First Hike Project transcends cultural barriers with outdoor adventures

First Hike Project is a 100% volunteer driven, not-for-profit organisation that arranges free day hikes and camping experiences to newly arrived youth of migrant and refugee backgrounds. Understanding how difficult the transition can be, First Hike Project helps welcome them to Western Australia by introducing them to our state’s beautiful landscape. Participants are provided everything they need for an adventure, from transport to food to gear, and cultural requirements are also taken into account.

The outdoor trips not only help newcomers experience the physical landscape – they also help facilitate new social connections, breaking down perceived barriers between groups and people and allowing them to engage with one another with no restrictions on language, culture or gender holding them back.

“Most of the volunteers from First Hike Project are avid hikers,” said State Coordinator Louise Jorgensen. “We love being outside in nature, exploring a trail and love to share this with others.  Hiking trails in WA are mostly free, and accessible to all however we don’t often see a vast array of different cultural and language groups on trails. I wondered what was holding them back.  We want to break down any barriers preventing them from coming hiking. For some it may be financial.  Others language barriers. Others cultural. Others may be worried about safety. So if we can support them by organising free hikes, with experienced guides invested in their safety, where we provide everything at no cost to them, and pay attention to any cultural, religious or dietary needs. This should open up opportunities for these young people to come out with us and explore this beautiful country that they now find themselves in. We want them to feel included, respected and valued.”

Louise has experienced many meaningful moments during her time with First Hike Project. “On a day hike in October 2020 we just started hiking again (with consideration of Covid rules). We were hiking near Mundaring Weir. We had a happy group of 20 students and were about 4km into an 11km hike. After a bit of an uphill climb we stopped to catch our breath and a group of 5 girls stood staring at the view. With their back to me, wearing their pastel head scarves, they were lost in the moment.

The program first began in 2016 and has grown significantly since then. Early participants came from just a few backgrounds, such as Afghanistan and Syria, but an increase in participants means there are now over 30 countries represented at First Hike Project.

First Hike Project has been supported by local schools and higher education, engaging with their students to help them feel more welcome in Western Australia. They soon noticed that several students kept coming back for more, and in response they developed a ‘Participants to Guide’ traineeship program to help train participants so they can become guides for the organisation. Recognising that English was not the trainees’ first language, the team at First Hike Project took special measures to ensure they could complete the training, which included map reading skills, social media management, risk assessment, event management and more. All three trainees successfully graduated from the course and have joined the volunteering family at First Hike Project, proving that nothing can hold these students back.

“We will soon be on the lookout for more suitable candidates for our next intake in Perth. Amazingly, our other groups across Australia are also interested in running similar programs, subject to funding. So it would appear that a little program developed here in WA will eventually go national,” said Louise.

Helping young newcomers take their first steps amongst Western Australia’s bushland is a beautiful thing. First Hike Project is doing incredible work to support youth from different backgrounds, and we can’t wait to see what they do next.