Radical Raven Hiking Club

Posted June 9, 2010 05:14 PM by Roberta Salazar     1 comments

This year  our Watershed Learning Class of public school fifth grade students at Arroyos Del Norte School asked us to take them out into nature this summer after their program ended.  This was a enthusiastic group of young Earth stewards.  So we responded by forming a local Radical Ravens Hiking Club to meet each Wednesday in June and July to  hike. We accepted  whoever wanted to attend whether or not their parents could pay.  Our  goal was to give this opportunity to those kids who don't get to have summer outdoor adventure camps. We have a motley group of about ten brilliant and diverse local village kids, mostly 10-13 years old.  The idea was to create an unstructured time for kids to immerse themselves with their friends out in nature for the pure sake of joy and wonder.

  Last week we hiked the Vista Verde trail near the Rio Grande and then had a picnic on the edge of the Rio Grande.

Today we hiked up the Canoncito trail.  The kids took on about ten ice-cold knee-deep creek crossings to reach a shady aspen grove edged by tall cliffs.  There the boys decided to build a log fort and while some girls built fairy like villages out of leaves and grass and others built art sculptures from hollowed logs and stones.

 Pure boy joy.

And girl power!

The activities were all driven by the kids themselves.  It was a magical  summer  adventure full of wet feet and happiness. Now the kids have proposed a parent meeting to set a date for their own idea,  an overnite camp out.   So parents, get ready!  Your kiddos want you to join us for a wonderful time in the mountains for an overnight adventure.