Were We Lucky, or Were We Good?

Episode 5 - Five Steps Towards Climate Resilience (Shana Tarter)

SUMMARY  This episode explores the impact of climate change on outdoor and experiential education, emphasizing proactive risk management and organizational resilience. Guest Shana Tarter shares insights on adapting to climate threats, rethinking risk assessment, and implementing strategic planning to proactively manage risk and promote mission continuity. CHAPTERS 00:00 Introduction to the Podcast and Guest 01:36 The Opportunity to Be Good Rather than Lucky 02:17 Impact of Climate Change on Outdoor Programs 04:24 The Dichotomy of Luck and Good 05:43 Recognizing Slow-Moving Threats 07:41 Lessons from COVID-19 for Climate Adaptation 08:48 Mental Models and Sunk Cost Bias 10:24 Incentives for Change in Risk Management 12:59 Evolving Risk Assessment Models 14:30 Dynamic Risk Assessment in Climate Change 18:22 Collaboration in Decision-Making 20:12 Navigating the Yellow Zone of Risk 21:04 Proactive Approaches to Risk Management 23:56 Operational Resilience and Planning 26:04 Informed Consent and Communication 27:54 Moving from Lucky to Good 28:19 Final Thoughts and Action Steps RESOURCES Wilderness Climate Action Group - https://www.linkedin.com/groups/12345678/ [https://www.linkedin.com/groups/12345678/] Journal Article:  https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/epub/10.1177/10806032241296526 [https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/epub/10.1177/10806032241296526]

Episode 4 - Avalanche Professional Gets Caught (Dan Veenhuizen)

GUEST: DAN VEENHUIZEN WHAT HAPPENS WHEN HIGHLY TRAINED AVALANCHE PROFESSIONALS GET CAUGHT IN AN AVALANCHE OF THEIR OWN?   What were the factors that set them up to fail, and what were the good habits and practices that helped to mitigate the impact?  Join us for a curious, humble examination of the lessons learned from this incident - and how we might apply these lessons in other aspects of our lives and outdoor adventures.   Were they lucky, or were they good?   Key Topics * Dan’s personal avalanche accident story and the sequence of events * How terrain configuration and wind slabs contributed to the avalanche * The importance of probabilistic hazard assessment and recognizing changing conditions * The role of heuristics such as social proof, confirmation bias, and familiarity in decision-making * Group dynamics and the influence of expert familiarity on safety judgments * Strategies for building safety routines: intentional checkpoints and debriefing * The value of modeling vulnerability and honest communication in safety culture * The shift in avalanche education from terrain to decision-making and group psychology * Concepts of fail safe vs. fail safe design in outdoor risk management * Continuous learning and promoting a culture of sharing near misses and mistakes RESOURCES & LINKS * The North American Avalanche Danger Scale [https://avalanche.org/avalanche-forecast/danger-scale/] * ICSP Conference (International Snow Science Workshop) [https://issw2023.org/] * Ian McCammon and Sarah Boilen's work on field debriefs [https://avalanche.org/] * Canadian Avalanche Association Curriculum [https://avalanche.org/] * Heuristics and Decision Making in the Context of Avalanche Safety [https://www.avalanche.org/]

Episode 3 - Snow Shelter Collapses on School Group (Deb Ajango)

What happens when a seemingly benign activity, one that has been done many times before, drifts into riskier terrain than usual? And how do some decisions and factors that occurred earlier on the program amplify the impact of this unexpected event? Join outdoor risk consultant and author Deb Ajango, who shares the story of an incident she was brought in to review with a school that experienced a snow shelter (quinzhee) collapse on some of their participants. What role did luck and other factors play in this unfortunate event?

Episode 2 - Reframing Success in Outdoor Education (Norm Eckman)

In this episode, Norm Eckman shares his evolution in outdoor education, emphasizing the importance of focusing on what instructors can control—structure, presence, supervision, and involvement—to evaluate course success and prevent burnout. The discussion explores safety models, organizational learning, and the continuous pursuit of improvement in outdoor programs. See other episodes and share your story at www.luckyorgoodpodcast.com [http://www.luckyorgoodpodcast.com]

Episode 1 - Overcoming Fear on the Colchuck Glacier (Tamara Walker)

Guest: Tamara Walker A climber's terrifying solo climb down steep ice, and what she learned from this experience. Discover a deeply personal story of mountain climbing that explores the interplay of luck, skill, and psychological resilience. This episode offers valuable insights into managing fear, decision-making under pressure, and how past experiences shape our responses in high-stakes environments. Was she lucky, or was she good?