SURVIVAL SKILLS
Survival skills are techniques a person may utilize for an indefinite duration in order to survive a dangerous situation. Generally speaking, these techniques are meant to provide the basic necessities for human life: fire, water, food, shelter, habitat, AND the needs to think straight, to signal for help, to navigate safely, to avoid unpleasant interactions with animals and plants, and for first aid.

Shelter Building
As part of a team, groups will build weatherproof debris shelters that will fit all members of their team.

Fire Building
As part of a team, groups will build a “one match” fire with natural materials that they find in the woods.

Orienteering
Orienteering requires navigational skills using a map and compass to navigate from point to point in diverse and unfamiliar terrain.  Participants work in groups with a given set of compass bearings, which they use to find control points (trees).  The focus of orienteering at LLDC is to teach basic compass skills.

Animal Tracking
Tracking is a technique that naturalists use to find and follow animals, to learn about the animals’ nature.  Most people think of following the footprints of an animal, but there are other ways to track animals.  For example, you can examine their "scat" or "droppings," look for scratches in the bark of trees or ground, or look for their dens.  In so doing, we uncover deeper insight into the web of life and ourselves.

Snow Shoeing
Snow shoeing expands the potential for exercise available in the wintertime.  Snowshoeing makes even familiar hikes different and new. Winter transforms familiar forests into something wonderful and strange, and clearer, bluer skies in winter often afford more sweeping, longer-range views from favorite lookouts than are available in summer situations. The stillness of the air and snow cover give nature a pristine feel that is sometimes lacking at other times of year. Added with animal tracking, this is the ultimate winter activity at Lotus Lake Discovery Center.

Leave No Trace Principals
LLDC follows and infuses leave no trace principals into all activities.

Plan ahead and prepare
Travel and camp on durable surfaces
Dispose of waste properly
Leave what you find
Minimize campfire impacts
Respect wildlife
Be considerate of others