The Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon, Thursday, May 11, 1978 FIFTEEN
Si
now & cold set scene for
sixth grade wilderness survival trainin
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Fifty Heppner Elementary
sixth graders left for school
with unusual eagerness last
Monday morning, knowing
that they were bound for five
days in the woods at the sixth
annual Tupper Outdoor
School.
Though definitely not a
vacation, the outdoor school
experience is considered a
highlight of grade school
years by alumni. It provides
the youngsters with know
ledge to appreciate a moun
tain environment and learn
outdoor survival skills.
"We're living in one of the
best outdoor settings you can
find anywhere," Principal
Don Cole commented. "The
week at Tupper (40 miles
south of Heppner) teaches the
kids to appreciate not only
their own little corner but the
total ecological environment
as different aspects interact
with each other."
In their five days at the
school, the youngsters were
given instruction in seven
basic areas, taught by exper
ienced resource persons: wea
ther, instructed by Ken Lem
ley; Map and compass read
ing by Ron Jones and Rick
Hardy ; wildlife, by Glen Ward
and Bob Krein; soil by Icrrv
Lilly bridge; plants -by Bill
Helphinstein; water by Adaxn
Schumacher; and wilderness
survival by Bob Jepson.
Even during recreation
time, the youngsters were
encouraged to learn more
about outdoor living by parti
cipating in archery, riflery,
bait casting, hiking or arts and
crafts.
A high spot of the school is
always survival training, and
this year was no exception.
Thursday, the sixth graders
were taught how to start fires
with a rock, a steel file and
steel wool; to construct a
shelter out of tree boughs; to
fashion homemade fishing
poles; and other skills to
ensure survival in the forests.
Snow, sleet, rain and cold at
the Bull Prairie campgrounds
didn't dampen the young
woodsmen's enthusiasm, and
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Story & photo
by Elane Blanchet
Survival instructor Bob Jepson (above and below) directs his students in the
construction of a wilderness shelter out of tree boughs at the Bull Prairie Campground last
Thursday.
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Two Oregon Department of
Fish and Wildlife employees
from John Day, standing in
the midst of a group of cold
sixth graders, wrap up their
instruction on forest water
resources. The gadget on a
pole at the top of the photo is a
shocking device which netted
the class a 24 inch trout to
demonstrate fish tagging tech
niques used by the state
department.
instructor Jepson felt the
elements aided his cause: "If
the kids can build a fire in this
weather, they can build one
anywhere," he said.
"I wouldn't be afraid for any
of the kids' lives if they were
lost in the woods for two or
three days if they retain
most of the survival instruc
tion," camp director Cole
commented. "And if the day's
training saves even one child 's
life in the future, this whole
program will pay for itself ten
times over."
Most of the cost of the
outdoor school, incidentally,
was paid for by the sixth
graders themselves through
selling tickets for a T.V. set
prize drawing. Out of the $20
required for each camper to
cover expenses, $14 was
raised through the class
project, with the extra $6
charged as tuition.
The youngsters were divi
ded into three cabins at
Tupper, two for the boys and
one for the girls, supervised
by 14 high school counselors,
sixth grade teacher Nan
Nelson, kindergarden teacher
Mary Benedict, and Don Cole.
Cole said that the school is a
good experience in social
living for the students, with
such things as table manners
and responsibility for various
duties part of day-to-day camp
life.
Cook Ruby Steers, stolen
from the Heppner High School
kitchen for the week, was
assisted by volunteer mothers
to serve more than 1,000 meals
at the school. Rotating groups
of student "mucka-mucks"
were assigned to table-setting
and clean-up details.
Campfires each night fea
tured programs combining
comedy skits and resident
talent, with the counselors and
the three cabins of students
taking turns in the spotlight.
Over 30 camp songs were
learned by the students to
punctuate each of the day's
activities, from getting up at 7
a.m. to lights out at 9:15 p.m.
Flag raising and lowering
ceremonies were observed
each day.
Tupper Outdoor School is an
experience that every sixth
grader looks forward to with
eagerness each year, and one
they are not likely to forget
after their grade school years
are far behind them.
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Susie Olson (I) and Michelle Saling try to raise
Steel wool serves as kindling.
a spark by striking a rock with a file
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Cord Adams (I) watches as his friend Eric Thompson fans a fragile blaze born of the
rock-file-steel wool survival technique.