AORE Conference 2013 Round-Up

The Association for Outdoor Recreation and Education (AORE) is the the premier conference of it's type in the United States. The focus of the AORE conference is to bring together college and university outdoor educators, outdoor rec students and professors, military rec planners and community rec planners to share ideas.

This conference was my fourth representing the American Alpine Institute. I have attended the conference in Keystone, Colorado; in San Antonio, Texas; in Snowbird, Utah; and finally, this year in College Park, Maryland, just outside of Washington DC.

One of the valuable things about the AORE conference is that the clinics and seminars don't just revolve around hard technical skills. Many discuss academic papers and studies concerning the outdoors, as well as issues that young outdoor professionals might face. I attended seminars on everything from mentorship to how to fix a van that broke down on a program.  I also presented on two topics. I co-presented a lecture with Ed Crothers from the American Mountain Guides Association on "How to Become a Professional Mountain Guide," and I presented a lecture on "Professionalism in the Outdoor Industry." Both of which were well attended.

AAI Guide Mike Pond, presented a lecture from his outdoor recreation thesis on spiritualism in climbing. He didn't look at religion as much as how individuals feel when they are in the moment on a climb when they feel connected spiritually to the universe.

Following is a photo essay on the conference as well as on my journeys in Washington DC.

 The Univeristy of Maryland, College Park has an excellent 

outdoor climbing wall and bouldering cave.

AAI Guide Mike Pond presenting his 

research on climbing and spirituality.

During the AORE Auction, this guy modeled jackets without his shirt on.

The Capitol 

Nobody ever talks about the Korean War Memoral, but I think it's the most 

haunting of all the war memorials. One can really feel the pain 

and suffering in the eyes of these statues.

The Thomas Jefferson Memorial

The Washington Monument, under repair.

The Martin Luther King Memorial

The Boy Scout Memorial

The Air and Space Museum was a highlight of the tourist part of my trip.

 Another highlight was the Natural History Museum.

 There are very few things cooler in the world than dinosaur bones.

This was my favorite old sign from the American History Museum.

Perhaps this is still apt today with all the traffic and global warming and on and on...

Sorry for the "my trip to DC" slideshow, but it was my first time there. Next year the AORE Conference will take place in Portland, Oregon. I'm looking forward to another spectacular conference...

--Jason D. Martin