There are children who were born and raised in the Grand Valley who have never been to Colorado National Monument or camped or fished or hiked Mount Garfield.
For those who would ask âwhy?â when access to public lands is so readily available, the reasons are multi-hued, but mainly socio-economic in nature.
Parks passes cost money. Outdoor recreation gear can be specialized and expensive. Transportation to get to a trail head may be hard to come by. Itâs intimidating to learn new skills like kayaking or rock climbing without instruction. And so on.
Thereâs no shortage of organizations in this valley whose missions include exposing âunderservedâ youth to outdoor experiences. Colorado Canyons Association, the Outdoor Wilderness Lab and the Riverside Educational Center are just a few examples. Weâre lucky in ways that many communities in Colorado arenât. Well-formed nonprofits here either have grant writers on staff or relationships in place whe
After finding macroinvertebrates in a creek and a hike through rusty red terrain, the sixth-graders were ready for lunch.
âThe hike was pretty enjoyable,â said Logan Waggoner, 12, munching on his food. Hanging around his neck on a string was a wooden disk designed with the nature name he chose for the day: Lichen Logan.
Admittedly, Waggoner was excited to miss classes inside Mount Garfield Middle School for a day of learning outside under trees, next to a creek or on a trail.
âIâd like a lot more of it,â he said before leaving the sheltered lunch area for OWLs problem-solving Challenge Course followed by some archery.
After finding macroinvertebrates in a creek and a hike through rusty red terrain, the sixth-graders were ready for lunch.
âThe hike was pretty enjoyable,â said Logan Waggoner, 12, munching on his food. Hanging around his neck on a string was a wooden disk designed with the nature name he chose for the day: Lichen Logan.
Admittedly, Waggoner was excited to miss classes inside Mount Garfield Middle School for a day of learning outside under trees, next to a creek or on a trail.
âIâd like a lot more of it,â he said before leaving the sheltered lunch area for OWLs problem-solving Challenge Course followed by some archery.