Articles
Llama Therapy
Nov/Dec 1998
A Boy and His Llama
May/June 1997
Daily Llamas
March/April 1997
Llama Trek
Dec 1996
Have Llama, Will Travel
Fall 1996
George Appenzeller's Llamas Go to College
Sept/Oct 1996
Columbia Couple to Address CH.A.D.D. Group
Sept 1996
Llama Trek: Kids hike with four-footed companions in novel USC program
Aug 1996
Have You Kissed a Llama Lately?
Winter 1993
Experiential Learning Uses Student Knowledge
July/Aug 1993
Llamas, Children, and Wilderness
Oct 1992
Children with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) have for too long been branded as uncontrollable balls of energy with learning difficutlties. The most common solution - the prescribing of Ritalin - is unsatisfactory to many parents. Now George Appenzeller and Sarah Meadows, two social workers in Columbia, South Carolina, have found an innovative solution: llama therapy.
When the couple learned that one son had ADHD, they decided to focus on his strengths. Says Appenzeller, "A high level of physical energy that is disruptive in the classroom can be an asset hiking up a mountain." The couple launched a business, Adventure Challenge, that pairs children aged 8-14 with llamas as their travel companions. The children learn to groom, feed, and put a pack on their animals, then venture out on one-day or week-long excursions into North Carolina's national forests. Appenzeller says that the quadrupeds teach trust, group dynamics, and fair play through their respectful herd behavior, while their gentle disposition calms the kids and diminishes their ADD/ADHD symptoms.
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What's warm and fuzzy, five feet tall, has big ears and hums when it's happy?
Well, it could be your Aunt Matilda, but in this case we're talking about a llama.
And when it comes to learning about nurturing and being nurtured, llamas may be even better than your favorite aunt.
What better combination, then, than a boy and his llama?
This was the thinking of staff members from Columbia Area Mental Health Center's Children's Day Treatment team.
On a two-day excursion with llamas from Adventure Challenge, each child was able to have his "own" llama.
This meant grooming, petting, learning a host of relevant (and irrelevant) facts and even experiencing the llama as a pack animal. With lunches and drinks securely packed in nylon llama packs (they can carry 50 or 60 pounds comfortably), the child in the photo is about to set off on a lunch hike.
Llamas, like people, have different personalities. You should know, for example, that they don't like to be touched on the face.
They do like to be combed, and the long soft fur can be woven into a neat bracelet to wear home. They like to be stroked, and they don't mind being led, as long as you're gentle and considerate. Again, they're not all that different from people.
And yet, they're different enough to underline the messages about gentleness, caring and responsibility in ways that troubled children might not be able to absorb in any other way.
Caring for the animals and attending to ongoing instructions were also ways to extend attention span and enhance self-confidence. The sharing with each other and with the instructors underlined the importance of social skills, cooperation and positive peer interaction. Everyone knows the research indicating that people who have animals to take care of are mentally healthier. (Although you might want to argue about who takes care of whom.)
Children in the Day Treatment Program are generally youngsters who would have a hard time making it in a "mainstream" school class. The program combines an in-school location with an intensive treatment plan that gives mental health staff a number of hours each week with the children. The llama excursion is another example of hands-on, experiential learning, the kind that is unusually important with these children.
Staff of the program include Coordinator Yancy Harling, Clayton Dixon, and Henry Timms. The program is part of Columbia Area Mental Health Center, located at North Springs Elementary School in Richland School District II.
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Dogs may be man's best friend, but llamas are clearly gunning for second place, at least with therapists. The camel-like creatures, who normally call the mountains of South America home, have suddenly become a popular remedy for combating stress and behavioral problems. In Rupert, Idaho, a pilot project launched last July uses llamas to teach teen offenders to develop affection and concern for other creatures. Meanwhile, in White Rock, British Columbia, the Llama Therapeutic Group offers stress management sessions and plans to set up corporate accounts.
Then there's psychotherapist George Appenzeller, Ph.D., who in 1989 incorporated the mammals into his South Carolina practice to treat abused and neglected children, including those with attention deficit disorder. His program includes wilderness excursions in which each kid grooms, feeds, and hikes with a llama companion. Why llamas and not, say, wildebeests? "Llamas are very calm and accepting," says Appenzeller. "They stick together and take care of each other without giving up their individuality, so you could say they're good role models." And, he adds, they're well-mannered: "You have to push a llama pretty far before he'll spit on you."
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There's something therapeutic about pouring out your woes to a dog or a cat who licks or purrs even though the pet can't understand a word of the complaint.
Children enrolled in Adventure Challenge, a special hiking program, sometimes share their heartaches with llamas, the gentle beasts of burden used for carrying camping supplies on the mountain hikes.
The program was started by Sarah Meadows and her husband George Appenzeller, both MSW graduates of USC's College of Social Work, and it is geared for children diagnosed with attention deficit disorder/hyperactivity and girls who have been sexually abused.
"Llamas make it possible for kids under 12 to travel on extended hikes because the animals can carry most of the camping gear," said Meadows, who is training director for USC's Center for Child and Family Studies. "The children often will start talking to their llamas - we pair one with each child - and you can pick up on a lot of things that are happening in that child's life just by listening."
USC's Specialty Clinics have begun sponsoring several of the Adventure Challenge hikes and the results have been positive, said Tricia Tiller, an MSW student who works as a hiking counselor with the program.
"The kids usually are tentative at first because they've never been around an animal that size," Tiller said. "But as the hike progresses, they begin to develop a sense of self-sufficiency. Kids who think they are failures in other areas have a sense of accomplishment when the hike is over."
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Clients and three staff of Windemere Group Home were involved in a unique adventure during the weekend of May 31 through June 2 as they camped out in Pisgah Forest just north of Brevard, NC. The special feature of this trip is that it was led by MAGIK TREKS of Columbia, SC, which brought along six llamas to carry most of the baggage and help campers learn something about the wilderness and respecting each other.
Llamas are very concerned about "boundary issues," staying out of each other's space without "permission." They look out for each other, are very concerned about safety, and take good care of the land in which they eat and sleep.
If there is some conflict among the humans with whom they are camping, the llamas become very alert and nervous, sometimes refusing to do any work until the conflict is settled. All of these issues are important to our clients, and it was quite a learning experience for everyone.
George Appenzeller and the MAGIK TREKS staff have been taking various groups on these "therapeutic wilderness treks" for many years. LFS staff members Michelle Williams, Walter Hawes, and Bob Traudt agreed that they learned as much as the clients as they trekked on top of the mountains near the Blue Ridge Parkway.
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Like most colleges, Midlands Technical College in Columbia, South Carolina offers a wide array of programs, but it might surprise you to see that part of your curriculum, in at least one course, is complacently chewing grass on the campus lawn. George Appenzeller's llamas are proud to boast a perfect attendance record in the college course built largely around their participation.
"The first time we offered the course, two years ago, maybe ten people showed up," Elaine Stonecypher, a program coordinator for Midlands Technical College's Continuing Education recalls, "but the popularity grew and continues to grow, and this year the class had thirty people."
"Therapy that combines animals and children is becoming more and more acceptable and therapy that involves unusual animals, like the llamas, is very popular."
While Appenzeller admits it's usually his 13 llamas that are a big hit with the abused children that he and his wife work with, sometimes it takes a combination of adventure, wilderness isolation and the amiable temperament of the camelids to reach these children.
"Children who have had problems in their lives tend to be untrusting, especially of adults," Appenzeller says. "They are very competitive, unaware of their own feelings and the feelings of others, frightened and out of touch with their environment. They have not formed concepts of accomplishment, belonging, responsibility and leadership, concepts necessary for living a successful life."
It wasn't evident to Appenzeller at first, what kind of therapeutic use a llama might provide to children or even adults. Like most outdoorsmen, Appenzeller saw llamas as gentle, sure-footed pack animals that were friendly and as companionable as man's best friend.
"It's the reason we got them," Appenzeller explains. "The age group we wanted to take on these wilderness treks, ranging from eight to 13, just weren't physically able to carry enough gear for one night, let along the four, five or even seven day treks we had in mind."
Appenzeller and his wife Sarah Meadows hold master's degrees in social work, a profession they have happily been able to combine with a love of the outdoors and children. "In all likelihood, we're probably the only ones using llamas with this age group," Appenzeller says. "The general starting age for this kind of thing is usually thirteen and older."
"It really started when I took a Boy Scout troop on a trek in the North Carolina mountains and we used llamas as pack animals. They worked so well with the boys and I could easily see how the boys took the responsibility of caring for their llamas on the trail. It wasn't long after that trip that I bought my first llama and it's just grown from there."
In short time Appenzeller's herd grew to thirteen animals. "It was very quickly evident to Sarah and me," he recalls, "that the llamas were doing a heck of a lot more for these kids than we were."
Appenzeller began to turn much of his therapeutic outdoor adventure work over to Merlin, Morgan, Mandrake and Mystic, part of his two strings of bachelor llamas. "Adventure challenge activities," Appenzeller points out, "are designed to help children in overcoming their self-defeating behavior and forming the concepts they need to move into adulthood. We take them on a trip which is a metaphor for life, but which also offers a chance to learn and practice concrete skills. Both the metaphor and the skills can help the children, whether they're seven or seventeen, achieve more of what they're capable of."
For the adventure portion, Appenzeller takes the children on treks to the wilderness areas of the Pisgah and Nantahala National Forests of North Carolina using the llamas as pack animals, but the camelids' role is much more than merely serving in that accustomed role.
"We give each child their own llama to care for, feed, brush and pack. That gives them a feeling of responsibility and yet llamas are so easy going and forgiving, the pressure they put on the children is minimal. Llamas are very loving animals; they don't care about your past; they take you for what you are and that is something we don't have to point out to these kids.
"Being out in the wilderness like we are," Appenzeller states, "you don't have to create or invent adventure - it happens on its own; a river crossing or a sudden cold rainstorm can become an adventure when you're young and miles away from the familiar confines of your everyday environment. The kids soon learn to rely on themselves and their llamas."
Someone who works on a day-to-day basis with the children is always present. That gives the children a familiar face and it also gives the teacher or therapist a chance to observe and build upon any positives that happen along the way.
"Part of their adventure involves learning about their llama," Appenzeller says. "We point out how llamas work together as a team - and these are the same points we make in the college course to the therapists and administrators who will be working with these kinds of kids - and yet how they still retain a certain degree of independence. The children quickly see, as we move along the trail, how the llamas use teamwork to build a strong, working team without demeaning anyone in the group.
"Each llama has a job. Morgan, for example, is a trail leader. It's his job to pick the trail we'll travel. Merlin, on the other hand, is the leader in the older herd so it's his responsibility to confront any danger we meet. The kids are aware of this and soon they"ll start pointing out to us how they saw Merlin step out to challenge the stray dog that met us on the trail or how Morgan found just the right way around an obstacle. At night the llamas take turns standing guard; one is always awake to watch out for the herd and the kids pick up on that right away too. There's an undeniable dignity to these animals that's very appealing and it's a great example of how working together can make a strong team without anyone sacrificing his identity."
Being soft, fuzzy and loving helps too. Appenzeller's young charges find themselves drawn towards their trail companions and often visit and re-visit "their" llamas long after their wilderness adventure is over.
Within the Pisgah and Nantahala National Forests, in the wilderness areas, Appenzeller's llamas are quite at home and are able to excel in a world that's completely foreign to most people. "There's no manmade stuff in the wilderness areas," Appenzeller says. "No fires are allowed and you aren't allowed to disturb anything; it separates you from ordinary life. It's a harsh environment and things can get pretty rough out there. It doesn't take but a very short time for these kids to see how one hand washes the other; they take care of their llama and their llama will take care of them - carry all the things they need to survive out here and pick a good trail for them. Very strong bonds are built.
"Llamas are ideal trail companions for this kind of thing," Appenzeller points out. "The natural consequences on the trail can be pretty upsetting. Add that to the mental stress that these kids are already under and it can get rough, but the llamas have such a calm disposition and that in turn has a calming effect on everyone."
Appenzeller keeps his llamas on a farm in North Carolina where the climate is a bit more favorable than that of Columbia, South Carolina, his permanent home. Merlin and Mandrake, however, often make the commute back to Columbia for their college class and other special appearances.
Appenzeller's llamas are also popular at nursing homes with geriatric patients; they've taken undergraduate students from Rutgers on a five-day trek and at local schools, Merlin becomes a live ecology lesson.
"Where do you think a llama comes from?," Appenzeller asks a grade school class. After several wild guesses, he begins to point out the camelid's characteristics and it's not long before the children can make some educated guesses about the llama's long legs, thick coat and long ears.
Appenzeller's llamas have a satisfactory success rate with children suffering from Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD). "They have an effect on people," Appenzeller says. "The kids really respond to them."
For the most part, during the winter months, Appenzeller's llamas relax and rest up for the warmer spring and summer treks and, of course, their next college course.
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GREENWOOD - Sarah Meadows and George Appenzeller of Columbia will speak to the monthly meeting of the parent support group for children and adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorders.
Their youngest son, Matthew was diagnosed as having Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in the first grade. Sarah and George learned everything they could about hyperactivity and attention deficit and did many of the things that were recommended.
They will talk about two things they did that no one mentioned to them. They emphasized the strengths that Matthew had and built on those. And they exposed Matthew to as many outdoor activities as they could.
In 1989, utilizing their graduate degrees in social work, they started a private practice for children with behavioral difficulties, Adventure Challenge.
They lead therapeutic treks for children into wilderness areas of North Carolina with llamas as pack animals and companions. Matthew accompanied them on many of these treks until he graduated from high school.
Because of the positive results of Matthew's helping the younger children, George and Sarah added another element to their approach. Service to others by the children is now part of the program.
George and Sarah believe that parents can find resources in their own communities that can make a big difference in the lives of children affected by ADD and ADHD - providing outdoor experiences and community services and accenting strengths ...
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The sure-footed llama can negotiate a winding mountain trail with a saddle bag on its back. And, as Sarah Meadows and her husband have discovered, the animal also can manage at the same time to be a good conversation partner for a troubled child.
Meadows, training director for USC's Center for Child and Family Studies, and George Appenzeller began Adventure Challenge, a hiking program for pre-adolescents, in 1989. Both are MSW graduates of the College of Social Work, and their program is geared particularly for children diagnosed with attention deficit disorder/hyperactivity and girls who have been sexually abused.
"Llamas make it possible for kids under 12 to travel on extended hikes because the animals can carry most of the camping gear and supplies. But llamas can do more than haul freight," Meadows said. "The children often will start talking to their llamas - we pair one with each child - and you can pick cup on a lot of things that are happening in that child's life just by listening."
Because llamas are social animals, each has a different personality, Meadows said. Some are shy, some are more playful, others are brave or bold.
"We describe each of the llamas to the kids before they chose which one they want to lead," she said. "It's funny how each child tries to pick out his or her personality twin."
This year, USC's Specialty Clinics program is sponsoring several of the llama-assisted hiking treks, including an Aug. 5-9 hike for adolescents. The hikes are supervised by specialty-trained social workers, including Tricia Tiller, who will complete her MSW from USC in 1997.
"The kids are usually tentative at first because they've never been around an animal that size," Tiller said. "But as the hike progresses, they begin to develop a sense of self-sufficiency. Kids who think they are failures in other areas have a sense of accomplishment when the hike is over."
Meadows and Appenzeller have 13 male llamas in their safari. In the summer, the animals are boarded near Brevard, NC, not to far from Shining Rock Wilderness where most of the hikes are conducted.
"It's neat to see the kids who've never been out in the woods before," Tiller said. "It's all new to them, but they learn to adapt and that really builds their self-confidence."
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Merlin, the dominant male in the Magik Treks packing string, loves to show off. So, it didn't take a lot of time for his two nine-year-old girlfriends to teach him how to kiss. On the last day of a three-day trip in the Middle Prong Wilderness in North Carolina, one of the girls was leading him down the mountains to the Seas Trail. The trail was narrow, surrounded by old growth firs and spruce. A man and woman, the first people we had seen during the trip, politely stepped aside to let the procession pass. As Merlin went by the man, he turned his head and planted his lips firmly to those of the man. The poor fellow turned white, Merlin got a twinkle in his eye, the six children giggled and the four adults broke into uproarious laughter as soon as we went around a bend.
Such things happen when you put llamas and children together. Which species learns more and which has the most fun is open to debate, but it is certain that both get along well with each other.
Magik Treks has been on the trail in the western North Carolina mountains since 1989. We believe that llamas are much more than a beast of burden. Llamas are a walking ecology lesson, a wonderful example of personal independence within a social structure and an excellent metaphor for family, teamwork, and friendship. These characteristics are helpful in working with adults, but are especially useful with children. Both as ardent conservationists and as licensed counselors and social workers, we are firmly sold on our partnership with Merlin and his teammates.
We base our work with llamas, and the training we do for professionals on animal assisted therapy, on six principles:
1. Other animals are different from humans in degree and not kind. The counselor and the client must respect the animals as companions, partners and colleagues. The relationship between the species must not be that of master to servant.
2. It is the nature of non-human animals to be accepting, non-judgmental, tolerant and forgiving, within their own context. They take humans as they are, right now, without consideration of their education, clothing or anything else extraneous to the relationship. The animals' context may include violence towards humans under certain conditions.
3. Other species connect us to the rest of things, to creation and creativity. They help break down the barriers humans have placed between themselves and the world.
4. Other species act as a metaphor. Clients identify with the animals, and the animals stand in for the family, friends and community.
5. The primary avenues for learning and integration of knowledge for humans and other species are unconscious, metaphorical and experiential. They are intuitive and not intellectual.
6. Other species are not intellectual. They think, but they mainly do. When with them, humans have to engage with the other species at that level.
There are three different groups of children who go with us into the wilderness. The girls who taught Merlin to kiss have learning disabilities. They are nine years old, and representative of the eight to sixteen year olds we take out for therapeutic purposes. The heart of our method is giving the kids responsibility with immediate and concrete consequences in a challenging environment. We combine adventure therapy with animal assisted therapy to do so.
We give each child a llama to lead and take care of on the trail. The child and llama must work together, since they have to get from point a to point b as a team. The llama carries part of the child's gear and part of the group gear, and the child feeds, waters and grooms the llama. We observe what goes on between the children and llamas, and follow up when the time is right. Some children project things onto the llamas, others talk over their problems wit them. The llamas don't make judgments based on anything except the direct experiences they have with the children. Possibly because of that, we've found that the children and llamas bond very quickly.
In addition, the children have assignments that they must do, leading to consequences. For example, they must put up their tents when we stop for the night. If they don't put up their tents, they get wet, or cold or whatever. If they do, they are warm and dry. They must take turns helping with the cooking. If they don't do their part, nobody can eat. Each child has a turn at a responsible position, like laying out the route for the next day with map and compass. Between the group responsibilities and the individual responsibilities, the children get a lot of chances to learn and grow. And, of course, they must work with and take care of their llamas. The llamas let them know when that is not done properly. We have never had to intervene to make sure an animal was taken care of properly, other than teaching technical expertise.
We keep the groups small (a maximum of ten people, including adults), both for therapeutic and environmental reasons. The ratio of adults to children depends on the ages and needs of the children. Typically, with eight to eleven or twelve year olds, it's one adult for two kids. For older children, we'll drop one adult, and we don't take out kids younger than eight in the mountains. We use trails that we know the kids can handle, but which are not easy. We have something unique for every trip, so that the children can feel that their trip is a special one. Last year, every one of our seven therapeutic trips with children during the summer went someplace llamas had never been before.
The llamas and children become very attached to one another. Children who went out the year before remember "their" llamas, and the llamas remember them. We have some children who went out with us our first year, when our llamas were young and in the wilderness for the first time. The children and llamas have matured together.
The second group of children who spend part of their summer with the Magic Trek's llamas are from summer camps in the western North Carolina area. These children range in age from 13 to 17. Unlike the younger children, they are a bit wary of the llamas at first. So the afternoon before going out, we come calling at the camp. Everyone gets a chance to learn some llama lore and to take a walk with a llama. If there's a campfire ceremony that night, the llamas come along and join the group. By the time the party is at the trailhead the next morning, every llama has a volunteer leading him.
The youngsters from camps often take part in one of three programs provided by Magik Treks. All the programs that center around the llamas can be provided on the trail or on the camp's property. The environmental program provides the participants with practical environmental behavior. The goal is to leave the wilderness less impacted than it was when the group arrived. The llamas are used for examples like their low impact on trails and their browsing behavior. As the llama packs empty of food, they are filled with trash found along the way.
The adventure challenge program sets up a series of practical problems that must be solved for the trip to continue. The route taken is chosen to present a number of problems, each of which can be solved in several ways. For example, the Southern Nantahala Wilderness, the Nantahala River must be forded with the llamas. The instructions are to get the llamas across safely, with no one else getting hurt. These experiences develop initiative and teamwork, and increase the self confidence of the children. In the llama program, the campers are taught facts about llamas, and learn skills, such as grooming, training and administering first aid to llamas.
Scouts and Explorers are the third group of young persons who travel with the Magik Treks. Our first experience with llamas was when George went with his troop on a llama trek sponsored by the Daniel Boone Council in Shining Rock Wilderness three years ago. Throughout the year, he, the llamas and the scouts can be found in Shining Rock, Middle Prong, Southern Nantahala, Joyce Kilmer or the Birkhead Mountain Wilderness, or some other area where Magik Treks holds permits. The same programs that are provided to campers in the summer are provided to the scouts. In addition, the scouts often take part in public service projects, especially trail maintenance.
Central to our philosophy of using llamas with any population is that we and the llamas are partners. We respect their lifestyle and expect them to respect the human lifestyle in return. After the day's hiking is over, they keep the bears and coyotes a reasonable distance away and we supplement their foraging with grain. We set the direction we go in and they set the pace. They pick their trail leader and we pick ours. Most importantly, they care about the children and so do we.
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All of us have experienced didactic learning, the traditional method that all too frequently respects the knowledge of the teacher instead of the student. Contrast this familiar scenario with experiential learning, and it's easy to see why the experiential approach is gaining in popularity among adults who seek training.
"In experiential learning the teacher is a leader and facilitator, not the sole presenter of information," explains George Appenzeller, ACSW, LMSW, LPC, director of the Division of Quality Assurance for the State Health and Human Services Finance Commission. Appenzeller has used the experiential approach in private practice with Sarah Meadows, who directs quality assurance at the South Carolina Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse. Their workshops have addressed topics such as adventure based counseling, animal assisted therapy, cultural diversity, the arts in counseling, and working with exploited populations.
While didactic learning is autocratic, experiential learning is democratic. "Students bring information to the group, sharing their knowledge and experience in a highly participatory setting," Appenzeller says.
Usually the first step in experiential learning is an introductory exercise intended to establish a climate of trust.
In Appenzeller and Meadows's animal assisted therapy workshop, participants are asked to move around the room and become acquainted with others in the group. "They are given an animal which they must act like as they walk and talk," Appenzeller explains.
He says the opening exercise breaks down barriers, sets the stage for theoretical discussions, allows feelings to surface, shows that animals communicate, and provides an example of the experiential method at work.
Next the group sets its goals within the context of the subject under discussion. The facilitator usually plays a strong role in this phase.
When the goals are agreed upon, it is up to the facilitator to choose activities that will best challenge and provide the stress level needed to help the participants learn. "Learning is a form of growth, and growth does not come without stress," Appenzeller explains. In the animal workshop, group members are matched with llamas, giving the participants experience at working with an animal partner. Then the facilitator helps the participants process the experiences they are having.
Last, the group determines how to integrate the new knowledge into participants' individual lives. "What's most important is that experiential learning respect and solicit the knowledge and abilities of every member of the group," Appenzeller says.
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Merlin, the dominant male in the Magik Treks packing string, loves to show off. So, it didn't take a lot of time for his two nine-year-old girlfriends to teach him how to kiss. On the last day of a three-day trip in the Middle Prong Wilderness in North Carolina, one of the girls was leading him down the mountains to the Seas Trail. The trail was narrow, surrounded by old growth firs and spruce. A man and woman, the first people we had seen during the trip, politely stepped aside to let the procession pass. As Merlin went by the man, he turned his head and planted his lips firmly to those of the man. The poor fellow turned white, Merlin got a twinkle in his eye, the six children giggled and the four adults broke into uproarious laughter as soon as we went around a bend.
Such things happen when you put llamas and children together. Which species learns more and which has the most fun is open to debate, but it is certain that both get along well with each other.
Magik Treks has been on the trail in the western North Carolina mountains since 1989. We believe that llamas are much more than a beast of burden. Llamas are a walking ecology lesson, a wonderful example of personal independence within a social structure and an excellent metaphor for family, teamwork, and friendship. These characteristics are helpful in working with adults, but are especially useful with children. Both as ardent conservationists and as licensed counselors and social workers, we are firmly sold on our partnership with Merlin and his teammates.
There are three different groups of children who go with us into the wilderness. The girls who taught Merlin to kiss were from Project Soar, a summer residential program for children with learning disabilities. Prior to our being contacted by Jonathan Jones, the director of SOAR, only the older children had the opportunity to spend time on backpacking trips. Now the eight to twelve year old kids can go out, too, with the llamas carrying the weight the children couldn't handle themselves. The experience helps the youngsters learn about teamwork and getting along with other people. It also increases their self-esteem through meeting the challenges of the trail.
The children are given responsibility for feeding and grooming the llamas, and help with the loading and unloading of packs. The llamas and children become very attached to one another. Children who went out the year before remember "their" llamas, and the llamas seemed to remember them.
The second group of children who spend part of their summer with the Magik Trek's llamas are from summer camps in the western North Carolina area. These children range in age from 13 to 17. Unlike the younger children, they are a bit wary of the animals at first. So, the afternoon before going out, we come calling at the camp. Everyone gets a chance to learn some llama lore and to take a walk with a llama. If there's a campfire ceremony that night, the llamas come along and join the group. By the time the party is at the trailhead the next morning, every llama has a volunteer leading him.
The youngsters from camps often take parting one of three programs provided by Magik Treks. All the programs center around the llamas ad can be provided on the trail or on the camp's property. The environmental program provides the participants with practical environmental behavior. The goal is to leave the wilderness less impacted than it was when the group arrived. The llamas are used for examples like their low impact on trails and their browsing behavior. As the llama packs empty of food, they are filled with trash found along the way.
The adventure challenge program sets up a series of practical problems that must be solved for the trip to continue. The route taken is chosen to present a number of problems, each of which can be solved in several ways. For example, the Southern Nantahala Wilderness, the Nantahala River must be forded with the llamas. The instructions are to get the llamas across safely, with no one else getting hurt. These experiences develop initiative and teamwork, and increase the self confidence of the children. In the llama program, the campers are taught facts about llamas, and learn skills, such as grooming, training and administering first aid to llamas.
Scouts and Explorers are the third group of young persons who travel with the Magik Treks. Our first experience with llamas was when George went with his troop on a llama trek sponsored by the Daniel Boone Council in Shining Rock Wilderness three years ago. Throughout the year, he, the llamas and the scouts can be found in Shining Rock, Middle Prong, Southern Nantahala, Joyce Kilmer or the Birkhead Mountain Wilderness, or some other area where Magik Treks holds permits. The same programs that are provided to campers in the summer are provided to the scouts. In addition, the scouts often take part in public service projects, especially trail maintenance.
There are some special issues in using llamas in the Southern Appalachians that require attention. There are many poisonous plants in the mountains, and the llamas seem to enjoy them all. Every year, there is a report from the forest rangers or a rumor among llama owners that an animal has died from poisoning on a trek. The trails are narrow, often with dropoffs on one or both sides. The trails are often tunnels through rhododendron thickets, which is very picturesque, but which also makes llamas very nervous. They seem to see a cougar in every bush. Working with young people under these circumstances requires careful planning and briefing of llamas, adults and children. We see these problems as opportunities for learning by everyone, whether they have four legs or two.
Central to our philosophy of using llamas with any population is that we and the llamas are partners. We respect their lifestyle and expect them to respect the human lifestyle in return. After the day's hiking is over, they keep the bears and coyotes a reasonable distance away and we supplement their foraging with grain. We set the direction we go in and they set the pace.
They pick their trail and we pick ours. Most importantly, they care about the children and so do we.
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Nov/Dec 1998
A Boy and His Llama
May/June 1997
Daily Llamas
March/April 1997
Llama Trek
Dec 1996
Have Llama, Will Travel
Fall 1996
George Appenzeller's Llamas Go to College
Sept/Oct 1996
Columbia Couple to Address CH.A.D.D. Group
Sept 1996
Llama Trek: Kids hike with four-footed companions in novel USC program
Aug 1996
Have You Kissed a Llama Lately?
Winter 1993
Experiential Learning Uses Student Knowledge
July/Aug 1993
Llamas, Children, and Wilderness
Oct 1992
Llama Therapy
By Angela Pirisi New Age. November/December 1998. p 20.
When the couple learned that one son had ADHD, they decided to focus on his strengths. Says Appenzeller, "A high level of physical energy that is disruptive in the classroom can be an asset hiking up a mountain." The couple launched a business, Adventure Challenge, that pairs children aged 8-14 with llamas as their travel companions. The children learn to groom, feed, and put a pack on their animals, then venture out on one-day or week-long excursions into North Carolina's national forests. Appenzeller says that the quadrupeds teach trust, group dynamics, and fair play through their respectful herd behavior, while their gentle disposition calms the kids and diminishes their ADD/ADHD symptoms.
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A Boy and His Llama
By Dick Massey, Columbia Area MHC. Images: South Carolina Department of Mental Health. May/June 1997. p 6.
Well, it could be your Aunt Matilda, but in this case we're talking about a llama.
And when it comes to learning about nurturing and being nurtured, llamas may be even better than your favorite aunt.
What better combination, then, than a boy and his llama?
This was the thinking of staff members from Columbia Area Mental Health Center's Children's Day Treatment team.
On a two-day excursion with llamas from Adventure Challenge, each child was able to have his "own" llama.
This meant grooming, petting, learning a host of relevant (and irrelevant) facts and even experiencing the llama as a pack animal. With lunches and drinks securely packed in nylon llama packs (they can carry 50 or 60 pounds comfortably), the child in the photo is about to set off on a lunch hike.
Llamas, like people, have different personalities. You should know, for example, that they don't like to be touched on the face.
They do like to be combed, and the long soft fur can be woven into a neat bracelet to wear home. They like to be stroked, and they don't mind being led, as long as you're gentle and considerate. Again, they're not all that different from people.
And yet, they're different enough to underline the messages about gentleness, caring and responsibility in ways that troubled children might not be able to absorb in any other way.
Caring for the animals and attending to ongoing instructions were also ways to extend attention span and enhance self-confidence. The sharing with each other and with the instructors underlined the importance of social skills, cooperation and positive peer interaction. Everyone knows the research indicating that people who have animals to take care of are mentally healthier. (Although you might want to argue about who takes care of whom.)
Children in the Day Treatment Program are generally youngsters who would have a hard time making it in a "mainstream" school class. The program combines an in-school location with an intensive treatment plan that gives mental health staff a number of hours each week with the children. The llama excursion is another example of hands-on, experiential learning, the kind that is unusually important with these children.
Staff of the program include Coordinator Yancy Harling, Clayton Dixon, and Henry Timms. The program is part of Columbia Area Mental Health Center, located at North Springs Elementary School in Richland School District II.
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Daily Llamas
By Angela Pirisi. Psychology Today. March/April 1997. p 12.Dogs may be man's best friend, but llamas are clearly gunning for second place, at least with therapists. The camel-like creatures, who normally call the mountains of South America home, have suddenly become a popular remedy for combating stress and behavioral problems. In Rupert, Idaho, a pilot project launched last July uses llamas to teach teen offenders to develop affection and concern for other creatures. Meanwhile, in White Rock, British Columbia, the Llama Therapeutic Group offers stress management sessions and plans to set up corporate accounts.
Then there's psychotherapist George Appenzeller, Ph.D., who in 1989 incorporated the mammals into his South Carolina practice to treat abused and neglected children, including those with attention deficit disorder. His program includes wilderness excursions in which each kid grooms, feeds, and hikes with a llama companion. Why llamas and not, say, wildebeests? "Llamas are very calm and accepting," says Appenzeller. "They stick together and take care of each other without giving up their individuality, so you could say they're good role models." And, he adds, they're well-mannered: "You have to push a llama pretty far before he'll spit on you."
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Llama trek
Carolinian: The Magazine for Alumni and Friends of the University of South Carolina. December 1996. p 37There's something therapeutic about pouring out your woes to a dog or a cat who licks or purrs even though the pet can't understand a word of the complaint.
Children enrolled in Adventure Challenge, a special hiking program, sometimes share their heartaches with llamas, the gentle beasts of burden used for carrying camping supplies on the mountain hikes.
The program was started by Sarah Meadows and her husband George Appenzeller, both MSW graduates of USC's College of Social Work, and it is geared for children diagnosed with attention deficit disorder/hyperactivity and girls who have been sexually abused.
"Llamas make it possible for kids under 12 to travel on extended hikes because the animals can carry most of the camping gear," said Meadows, who is training director for USC's Center for Child and Family Studies. "The children often will start talking to their llamas - we pair one with each child - and you can pick up on a lot of things that are happening in that child's life just by listening."
USC's Specialty Clinics have begun sponsoring several of the Adventure Challenge hikes and the results have been positive, said Tricia Tiller, an MSW student who works as a hiking counselor with the program.
"The kids usually are tentative at first because they've never been around an animal that size," Tiller said. "But as the hike progresses, they begin to develop a sense of self-sufficiency. Kids who think they are failures in other areas have a sense of accomplishment when the hike is over."
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Have Llama, Will Travel
By Reams O'Neal, Program Director for the Windemere Group Home Family Connections: A Newsletter of Lutheran Family Services in the Carolinas. Fall 1996. p 4.
Llamas are very concerned about "boundary issues," staying out of each other's space without "permission." They look out for each other, are very concerned about safety, and take good care of the land in which they eat and sleep.
If there is some conflict among the humans with whom they are camping, the llamas become very alert and nervous, sometimes refusing to do any work until the conflict is settled. All of these issues are important to our clients, and it was quite a learning experience for everyone.
George Appenzeller and the MAGIK TREKS staff have been taking various groups on these "therapeutic wilderness treks" for many years. LFS staff members Michelle Williams, Walter Hawes, and Bob Traudt agreed that they learned as much as the clients as they trekked on top of the mountains near the Blue Ridge Parkway.
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George Appenzeller's Llamas Go to College
By Brent Swagger Llamas: The International Camelid Journal. September/October 1996. p 73-75.
"The first time we offered the course, two years ago, maybe ten people showed up," Elaine Stonecypher, a program coordinator for Midlands Technical College's Continuing Education recalls, "but the popularity grew and continues to grow, and this year the class had thirty people."
"Therapy that combines animals and children is becoming more and more acceptable and therapy that involves unusual animals, like the llamas, is very popular."
While Appenzeller admits it's usually his 13 llamas that are a big hit with the abused children that he and his wife work with, sometimes it takes a combination of adventure, wilderness isolation and the amiable temperament of the camelids to reach these children.
"Children who have had problems in their lives tend to be untrusting, especially of adults," Appenzeller says. "They are very competitive, unaware of their own feelings and the feelings of others, frightened and out of touch with their environment. They have not formed concepts of accomplishment, belonging, responsibility and leadership, concepts necessary for living a successful life."
It wasn't evident to Appenzeller at first, what kind of therapeutic use a llama might provide to children or even adults. Like most outdoorsmen, Appenzeller saw llamas as gentle, sure-footed pack animals that were friendly and as companionable as man's best friend.
Appenzeller and his wife Sarah Meadows hold master's degrees in social work, a profession they have happily been able to combine with a love of the outdoors and children. "In all likelihood, we're probably the only ones using llamas with this age group," Appenzeller says. "The general starting age for this kind of thing is usually thirteen and older."
"It really started when I took a Boy Scout troop on a trek in the North Carolina mountains and we used llamas as pack animals. They worked so well with the boys and I could easily see how the boys took the responsibility of caring for their llamas on the trail. It wasn't long after that trip that I bought my first llama and it's just grown from there."
In short time Appenzeller's herd grew to thirteen animals. "It was very quickly evident to Sarah and me," he recalls, "that the llamas were doing a heck of a lot more for these kids than we were."
Appenzeller began to turn much of his therapeutic outdoor adventure work over to Merlin, Morgan, Mandrake and Mystic, part of his two strings of bachelor llamas. "Adventure challenge activities," Appenzeller points out, "are designed to help children in overcoming their self-defeating behavior and forming the concepts they need to move into adulthood. We take them on a trip which is a metaphor for life, but which also offers a chance to learn and practice concrete skills. Both the metaphor and the skills can help the children, whether they're seven or seventeen, achieve more of what they're capable of."
For the adventure portion, Appenzeller takes the children on treks to the wilderness areas of the Pisgah and Nantahala National Forests of North Carolina using the llamas as pack animals, but the camelids' role is much more than merely serving in that accustomed role.
"We give each child their own llama to care for, feed, brush and pack. That gives them a feeling of responsibility and yet llamas are so easy going and forgiving, the pressure they put on the children is minimal. Llamas are very loving animals; they don't care about your past; they take you for what you are and that is something we don't have to point out to these kids.
"Being out in the wilderness like we are," Appenzeller states, "you don't have to create or invent adventure - it happens on its own; a river crossing or a sudden cold rainstorm can become an adventure when you're young and miles away from the familiar confines of your everyday environment. The kids soon learn to rely on themselves and their llamas."
Someone who works on a day-to-day basis with the children is always present. That gives the children a familiar face and it also gives the teacher or therapist a chance to observe and build upon any positives that happen along the way.
"Part of their adventure involves learning about their llama," Appenzeller says. "We point out how llamas work together as a team - and these are the same points we make in the college course to the therapists and administrators who will be working with these kinds of kids - and yet how they still retain a certain degree of independence. The children quickly see, as we move along the trail, how the llamas use teamwork to build a strong, working team without demeaning anyone in the group.
"Each llama has a job. Morgan, for example, is a trail leader. It's his job to pick the trail we'll travel. Merlin, on the other hand, is the leader in the older herd so it's his responsibility to confront any danger we meet. The kids are aware of this and soon they"ll start pointing out to us how they saw Merlin step out to challenge the stray dog that met us on the trail or how Morgan found just the right way around an obstacle. At night the llamas take turns standing guard; one is always awake to watch out for the herd and the kids pick up on that right away too. There's an undeniable dignity to these animals that's very appealing and it's a great example of how working together can make a strong team without anyone sacrificing his identity."
Being soft, fuzzy and loving helps too. Appenzeller's young charges find themselves drawn towards their trail companions and often visit and re-visit "their" llamas long after their wilderness adventure is over.
Within the Pisgah and Nantahala National Forests, in the wilderness areas, Appenzeller's llamas are quite at home and are able to excel in a world that's completely foreign to most people. "There's no manmade stuff in the wilderness areas," Appenzeller says. "No fires are allowed and you aren't allowed to disturb anything; it separates you from ordinary life. It's a harsh environment and things can get pretty rough out there. It doesn't take but a very short time for these kids to see how one hand washes the other; they take care of their llama and their llama will take care of them - carry all the things they need to survive out here and pick a good trail for them. Very strong bonds are built.
"Llamas are ideal trail companions for this kind of thing," Appenzeller points out. "The natural consequences on the trail can be pretty upsetting. Add that to the mental stress that these kids are already under and it can get rough, but the llamas have such a calm disposition and that in turn has a calming effect on everyone."
Appenzeller keeps his llamas on a farm in North Carolina where the climate is a bit more favorable than that of Columbia, South Carolina, his permanent home. Merlin and Mandrake, however, often make the commute back to Columbia for their college class and other special appearances.
Appenzeller's llamas are also popular at nursing homes with geriatric patients; they've taken undergraduate students from Rutgers on a five-day trek and at local schools, Merlin becomes a live ecology lesson.
"Where do you think a llama comes from?," Appenzeller asks a grade school class. After several wild guesses, he begins to point out the camelid's characteristics and it's not long before the children can make some educated guesses about the llama's long legs, thick coat and long ears.
Appenzeller's llamas have a satisfactory success rate with children suffering from Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD). "They have an effect on people," Appenzeller says. "The kids really respond to them."
For the most part, during the winter months, Appenzeller's llamas relax and rest up for the warmer spring and summer treks and, of course, their next college course.
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Columbia couple to address CH.A.D.D. group
The Index-Journal, Greenwood, SC. September 15, 1996. p. 13A
Their youngest son, Matthew was diagnosed as having Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in the first grade. Sarah and George learned everything they could about hyperactivity and attention deficit and did many of the things that were recommended.
They will talk about two things they did that no one mentioned to them. They emphasized the strengths that Matthew had and built on those. And they exposed Matthew to as many outdoor activities as they could.
In 1989, utilizing their graduate degrees in social work, they started a private practice for children with behavioral difficulties, Adventure Challenge.
They lead therapeutic treks for children into wilderness areas of North Carolina with llamas as pack animals and companions. Matthew accompanied them on many of these treks until he graduated from high school.
Because of the positive results of Matthew's helping the younger children, George and Sarah added another element to their approach. Service to others by the children is now part of the program.
George and Sarah believe that parents can find resources in their own communities that can make a big difference in the lives of children affected by ADD and ADHD - providing outdoor experiences and community services and accenting strengths ...
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Llama trek - Kids hike with four-footed companions in novel USC program
By Chris Horn University of South Carolina Times. August 1, 1996. p. 8.
Meadows, training director for USC's Center for Child and Family Studies, and George Appenzeller began Adventure Challenge, a hiking program for pre-adolescents, in 1989. Both are MSW graduates of the College of Social Work, and their program is geared particularly for children diagnosed with attention deficit disorder/hyperactivity and girls who have been sexually abused.
"Llamas make it possible for kids under 12 to travel on extended hikes because the animals can carry most of the camping gear and supplies. But llamas can do more than haul freight," Meadows said. "The children often will start talking to their llamas - we pair one with each child - and you can pick cup on a lot of things that are happening in that child's life just by listening."
Because llamas are social animals, each has a different personality, Meadows said. Some are shy, some are more playful, others are brave or bold.
This year, USC's Specialty Clinics program is sponsoring several of the llama-assisted hiking treks, including an Aug. 5-9 hike for adolescents. The hikes are supervised by specialty-trained social workers, including Tricia Tiller, who will complete her MSW from USC in 1997.
"The kids are usually tentative at first because they've never been around an animal that size," Tiller said. "But as the hike progresses, they begin to develop a sense of self-sufficiency. Kids who think they are failures in other areas have a sense of accomplishment when the hike is over."
Meadows and Appenzeller have 13 male llamas in their safari. In the summer, the animals are boarded near Brevard, NC, not to far from Shining Rock Wilderness where most of the hikes are conducted.
"It's neat to see the kids who've never been out in the woods before," Tiller said. "It's all new to them, but they learn to adapt and that really builds their self-confidence."
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Have You Kissed a Llama Lately? Llamas, Children, and Wilderness
The Latham Letter. Winter 1993. p 10-11.
Such things happen when you put llamas and children together. Which species learns more and which has the most fun is open to debate, but it is certain that both get along well with each other.
Magik Treks has been on the trail in the western North Carolina mountains since 1989. We believe that llamas are much more than a beast of burden. Llamas are a walking ecology lesson, a wonderful example of personal independence within a social structure and an excellent metaphor for family, teamwork, and friendship. These characteristics are helpful in working with adults, but are especially useful with children. Both as ardent conservationists and as licensed counselors and social workers, we are firmly sold on our partnership with Merlin and his teammates.
We base our work with llamas, and the training we do for professionals on animal assisted therapy, on six principles:
1. Other animals are different from humans in degree and not kind. The counselor and the client must respect the animals as companions, partners and colleagues. The relationship between the species must not be that of master to servant.
2. It is the nature of non-human animals to be accepting, non-judgmental, tolerant and forgiving, within their own context. They take humans as they are, right now, without consideration of their education, clothing or anything else extraneous to the relationship. The animals' context may include violence towards humans under certain conditions.
3. Other species connect us to the rest of things, to creation and creativity. They help break down the barriers humans have placed between themselves and the world.
4. Other species act as a metaphor. Clients identify with the animals, and the animals stand in for the family, friends and community.
5. The primary avenues for learning and integration of knowledge for humans and other species are unconscious, metaphorical and experiential. They are intuitive and not intellectual.
6. Other species are not intellectual. They think, but they mainly do. When with them, humans have to engage with the other species at that level.
There are three different groups of children who go with us into the wilderness. The girls who taught Merlin to kiss have learning disabilities. They are nine years old, and representative of the eight to sixteen year olds we take out for therapeutic purposes. The heart of our method is giving the kids responsibility with immediate and concrete consequences in a challenging environment. We combine adventure therapy with animal assisted therapy to do so.
We give each child a llama to lead and take care of on the trail. The child and llama must work together, since they have to get from point a to point b as a team. The llama carries part of the child's gear and part of the group gear, and the child feeds, waters and grooms the llama. We observe what goes on between the children and llamas, and follow up when the time is right. Some children project things onto the llamas, others talk over their problems wit them. The llamas don't make judgments based on anything except the direct experiences they have with the children. Possibly because of that, we've found that the children and llamas bond very quickly.
In addition, the children have assignments that they must do, leading to consequences. For example, they must put up their tents when we stop for the night. If they don't put up their tents, they get wet, or cold or whatever. If they do, they are warm and dry. They must take turns helping with the cooking. If they don't do their part, nobody can eat. Each child has a turn at a responsible position, like laying out the route for the next day with map and compass. Between the group responsibilities and the individual responsibilities, the children get a lot of chances to learn and grow. And, of course, they must work with and take care of their llamas. The llamas let them know when that is not done properly. We have never had to intervene to make sure an animal was taken care of properly, other than teaching technical expertise.
We keep the groups small (a maximum of ten people, including adults), both for therapeutic and environmental reasons. The ratio of adults to children depends on the ages and needs of the children. Typically, with eight to eleven or twelve year olds, it's one adult for two kids. For older children, we'll drop one adult, and we don't take out kids younger than eight in the mountains. We use trails that we know the kids can handle, but which are not easy. We have something unique for every trip, so that the children can feel that their trip is a special one. Last year, every one of our seven therapeutic trips with children during the summer went someplace llamas had never been before.
The llamas and children become very attached to one another. Children who went out the year before remember "their" llamas, and the llamas remember them. We have some children who went out with us our first year, when our llamas were young and in the wilderness for the first time. The children and llamas have matured together.
The second group of children who spend part of their summer with the Magic Trek's llamas are from summer camps in the western North Carolina area. These children range in age from 13 to 17. Unlike the younger children, they are a bit wary of the llamas at first. So the afternoon before going out, we come calling at the camp. Everyone gets a chance to learn some llama lore and to take a walk with a llama. If there's a campfire ceremony that night, the llamas come along and join the group. By the time the party is at the trailhead the next morning, every llama has a volunteer leading him.
The youngsters from camps often take part in one of three programs provided by Magik Treks. All the programs that center around the llamas can be provided on the trail or on the camp's property. The environmental program provides the participants with practical environmental behavior. The goal is to leave the wilderness less impacted than it was when the group arrived. The llamas are used for examples like their low impact on trails and their browsing behavior. As the llama packs empty of food, they are filled with trash found along the way.
The adventure challenge program sets up a series of practical problems that must be solved for the trip to continue. The route taken is chosen to present a number of problems, each of which can be solved in several ways. For example, the Southern Nantahala Wilderness, the Nantahala River must be forded with the llamas. The instructions are to get the llamas across safely, with no one else getting hurt. These experiences develop initiative and teamwork, and increase the self confidence of the children. In the llama program, the campers are taught facts about llamas, and learn skills, such as grooming, training and administering first aid to llamas.
Scouts and Explorers are the third group of young persons who travel with the Magik Treks. Our first experience with llamas was when George went with his troop on a llama trek sponsored by the Daniel Boone Council in Shining Rock Wilderness three years ago. Throughout the year, he, the llamas and the scouts can be found in Shining Rock, Middle Prong, Southern Nantahala, Joyce Kilmer or the Birkhead Mountain Wilderness, or some other area where Magik Treks holds permits. The same programs that are provided to campers in the summer are provided to the scouts. In addition, the scouts often take part in public service projects, especially trail maintenance.
Central to our philosophy of using llamas with any population is that we and the llamas are partners. We respect their lifestyle and expect them to respect the human lifestyle in return. After the day's hiking is over, they keep the bears and coyotes a reasonable distance away and we supplement their foraging with grain. We set the direction we go in and they set the pace. They pick their trail leader and we pick ours. Most importantly, they care about the children and so do we.
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Experiential Learning Uses Student Knowledge
Training Update: A Newsletter of Events and Resources. State Health and Human Services: Finance Commission. July/August 1993All of us have experienced didactic learning, the traditional method that all too frequently respects the knowledge of the teacher instead of the student. Contrast this familiar scenario with experiential learning, and it's easy to see why the experiential approach is gaining in popularity among adults who seek training.
"In experiential learning the teacher is a leader and facilitator, not the sole presenter of information," explains George Appenzeller, ACSW, LMSW, LPC, director of the Division of Quality Assurance for the State Health and Human Services Finance Commission. Appenzeller has used the experiential approach in private practice with Sarah Meadows, who directs quality assurance at the South Carolina Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse. Their workshops have addressed topics such as adventure based counseling, animal assisted therapy, cultural diversity, the arts in counseling, and working with exploited populations.
While didactic learning is autocratic, experiential learning is democratic. "Students bring information to the group, sharing their knowledge and experience in a highly participatory setting," Appenzeller says.
Usually the first step in experiential learning is an introductory exercise intended to establish a climate of trust.
In Appenzeller and Meadows's animal assisted therapy workshop, participants are asked to move around the room and become acquainted with others in the group. "They are given an animal which they must act like as they walk and talk," Appenzeller explains.
He says the opening exercise breaks down barriers, sets the stage for theoretical discussions, allows feelings to surface, shows that animals communicate, and provides an example of the experiential method at work.
Next the group sets its goals within the context of the subject under discussion. The facilitator usually plays a strong role in this phase.
When the goals are agreed upon, it is up to the facilitator to choose activities that will best challenge and provide the stress level needed to help the participants learn. "Learning is a form of growth, and growth does not come without stress," Appenzeller explains. In the animal workshop, group members are matched with llamas, giving the participants experience at working with an animal partner. Then the facilitator helps the participants process the experiences they are having.
Last, the group determines how to integrate the new knowledge into participants' individual lives. "What's most important is that experiential learning respect and solicit the knowledge and abilities of every member of the group," Appenzeller says.
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Llamas, Children, and Wilderness
Llamas: The International Camelid Journal. October 1992 p 123-124
Such things happen when you put llamas and children together. Which species learns more and which has the most fun is open to debate, but it is certain that both get along well with each other.
Magik Treks has been on the trail in the western North Carolina mountains since 1989. We believe that llamas are much more than a beast of burden. Llamas are a walking ecology lesson, a wonderful example of personal independence within a social structure and an excellent metaphor for family, teamwork, and friendship. These characteristics are helpful in working with adults, but are especially useful with children. Both as ardent conservationists and as licensed counselors and social workers, we are firmly sold on our partnership with Merlin and his teammates.
There are three different groups of children who go with us into the wilderness. The girls who taught Merlin to kiss were from Project Soar, a summer residential program for children with learning disabilities. Prior to our being contacted by Jonathan Jones, the director of SOAR, only the older children had the opportunity to spend time on backpacking trips. Now the eight to twelve year old kids can go out, too, with the llamas carrying the weight the children couldn't handle themselves. The experience helps the youngsters learn about teamwork and getting along with other people. It also increases their self-esteem through meeting the challenges of the trail.
The children are given responsibility for feeding and grooming the llamas, and help with the loading and unloading of packs. The llamas and children become very attached to one another. Children who went out the year before remember "their" llamas, and the llamas seemed to remember them.
The second group of children who spend part of their summer with the Magik Trek's llamas are from summer camps in the western North Carolina area. These children range in age from 13 to 17. Unlike the younger children, they are a bit wary of the animals at first. So, the afternoon before going out, we come calling at the camp. Everyone gets a chance to learn some llama lore and to take a walk with a llama. If there's a campfire ceremony that night, the llamas come along and join the group. By the time the party is at the trailhead the next morning, every llama has a volunteer leading him.
The youngsters from camps often take parting one of three programs provided by Magik Treks. All the programs center around the llamas ad can be provided on the trail or on the camp's property. The environmental program provides the participants with practical environmental behavior. The goal is to leave the wilderness less impacted than it was when the group arrived. The llamas are used for examples like their low impact on trails and their browsing behavior. As the llama packs empty of food, they are filled with trash found along the way.
The adventure challenge program sets up a series of practical problems that must be solved for the trip to continue. The route taken is chosen to present a number of problems, each of which can be solved in several ways. For example, the Southern Nantahala Wilderness, the Nantahala River must be forded with the llamas. The instructions are to get the llamas across safely, with no one else getting hurt. These experiences develop initiative and teamwork, and increase the self confidence of the children. In the llama program, the campers are taught facts about llamas, and learn skills, such as grooming, training and administering first aid to llamas.
Scouts and Explorers are the third group of young persons who travel with the Magik Treks. Our first experience with llamas was when George went with his troop on a llama trek sponsored by the Daniel Boone Council in Shining Rock Wilderness three years ago. Throughout the year, he, the llamas and the scouts can be found in Shining Rock, Middle Prong, Southern Nantahala, Joyce Kilmer or the Birkhead Mountain Wilderness, or some other area where Magik Treks holds permits. The same programs that are provided to campers in the summer are provided to the scouts. In addition, the scouts often take part in public service projects, especially trail maintenance.
There are some special issues in using llamas in the Southern Appalachians that require attention. There are many poisonous plants in the mountains, and the llamas seem to enjoy them all. Every year, there is a report from the forest rangers or a rumor among llama owners that an animal has died from poisoning on a trek. The trails are narrow, often with dropoffs on one or both sides. The trails are often tunnels through rhododendron thickets, which is very picturesque, but which also makes llamas very nervous. They seem to see a cougar in every bush. Working with young people under these circumstances requires careful planning and briefing of llamas, adults and children. We see these problems as opportunities for learning by everyone, whether they have four legs or two.
Central to our philosophy of using llamas with any population is that we and the llamas are partners. We respect their lifestyle and expect them to respect the human lifestyle in return. After the day's hiking is over, they keep the bears and coyotes a reasonable distance away and we supplement their foraging with grain. We set the direction we go in and they set the pace.
They pick their trail and we pick ours. Most importantly, they care about the children and so do we.
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