Be Prepared!

• Always tell someone what your plans are. Where you are going, who you are going with and what time you will be returning. If you happen to change your plans, be sure to call and let someone know.
• Learn some basic first aid and carry a first aid kit with you. You never know when you might need it. Don't forget to put a whistle in your kit.
• Don't go alone. If something happens, you want someone there to be able to help you, or to go for help if you or they need it. Also, it's a lot more fun if you've got someone along.
• Know where you're going and where help is if you need it.
• Remember what your capabilities are, and if you encounter something that is outside of your experience, it's probably better if you wait until you have an adult with you to help.

On The Trail

• As you're walking or hiking, remember to make some noise, you don't want to accidently sneak up on an animal that isn't expecting you. Here are some things to do if you encounter an animal in the wild.
• Don't step over logs or onto piles of rocks or leaves without looking to see what's on the other side. These areas are where snakes live, in the shade where it's cool and out of site. If you do run across a snake, be sure to leave it where you found it, it's home.
• Do NOT go into the water, any water, without another person, preferably an adult with you. There are lots of things that can happen, even in the calmest of water, and you don't want to end up not having fun because you didn't choose to be safe.
• If you get lost, it's natural to think that if you turn around you'll end up back where you started at .. WRONG!! If you are lost .. STOP!. Find a rock or a stump and just sit there. Remember, you told someone where you were going and when you would return, right? So, by staying where you are, someone can find you. If you start trying to remember where you've been (and most trees start looking like all the others on the third or fourth trip around), you're going to end up even more lost than you started out, and if someone is looking for you, you may be walking in circles around each other.
• Don't touch the leaves! While there are many pretty flowers in the forests and fields, not all of them are ones that you are going to want to pick. Some of them may be poisonous plants, so be prepared.
• Where the insects roam! No matter where you are, when you're camping, the bugs are sure to be there waiting for you. They will greet you like long lost friends, making sure that you notice them and some times, making your little brother or sister seem not quite so annoying. But, not all bugs are anything more than nuisances, it's the other ones that you have to worry about.