Field day with Army Cadets

Canada's Cadet Program is a fantastic opportunity for youth aged 12 to 19. Air, Army and Sea Cadets offer amazing experiences and practical skills that benefit participants for a lifetime.

I spent the morning of January 28 at Bonshaw Provincial Park with the New Haven-Cornwall Army Cadets (107 RCACC). The plan was to look at wildlife tracks and sign, though snow conditions were less than ideal. We expanded the curriculum to include plant identification and winter ecology, looking at different strategies plants and animals use to survive the PEI winter. Cadets had their first taste of the wintergreen-flavoured Yellow Birch (Betula alleghaniensis), and I had my first-ever MRE (meal ready-to-eat, aka field ration). Reviews of the birch were mostly 8 or 9/10. I'd give the MRE a solid 7.5/10 for flavour and 10/10 for ingenuity!

I look forward to future sessions with 107 RCACC. Thanks, everyone!

For more information on Canada's Cadet Program, visit https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/services/cadets-junior-canadian-rangers/cadets/join-us.html