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Unity College Students to Host Eco Challenge on April 21 For more information contact Zach Schmesser at (207) 948-2350, or by e-mail at zschmesser04@unity.edu.
On Saturday, April 21, members of the Unity College Outing Club will host an Eco Challenge adventure race in Unity, Maine. The race will feature mountain biking, canoeing and orienteering. Registration is $10 for a two person team. Each event requires a two-person team. Event organizer Zach Schmesser, a Unity College adventure education / adventure therapy major, will help single entrants to find another member to compete. Registration the day of the event will be in front of the Outdoor Adventure Center on the Unity College campus beginning at 8:00 a.m. The race will begin at 9 a.m. at the soccer field on campus with a staggered start between teams. Teams will run a short distance to their mountain bikes and proceed through a six-mile course ending in Thorndike. Teams have the option of using a mountain bike or running the first leg of the course, the advantage being that trails are muddy that time of year and therefore good runners may have an advantage over bikes, says Schmesser. When teams arrive in Thorndike they will canoe down the Half Moon Stream to Sandy Stream, ending at the bottom of Quaker Hill in Unity. The final leg of the race will require participants to use map and compass to navigate an orienteering course through the woods around the Unity College campus, with participants finishing at the soccer field adjacent to the Student Activities Building on the Unity College campus, where the race began. Organizers recommend that participants provide their own first aid and tire repair kits. A limited number of canoes, paddles, wetsuits, personal flotation devices, compasses and whistles are available from Unity College. For more information contact Zach Schmesser at (207) 948-2350, or by e-mail at zschmesser04@unity.edu. T-shirts will be awarded to each entrant. A variety of outdoor personal equipment will be presented as prizes to top finishers. The event is part of a class projects pursued by Zach Schmesser. “The objective of this project is for me to plan and implement a comprehensive activity that involves segments of the community,” Schmesser said. Unity College is located at 90 Quaker Hill Road, Unity, Maine. Unity College is a small private college in rural Maine that provides dedicated, engaged students with a liberal arts education which emphasizes the environment and natural resources. Unity College graduates are prepared to be environmental stewards, effective leaders, and responsible citizens through active learning experiences within a supportive community.
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