WACE Outdoor Education flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Risk matrix

A grid scoring hazards by likelihood and consequence to produce a risk rating. Controls are recorded against each hazard, and the rating is reassessed after controls are applied.

Hierarchy of control

A ranked order of risk treatments: eliminate, substitute, engineer, administer, then use personal protective equipment. Earlier options are more reliable because they remove the hazard rather than relying on human behaviour.

Hypothermia

Core body temperature falling below about 35 °C, causing shivering, clumsiness, and confusion. Treatment is shelter, insulation, and gradual rewarming; rapid external heat is unsafe if consciousness is altered.

Pressure immobilisation

A first aid technique for snakebite: a firm bandage over the bite and up the limb, splinting to stop movement, and keeping the casualty still. It slows venom spread through the lymphatic system.

Naismith's rule

A walking-time estimate of one hour per five kilometres plus one hour per 600 metres of ascent. Real times are longer on rough ground, with heavy packs, or in bad weather.

Trip intention form

A document left with a responsible person listing route, party, equipment, and expected return time. It triggers an overdue response and gives searchers a starting point.

Turn-around time

A pre-set time at which a party abandons the objective and returns, regardless of progress. Fixing it in advance removes summit fever from the decision at the moment of pressure.

Base weight

The weight of a pack excluding consumables such as food, water, and fuel. Shelter, sleep system, and pack usually dominate it, so reducing those gives the largest savings.

Tuckman's stages

A model of group development: forming, storming, norming, performing, and adjourning. Conflict peaks during storming and is a normal phase rather than evidence of a failing group.

Situational leadership

Matching direction and support to follower readiness. Low-competence members need clear direction; capable but variable members need support and shared decisions rather than close instruction.

Groupthink

A failure mode where pressure for agreement suppresses doubt, so the group adopts a poor decision confidently. Assigning a devil's advocate and inviting dissent reduce it.

Risky shift

The tendency for group discussion to move decisions toward greater risk than members would choose individually. It is countered by explicit risk criteria and independent judgements before discussion.

Structured debrief

A guided review using prompts such as what happened, what it meant, and what changes next time. Open questions elicit deeper reflection than yes-or-no questions.

Consensus decision

A decision all members can accept and support, not necessarily their first preference. It builds commitment but is slow and unsuitable when a hazard demands immediate action.

Carrying capacity

The visitor load an area can absorb before ecological or experiential conditions become unacceptable. Managers translate it into indicators, standards, and monitoring thresholds.

Ecological succession

Change in community composition over time from bare substrate through pioneer species to a climax community. Trampled campsites recover through a similar sequence but much more slowly.

Minimal-impact camping

Camping on durable surfaces at least 100 metres from water, packing out all rubbish, and burying human waste 15 to 20 centimetres deep. These practices limit soil and waterway damage.

Biodiversity levels

Genetic, species, and ecosystem diversity. Higher diversity generally increases resilience to disturbance, so protecting variety matters more than protecting a single charismatic species.

IUCN protected area categories

A six-category system from strict nature reserve to managed resource area. Categories set the permitted level of recreation, development, and extractive use in each protected area.

Cultural burning

Low-intensity, seasonally timed fire used by Indigenous peoples to reduce fuel loads, encourage regeneration, and care for Country. Its purpose and timing differ from hazard-reduction burning.

Connection to Country

An Indigenous relationship of identity, obligation, and care for land rather than ownership of a resource. It underpins consultation and joint management arrangements for many parks.

Place attachment

The emotional bond people form with a setting. Strong attachment predicts stewardship behaviour and also resistance to changes in how that place is managed or used.

Recreation opportunity spectrum

A planning framework classifying settings from primitive to urban, linking the experience sought to the access and development provided. It helps zone visitor use across a park.

Cultural heritage protection

Legislation protecting rock art, middens, and scarred trees. Visitors should not touch art, disturb deposits, or publish precise locations of sensitive cultural sites.

FITT principle

A training framework of frequency, intensity, time, and type. Progressive overload within these variables builds fitness while limiting injury risk from sudden increases in load.

Glycogen depletion

The exhaustion of stored carbohydrate after roughly 90 to 120 minutes of hard activity. Regular carbohydrate intake during sustained exercise delays fatigue and maintains performance.

Wind chill

The effective temperature felt when wind accelerates heat loss from exposed skin. Wet clothing combined with wind is the highest-risk combination for hypothermia in the outdoors.

Dehydration threshold

Fluid loss of about two per cent of body mass, which impairs performance. Weighing before and after activity estimates hourly sweat loss for planning intake.

Duty of care

A legal obligation to take reasonable steps to avoid foreseeable harm. Outdoor leaders meet it through documented risk assessments, qualified staff, and informed consent.

Limits of Acceptable Change

A planning framework that sets measurable standards for visitor impacts and manages toward them, rather than banning use. It is applied through monitoring and corrective action.

Land tenure and access

The ownership status of land, which determines whether entry is allowed. Public parks have regulated access; private land requires permission, and closures may apply for safety or conservation.

Equity barriers

Obstacles limiting participation, including equipment cost, transport distance, cultural safety, disability access, and time. They shape who can access outdoor recreation and its benefits.