The Champlain Area Trail Society (CATS) and Pok-o-MacCready Camps have joined together to present two Survival Skills courses on Saturday, December 12, 2015. The courses will be taught by a Pok-o-MacCready instructor on the Blueberry Hill Trail System in Elizabethtown.

“We want people to feel comfortable when they hike and explore new places,” CATS executive director Chris Maron said in a statement announcing the courses. “Our trails are pretty well-marked and with the new hiking opportunities in the Champlain Valley, being prepared will lead more people to visit the new trails.”

The morning course is open to families (ages 5 and up) and will explore basic safety skills, covering topics such as proper gear, hydration, when and what to eat, how to deal with hotspots and other novice back country health and safety tips. The afternoon session will be for adults only and will delve deeper into survival aspects, covering more advanced subjects such as fire building, building an Leave No Trace shelter, and what to do when a day trip becomes an unplanned overnight.

Pok-O-MacCready Camp is located on Long Pond in Willsboro and offers a variety of summer camp activities for boys and girls ages 6 to 16. During the rest of the year the Outdoor Education Center offers educational, team building and natural history programs for children and adults.

Champlain Area Trails is an accredited land trust and trails organization that has developed over 40 miles of trails, protected 495 acres of land, and held numerous outdoor education activities.

To register for this event, call (518) 962-2287 or visit the CATS website at champlainareatrails.com.