In June, seven different ICO groups from across the country participated in special trips we support from the National level. Here are three trip summaries from our groups in Boulder Valley, Orange County, and Cleveland.
Boulder Valley ICO leaders repeated a previously successful multi-day service trip to Mission: Wolf, a wolf sanctuary in Southern Colorado. Participation in this outing is so coveted that it serves as a reward for good and frequent participation in other ICO outings over the course of the year. This time, the participants were from Creekside Elementary School, a primarily Latino, low-income public school. Leaders invited parents to come along on this adventure. The group had the opportunity to help the sanctuary facility with everything from moving firewood to butchering animals that are fed to the wolves. They also met the “ambassador wolves” in a face-to-face meeting to help break down fears of the wild. Photos!
Cleveland ICO leaders took 13 young Nepalese refugees, ages 7 to 14, on a horseback riding outing at Maypine Farms. While some of these youth have been exposed to cows and goats in their native country, they have had little to no exposure to horses. After one successful horse-back riding experience last year with ICO, the students wanted to do it again. This special outing enabled the youth to learn how to first groom the horses to develop trust and lessen fear. Then each participant had an experienced teenaged rider take them around the ring and quickly advance to trotting, learning to ride safely, and comfortably. Maypine Farms provided a lovely location for a short game of soccer and a hike before the group headed for lunch. ICO leaders treated the group to a “sit down” restaurant for lunch, which was a new experience for most of the kids. Many of the refugees don’t use a knife and fork to eat, as they eat their Nepali meals at home with their fingers, and American “fast food” (pizza and chicken nuggets) at school. After lunch, the group went to another nearby Metropark for a longer hike before heading home. Cleveland ICO leaders have been able to provide the Nepalese refugee community opportunities to explore the outdoors and introduce them to a variety of cultural aspects in their new home, helping make the transition less harsh.
Orange County ICO leaders took a group of 10 students from Bolsa Grande High School’s Wilderness Adventure Club on a five day camping trip to Reds Meadow in Inyo National Forest in the Eastern Sierra. The group assisted the Forest Service on some trail maintenance while experiencing this beautiful area on three ranger-led hikes to Devil’s Postpile, Minnent Falls, and Rainbow Falls. The students also did some fishing in Johnston Lake and Sotcher Lake near the campground and ate their catch of fresh trout for dinner. Leaders helped the students identify flowers, trees, and animal scat on their hikes, and saw many deer and a brown bear from afar. It was a great way to begin the summer!
Check in later this week for four more trip reports!