Grabbing Your Group's Attention
Gather your group outside a home or in a park. Ask them why we construct sidewalks. Focus the resulting discussion on the need to provide durable surfaces for travel by many people. Explain that concentrating activity on one durable surface can protect the surviving land. Define the concept of durability (see Background Information) for the group.
The Activity: Break your group into pairs and give them the following assignment: Imagine you are looking for durable surfaces to travel over or set up camp. Find five different surfaces in the immediate area and rate them from one to five for durability, one being the most durable surface and five being the least durable surface. Give the group approximately 5 to 10 minutes to explore the area.
The Discussion: Have each pair share their findings with the group. Using the Background Information, conduct a discussion to help group members develop an understanding of how to identify durable surfaces and the cumulative effects of many visitors to any one area. Relate the surfaces they find to the rocks, trails, meadows, and other areas they may find in the backcountry. Refer to the Background Information for details.
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