what Forestry Department identified as needed for Foresters and Wardens), the schedule of activities, and how participants will be evaluated. For the remaining time until lunch, S. Koenig lectures on the basics of keeping field notebooks, emphasizing the value of note keeping for future generations. Examples are provided from the notes of Harold Anthony (American Museum of Natural History), who stayed in Windsor in 1920, S. Koenig's field research in Arizona and St. Lucia, and Rob Voss' (also of the American Museum of Natural History) research in French Guiana. By 11:00, all participants are present.

During lunch, M. Schwartz works desperately to get the computer projector (rented from Denis Tobin Prep School in Falmouth) to work. No luck, so when lecture begins at 13:30, it's "chalk and talk." M. Schwartz provides an overview of different types of maps (e.g., road map, vegetation, climatic) before proceeding to topographic maps. He uses the 1:50,000 Jamaica series to demonstrate the common features of topographic maps (e.g., map name, scale) and has the participants locate all of the features that are listed in the legend. He then introduces the topic of scale and has participants draw to-scale the portion of Windsor House's 15 m verandah where the lecture is being held. M. Schwartz' lecture then proceeds to the topic of latitude and longitude as a means of locating ourselves anywhere in the world, in an agreed-upon system. Unfortunately, Windsor House does not have a globe, so he had to make due with a passion fruit and a large, leather-working needle to demonstrate the North and South poles and the rotation of the earth. The final portion of M. Schwartz' lecture covered the topics of True-, Magnetic-, and Grid North. To demonstrate the concept of the earth as a magnet and, consequently, that a compass will enable us to navigate, he created a compass by magnetizing a sewing needle and floating it on cork in water. Too bad I did not have my camera as the participants sat open-jawed when the needle kept aiming to magnetic north! S. Stewart then completed the afternoon lecture by going over the basic features of a mirror-sighting compass.

After the lecture, we went in the yard to let participants practice using the compass. We had them sight various objects in the yard and also to distant hilltops to determine the bearing and then gave them a random bearing and had them adjust the compass and themselves to the correct direction. After all were comfortable with the basics of using a compass, we took them to the main road to practice pacing 100 meters along a paved, level surface. We also practiced their sighting distances of 25 and 50 m, having them tell the instructors when to stop as they (the instructors walked down the road).

26th November, Tuesday

The Windsor "school bell" rung at 0810, with a few stragglers after S. Stewart began a review lecture of the parts of the compass. We then gave them instructions on how they will orienteer a