Providing free nature outings and adventures to youth who would other wise not have such opportunities, Boulder Valley ICO is entirely volunteer run.

See our new website for more information on our program.

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Mt. Zirkel Video: The Funniest BVICO Outing Video Ever

We had the pleasure of having Evan Geary, the national Sierra Club video intern, join us on our trip to the Mt. Zirkel Wilderness this summer, and he produced the following, absolutely hilarious, video. In addition to being hilarious, I think the video does a great job of capturing the BVICO experience. Thanks to Linda Muscatell for assembling and leading this zany outing. And thanks to Evan for capturing it all for us.

Monday, September 13, 2010

Gorgeous weekend to encourage youth to explore, enjoy and protect the great outdoors at Lake Pueblo

Our group gets ready to roll.

ICO Youth Leader Moises bags trash collected by Chris.
Boulder Valley Inner City Outings organized a weekend trip to the shores of Lake Pueblo in south-central Colorado. The area lived up to its reputation of great weather to enjoy a myriad of outdoor activities. Our outing focused on learning the basics of mountain biking and low-impact camping, and included a service activity of picking up trash along the trails and around the campground. In partnership with the Trips for Kids organization, we stressed responsible mountain biking - staying on designated trails, minimizing actions that cause erosion and yielding to other trail users. We had rides for all levels, ranging from paved bike paths to gnarly, technical singletrack. The more advanced riders did almost 20 miles of riding over the two days. Although we chose the most primitive walk-in tent campsites in the park, the youth loved the camping experience. For many it was their first time camping. We organized a trash collection around the campground so that the area was left cleaner than we found it.

Kyra celebrates being outside and making it up another hill.
We had a diverse group of eleven youth from low-income families in Boulder County, eleven other youth from Casey Middle School, one Casey teacher (and former pro bike racer), one set of parents, one Trips for Kids staff member, and three ICO volunteers. We talked about the community coming together in light of the recent devastating Fourmile Canyon fire that hit close to home, and how this trip is a small example that exemplifies building community. The ICO volunteers organized the trip from top to bottom, the Casey teacher led recruitment and group cheers, while Trips for Kids provided bikes, ride guiding, and took care of mechanical issues. Sierra Club’s Building Bridges to the Outdoors and Water Sentinels sponsored the outing, and some additional financial contributions were made by Casey parents and ICO volunteers.