Kids in the Valley, Adventuring!

As parents and educators, Chip and Ashley Donahue recognize the need for more opportunities that get families outdoors and encourage them to become environmental stewards of the next generation.

Through their free family nature club, Kids in the Valley, Adventuring (KIVA), the Donahues are bringing outdoor opportunities to over 350 families in the Roanoke Valley.

Activities include park visits, guest speakers and family-friendly events that incorporate games, music and art. Keeping with the trends of social media marketing, KIVA's website also features product and gear reviews, nature-themed book reading list, event listings and tips for starting your own community nature club.

As a recent Leave No Trace grant recipient, KIVA also recognizes the importance of partnering outdoor adventure activities with environmental stewardship information and discussions that leave our open spaces better than we found them.

National Get Outdoors Day - Denver, CO (6/14)

Free Event at Sloan’s Lake Park to introduce outdoor recreation opportunities to Denver youth.

On Saturday, June 14th, 2008, dozens of Community Partners, City, County, State, and Federal organizations will be highlighting outdoor recreation opportunities to kids during National Get Outdoors Day from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. in Denver’s Sloan’s Lake Park at North Stuart and West 23rd Avenue.

Some of the activities will include:
* Climbing Wall 

* Wildlife Tracking in the sand
* Mountain Biking 

* “How-To” Demonstrations about Camping
* Canoeing 

* A “Ropes” Course
* Fossil Identification 

* “Tent” Raising Competitions
* Coloring Pages 

* Live Animal Displays

At the Junior Ranger Camp, youth can:
Become a Junior Ranger
Learn Map Reading
Explore land, water, and wildlife
Learn Outdoor Safety Skills
Participate in a Scavenger Hunt

Prizes will be awarded for participation in dozens of activities. Coleman Outdoor Products will be providing a complete camping outfit for a family of four as one of the prizes.

The U.S. Forest Service will be conducting Mule Packing demonstrations using their Rocky Mountain Region Specialty Pack String. (Mule Team)

National Get Outdoors Day is designed to get kids out of doors. Participating partners will offer opportunities for urban families to experience all types of outdoor activities. This unique event is designed to excite visitors about public lands and to introduce urban youth to the great outdoors.

Get your summer started and get outdoors by participating in the Denver Get Outdoors Day on Saturday, June 14, 2008 at Sloan’s Lake Park.

You can reach the park by riding the 28 RTD Bus, then use the Quitman Street and West 23rd Avenue stop and walk two blocks west to the event.

For more information visit: www.nationalgetoutdoorsday.org

Contact: For local information, please contact:
Ms. Jasmine Armstrong, Outreach Coordinator, National Park Service, Denver Get Outdoors Day, 303-969-2489 or email at Jasmine_Armstrong@nps.gov

Monday Night Lights

Last night, as we settled in for a little bit of Monday Night Football, my son said, “TV rots your brain. It’s not good for you…(you can imagine the rest)”. He pleaded that we go outside, and I looked into his eyes and saw no irony.

I had a small panic. We were so warm and the wind was starting to blow. The Patriots were playing the Ravens (a game I suddenly cared deeply about). But how could we not oblige?

So we suited up, enlisted the dog, and headed out into the cold, breezy darkness.

As the story always goes, it was fun and felt sublime once we were out there. We talked, ran around in the park near our house, smelled the pre-snow, winter air. We had a phenomenal little clichéd family moment in the outdoors, right at home.