2. What do we expect from a guide? What does the client want? What does the employer want? What do the local communities/land managers want?

3. The Role of the Adventure Guide Provide safe but challenging experiences Provide the highest level of customer experience Represent the company ethos & values – the ‘brand’ Be advocates for the communities, wildlife and landscapes Be destination and activity ‘experts’ Be skilled in customer relations, communications, leadership and marketing Be flexible, fun, engaging and spontaneous

4. Technical Training for Adventure Guides UK – well regarded technical skill development, coaching and leadership qualifications What about non-technical areas? Eg Cultural Interpretation

5. Existing Non-Technical Guide Training Scottish Tourist Guide Association – Blue Badge Guide Professional Association of Wilderness Guides International National Association for Interpretation Academic Adventure Tourism or Interpretation courses Individual Adventure & Nature based tourism businesses Regional or activity specific guide training programmes

6. Case study Wilderness Guide Training Programme Developed by Wilderness Scotland with support from The Wilderness Foundation UK Piloted in 2010/11 Received recognition from within the Travel Industry Guardian Green Travel List 2011 AITO Sustainable Tourism Awards 2011. From 2012 – WGTP Wild Scotland guide training programme

7. Aims of the Wilderness Guide Training Programme Develop guides who are able to inform and inspire clients about cultural heritage, natural history, conservation and sustainability Create guiding perspective and practice, which offers the highest level of customer experience Provide training in a range of areas, which is either unavailable or not considered relevant elsewhere Create a structured modular training programme to support ongoing CPD for wilderness guides Provide a personal development framework for wilderness guides

8. Core Modules Leave No Trace Cultural Interpretation Art of Guiding – Concepts & Philosophies for Adventure Tourism Environmental Advocacy & Leadership Nature Conservation

9. Habitat Modules Ecology of Coastal – Riparian – Upland - Woodland Myth, Folklore & Ethnobotany Geology/geomorphology

10. Option Modules Weather Interpretation Gaelic/Norse placenames Music Environmental/Cultural Storytelling Natural Navigation Bushcraft Wilderness Cooking – campfire/stove Ecopsychology for outdoor leaders Inclusive Adventure Astronomy Spirituality in the outdoors

11. Contact myles@wildernessscotland.com