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Planning A Walk
What you need for your Newsletter Announcement
- Select the park and meeting point – the meeting point should be a TTC stop, intersection or park entrance
- Choose the walk length and if it is a circular route or not
- Choose the walk duration (morning only, or a day with a lunch)
- Note if there are difficulties (stairs, rough ground)
- TFN needs 6 weeks notice for a walk to appear in the newsletter
Do a Pre-Walk
- 1-2 days prior to your walk, check that the route is still open
- Note safety hazards and consider how to avoid them
- Note sightings of birds and plants you are likely to see
- Select a lunch site, if planned
- Check washroom availability and places for after-walk warm-up
Plan your Welcome
- Bring TFN brochures
- Bring information handouts or field guides if you wish
- Bring an area map if it is suitable
On the Walk
At the Welcome:
- Arrive early – if possible, greet everyone as they arrive
- Offer TFN brochures to newcomers
- Count the participants
- Face people and speak loudly
- If the meeting location is noisy, move to a quieter area
- Announce the objective of the walk, timing and difficulty
- Announce washroom stops
- Encourage people to share what they see
- Point out other experts in the group
- Ask participants to adhere to the participant guidelines
On the Trail:
- Point out plants, animals, and natural features in a loud voice, allowing an opportunity for all to see
- Encourage participants to ask questions
- Engage the observations of others
- Allow time for enjoying special vistas and sightings
- For a large group, stop periodically to share information
- On long outings, pause by washrooms
At the End of the Walk:
- Provide a clear ending to the outing
- Provide travel instructions if it is not obvious
After the Walk
Within a week of the walk:
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Challenging Situations
Keeping the Group Together
- Make sure you have done a count at the start of the walk
- Ask participants to report leaving the walk
- Offshoot groups lagging at one spot may slow the pace. See if they have found something of interest before getting them to move on. Having a clear purpose for the walk will reduce this, as participants won't have conflicting goals. e.g., A vigorous hike vs bird photography
- Participants may move at differing paces. Ask a back-up person to watch for stragglers so you know who has left and who may be lost
- After lunch is an especially difficult time to keep track of the group. Announcing at the start of lunch how long the break is and when and where to meet back will help
Physical Challenges
- The leader can cancel a walk at the meeting place due to inclement weather
- Find a shady spot for information sharing on a hot day
- Make group aware of poison ivy in an area you are passing
Promoting Outing Safety
- Discuss safety at the start of the walk, identifying any special challenges or hazards along the route
- At the junction of a path, either wait for everyone or post someone to direct the followers
- Ask members to report early leaving to the leader or back-person
- Offer directions for early leaving along the route
- Identify challenges in the walk description so members can opt out
- Carry a cell-phone or identify if someone in the group has one
- Carry a first aid kit. At minimum have a clean cloth (bandana or scarf), bandages and some hand-wipes
- Keep a reasonable pace
- Cross streets at traffic lights or crosswalks
Benefits for Participants
& How to Achieve Them
What leaders hope participants will learn from the outing:
- Gain an increased enjoyment of nature and heritage
- Learn species names and identification
- Become interested in bird behaviour, plant attributes, etc
- Get knowledge of the areas, access points and routes
- Become familiar with the terrain across Toronto and its ecology
Leaders' suggestions for how to facilitate this:
- Introduce walkers to new places to enjoy nature
- Promote a friendly atmosphere
- Consider various knowledge levels
- Encourage participation through the sharing of knowledge
- Note and photograph interesting sights and environmental threats or damage
- Point out special vistas
- Reveal secret spots to see special sights
- Ask people who know the area if they would like to lead a future outing
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