The Benjamin Logan Environmental Science Club members recently invited Rhonda Farley from the Shelby County Sharpspurs Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) for a very active and hands-on lesson teaching the lost art of compass navigation.

Using a compass is the most reliable form of navigation. With modern GPS technologies, someone with little to no navigational skills may be able to easily find their way; however, GPS units are electronics, requiring batteries and satellite signal, and what happens when they fail? Club members took a step toward confidently finding their way without reliance on modern technologies.

Throughout the lesson, Farley put a compass in the hands of each club member as she challenged them with various navigational activities and games. In order to succeed in these games, Farely first explained cardinal, ordinal, and secondary intercardinal directions on a compass rose. As members oriented themselves with these directions, they were taught how to identify the basic parts of a compass and gained an understanding of bearings and how to use them.

Club members were then released to navigate their way through an orienteering challenge course. In order to make it through the course, members were required to travel from point to point on the course in a specific sequence. If there was one point out of sequence, they were considered lost and had to return to the course to find their way.

The Benjamin Logan Environmental Science Club continues to display grit and dedication to  becoming experts in the field of environmental science through their interest in mastering the art of compass navigation. The club is sincerely grateful to Rhonda Farley and her commitment as a volunteer to providing effective educational opportunities such as this. We are also grateful for the support and sponsorship of the Logan County Land Trust and their devotion to educating communities on farmland preservation and environmental stewardship.