During our weekends we went to Gavier Lake to clean up weeds that lay on the surface of the lake. The weeds absorb all the nutrients which ultimately create a scarcity of nutrients for useful aquatic plants and animals and hence are necessary to be removed. So we went in groups, the first group went in a boat which was in a rectangular shape while the second group waited outside and at the end to pull the boat when the first group finishes collecting weeds of an area. While a pair of people goes in a kayak to collect weeds in smaller areas but the challenging part of going in a kayak is balancing.
The learning outcome achieved during this CAS experience is LO1 which is to identify own strengths and develop areas for growth. We needed people who can collect weed from the water as much as possible at one go which needed strength as the weeds were quite long and heavy and the second job is throwing water out of the boat with the help of a bucket and at last the gathering the weeds once the weeds are removed from the boat. So if you scared of going into deep water and scared of going in water because of aquatic creatures can handle other jobs out of the water like gathering weeds and for safety purpose, even the people who know swimming perfectly still need to wear a life jacket. But the duties shift keep on shifting, for example, the first time I will handle the bucket job and the next time will go in the boat so that people develop different skills and strengths.
The other learning outcome is LO2 which is to demonstrate that challenges have been undertaken, developing new skills in the process. The challenges faced during this CAS experience were that after having a skin contact with the weeds you feel very itchy so you need to apply a lot of oil onto your body and there are a lot of different aquatic animals in the lake so it can be on you sometimes so you have to be prepared for that. Also if you go into deep water then you can also see Otters if you are lucky but the challenge is to not hamper it so that it does not harm you.
The other learning outcome is LO4 which is to show commitment to and perseverance in CAS experiences. For me, this, was not the first time I did the weed cleaning in the lake because I have been doing it for years now. Even for CAS we came two weekends and cleaned the major parts of the lake.
The other learning outcome is LO5 which is to demonstrate the skills and recognize the benefits of working collaboratively. So a lot of people were needed as weeds were spread throughout the lake, so on a boat, there were four people. Two people each on both the ends of the boat who quickly collect weeds from their sides which made the work faster and efficient. And other three to four people who would pull the boat again to unload the weeds.
In the end, you feel very productive and satisfied that you woke up early and took the effort to actually clean the lake. This CAS experience gave me an opportunity to connect with nature though going into the water was kind of gross but you see the beautiful side of it like the lotus in the lake, the Egrets catching a fish and the sun shining on the surface of the lake which looks like the water is sparkling.
