Orienteering Workshop + Hike at Leo Bouchard

Join the Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council (WRWC) on Saturday, December 13, 2025 at 2:00 pm for a beginner-friendly orienteering workshop and hike.

We'll meet at the Leo Bouchard Conservation Center (5 Waterview Drive, Smithfield, RI 02914). Together, we will explore what it looks + feels like to navigate in the woods.

Skills include:

1. Setting a bearing against a map
2. How to follow a straight line when you can't see your destination
3. Backtracking with a compass and/or the sun
4. Using stars to navigate when the sun sets

This workshop will be led by Andrew Middleton of The Map Center. From 2:00pm-4:30 we will learn these orienteering skills and practice them out on the trails of the Wolf Hill Preserve. Workshop materials like compasses and trail maps will be provided. At the end from 4:30-5:00 PM, we will return to the Leo Bouchard center to warm up with some cider and reflect.

This is a family-friendly event, but we recommend this workshop for participants over the age of 16. This a primarily outdoor workshop in December, so plan to bundle up! The end of the workshop will be after dark, so you may want to bring along a flashlight/headlamp if you have them.

The cost is sliding scale $15–$30, but you are encouraged to pay what you can. Register online for as little as $1 or walk-in. All funds support WRWC's environmental and community projects, and RI's The Map Center. Learn more about us at www.wrwc.org and The Map Center at www.mapcenter.com.

In the case of inclement weather, this event will be postponed to the rain date, Sunday, December 14, at the same time and place.

Accessibility and Parking:

There is parking at the Leo Bouchard Center at 5 Waterview Drive, or folks can park on the street on Waterview Drive. There is a bathroom and potable water at the center. Please dress warmly and bring a personal light for being outside in the dark.

Also check out other Workshops in Smithfield, Trips & Adventurous Activities in Smithfield.