Winter ‘20 LVICO NEWS (pre-Covid pause stories)

LVICO & City Kids Need Your Help!

Wouldn’t you love to be in an ICO outings’ group picture?

We are looking for more outings’ leaders! More agencies are asking us for outings. Our response is limited because we need more leaders.

Consider volunteering.  We seek volunteers ages 15 and older from all ethnic backgrounds. You should be able to walk several miles and have the energy to keep up with excited children. Of course, a love of nature and children helps!   

Once trained as a leader, you are asked to commit to participate in at least three outings a year. Each outing must have at least two adult leaders. At least one agency staff member participates. 

Outings leaders get all necessary training for free, including CPR and First Aid certification. Before Outdoor Leadership Training, you must pass a background check (paid for by LVICO) and be a member of the Sierra Club.    

As a trained leader, you would first serve as a co-leader (assisting the main leader). When you are ready, you “graduate” to be a fully certified leader. Certified leaders work with our agency partners to choose trip locations and plan itineraries. 

The reward?  The opportunity to help young people discover the beauty and healing power of nature! To preview the kids’ joy on outings, check out the video and pictures from recent LVICO outings: https://www.lasvegasinspiringconnectionsoutdoors.org/gallery.

Interested but want to learn more about our outings? Join us as a volunteer on one of our scheduled outings.  If you are interested, or know someone else who might be, please contact Janet Carter at jkumar167@aol.com or 775-772-9970. 

For more volunteer opportunities go to https://www.lasvegasinspiringconnectionsoutdoors.org/volunteer-donate.

Resolve to get outdoors with Las Vegas ICO!

River Trip Honors Howard Booth’s Environmental Work

West Prep Student Council Gives Thank You Gift

On a balmy Nov. 9, ICO conducted a wonderful Colorado River raft trip. It was dedicated to the late Howard Booth's lifetime of environmental activism. His widow Ursula Wilson-Booth was a special guest.  

ICO rarely does this 12-mile trip. This time it was enjoyed by 22 students from West Prep High School Student Council, ages 14 to 18.  In the end, the kids themselves made it uniquely wonderful.

Before boarding the raft, the students learned about Booth’s 50 years of helping preserve public lands and the importance of continuing this work.

Beginning at Hoover Dam, the raft captain shut off the motor and told the students of building the dam—the extreme heat for the workers who prepared the walls, engineering challenges of the geology, and how the hydro turbines generate electricity.

Students took notes and drew sketches in nature journals—appreciating that this close-up view is available only to rider in these licensed river rafts. Many kids said later that learning the history of the dam was the trip’s highlight.

As the raft floated along the steep canyon walls, the captain pointed to trickling water leaving fern-like plants as if it were a tropical setting. They saw dozens of cormorants, cliff swallows’ nests, unusual rock formations, and three big-horned sheep.

The quiet, the canyon’s stark beauty, the clear blue-green water, and the fresh soothing air were all new to the students, as they noted:

 “How pretty everything is and how at peace I feel.”

 “How much more nature there is than in Las Vegas.”

“The serenity nature has to offer.”

“What do you notice?”

After lunch moored in an alcove, the students gathered to talk about the origins and use of the Colorado River water; the implications for Nevada of the 1922 Colorado River Compact (Nevada gets 2% of the water), and the scarcity of potable water for Las Vegas. They brainstormed how they could save water, shared their ideas, and documented them in their journals.

As a project the Student Council had raised $200 by donating clothes to Savers for which they were paid by the pound. At the end of the trip that money was presented to Las Vegas ICO as a “thank you” for all our trips with the group over the years.  

More memories noted by the youth:

“When we saw the big horn sheep and an old tower; the history told by the guide.”

“All the cool landscape, the animals, and feeling the water hitting me while on the boat.”

“The water used to be higher than it is now.”

“The time I spent with my friends; being in nature rather than in the classroom.”

“The sound of the water, and how nice and calm everything was.”

LVICO Chair Betty Gallifent developed this card/flyer above to take on trips where we talk to youth about preserving wilderness areas and Howard's contribution. CONTRIBUTORS WHO DONATED TO LAS VEGAS ICO IN MEMORY OF HOWARD BOOTH ARE THANKED HERE: https://www.lasvegasinspiringconnectionsoutdoors.org/thanks-to-supporters

Pearson Books Monthly Outdoor Ventures

LVICO partner Pearson Community Center treated its clients to three outings in three months:

On Oct. 5, seven youth, ages 8 to 13, went to the Spring Mountains. At the Visitor Center in the echo chamber circle they were startled and entertained to hear their voices come back to them. Then, their challenging hike up Cougar Ridge Trail was rewarded with lunch in the forest. On the return route through Deer Creek picnic area, they discovered a running stream bubble out of the ground and flow awhile before draining back into the ground. One girl said,"What I liked was when I saw the waterfall and walking on the log.”  

On Nov. 2, five girls and two boys, ages 9 to 11, explored Red Rock NCA’s Ash Canyon under a blue sky with temperatures in the low 70s. They pondered why limestone in agave roasting pits stopped retaining heat so that it had to be cast away. They learned to differentiate the area’s dominant rocks—sandstone and limestone—and that the “smoke” on rocks is desert varnish. During plant identification, they were surprised that Red Rock was like a Walmart to the ancients who found their food, clothing, medicine and shelter in their surroundings. "Oh yuck, gross, disgusting" was the reaction when they heard that the desert trumpet plant’s hollow stem was used to suck insects and lizards from cracks in rocks for food. Their greatest fun was climbing the rocks and negotiating a water-carved slot canyon.

THEIR WORDS:

"I loved it all!"

"I liked learning new things.”

"I never knew I could jump from so high!" said a first-time hiker.

On Dec. 7, six children (one, a boy), ages 8 to 10, were delighted to experience Lost Creek’s waterfall, see petroglyphs and pictographs, and watch rock climbers. During a brief, light rain they donned ponchos. Kamara filled her cell phone with photos of her rocks she “loved,” seemingly every rock in Lost Creek Canyon. She had a look of wonder as she hurried to keep up.

Near the waterfall, a low-hanging tree branch crosses the trail so anyone over five-feet tall must duck under. “Let me introduce you to Leon the Limb,” said hike leader Tony. “I thought it better that I introduce you rather than Leon introduce himself.”  Later, when they returned to the limb, a girl asked why he named it Leon. He replied, “Because you will be better able to remember that limb the next time you come up this trail.  If I just said “Look out for the limb,” you may remember a number of limbs along the hike. But now, you won’t forget Leon.”

THEIR WORDS:

“Wow, this is beautiful.” 

“Do you know which way the clouds are moving?” said the girl looking at the sky as the leader described endemic, indigenous, and native classes of life.

“I wonder what made these holes in the rock.” “Maybe sand? Maybe wind?” said three girls gathered around a pock-mocked rock.

Nevada Partners Do Mountain Scrambles on Two Trips

On Sept. 28, while forecasts chased reticent hikers from the mountain, 12 teens and young adults, ages 14-24, from Nevada Partners ventured bravely into Fletcher Canyon, pushing against the strong wind.  Beside the ICO leaders, five more adults accompanied the group—two UNLV volunteers, and two Nevada Partner guests, including the high school football coach of some of the male teens. A young mother joined the group with her 1- ½ year old baby strapped in a front-carrying pouch.

The uphill climb and thin air challenged many of the youth, but as the canyon narrowed, and the limestone walls closed in high over their heads, they were awestruck by the stark beauty. The coach shared that many of these boys had never been outside their part of town, so this was a great experience for them.

As the hike progressed, and bit of rock scrambling was required, the group found new energy as they straddled a fallen tree and clambered over boulders Upon reaching the ultimate destination, Obstacle Rock, everyone was there! In celebration they climbed the log perch on the top and one-by-one slid down the water-carved chute like they were in a child’s playground.

THEIR WORDS:

“Is this still the state of Nevada?” Matthew after reaching the narrows of Fletcher Canyon

“When you said hiking, you meant it,” Christopher, when rock scrambling began on the upper trail

“I’m enjoying this, I hate to see it end,” Anthony, close to the completion of the hike

“I’ll remember this forever,” Dexter at closing circle

On Nov. 2, eight strong and spirited youth from Nevada Partners were up to the challenge of rock scrambling at Red Rock’s Kraft Mountain. All were over the age of 18 with the exception of the two-year old son of one of the participants. The term “it takes a village” applied to how the youngest was well cared for by the older youth so everyone had a good time. Another highlight was watching a large tarantula make its way across a rock formation as the group enjoyed lunch at a safe distance. 

THEIR WORDS:

“This was the best hike I’ve ever done.”
“I can’t wait until my nephews come in from Chicago so I can show them MY Las Vegas.”

Quiet Storm Hikers’ Created Six-Word Memoirs

Quiet Storm’s five participants enjoyed perfect weather on Nov. 9 for a two-mile trail to Lost Creek via the SMYC trail. All were good hikers except a 10-year old who benefited from the others’ encouragement and support to scramble up a stone ledge. Everyone was proud they all made it to the top—to enjoy the view--and that it involved teamwork. One female was startled by a few lizards. Participants reflected on their experiences by composing

SIX-WORD MEMORIES:

• Content; reflective; positive; supportive; enlightenment; peaceful.

• Make the best of every opportunity.

• Challenges expose strength and allows growth.

• The new beginning of my life.

• Hard work; breeze; fun; challenging; slippery.

• A great exciting fun learning experience. (Awesome).

• Sunny; beauty; conquer; confidence; growth; joy.

• Clean air; beautiful mountains; clear mind.

• Amazing; breath taking; nice experience; fun.

• Great company; perfect weather; amazing scenery.

Growth Earns Praise & a New Priority

In the annual end-of-year Report to Members, Chair Betty Gallifent shared data that provided testimony to the steady growth of LVICO since its 2012 start. Now at 37 active volunteers, LVICO conducted 30 youth group outings with 275 participants in 2019. More outings leaders are critically needed in order for LVICO to continue its growth in the coming year.

 “Our relatively small groups make each outing memorable for leaders and the kids,” said outgoing Outings Coordinator Barbara Gerhardt. “We see kids who get the love-of-outdoors bug and are repeaters. That’s the heart of ICO.”  

In 2019 we partnered with 10 agencies on outings. Thanks to word of mouth about LVICO’s “WOW” experiences for city kids, even more agencies sought our unique services for their young clients. 

Representatives of partner agencies thanked LVICO at the October fundraiser.

Emi Spotleson, director of programs for the Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth, praised their four-year partnership with LVICO:

“It’s really rare to find organizations and individuals that will stick around and consistently be there for us, all our clients.  . . . Not just the aspect of the outdoors healing process. but it really does help them re-establish some kind of positive relationship with very positive adults that are caring of the environment and people in our community.”

Vincent So, NPHY staff member, said:

“I’ve experienced first-hand--the wide-eyed moments that our clients have when they first come out into nature.” He added a lot them says things like, “I had no idea that these places existed.” A lot of them, it’s their very first time and that moment is just pure joy that you can see in their eyes. . . . Our clients actually love it. They are constantly talking about it. They’re definitely excited every time an opportunity comes up to sign-up for a hike. All of them think it’s really special and they get excited--new, first-timers and long-time hikers.”

Larmaya Kilgore (Cece) of Nevada Partners said:

“I’ve had young people tell me that hiking with ICO gave them the opportunity to hit reset on life, to be free, basically just to be with themselves.   . . . ICO provides . . . hope, motivation and support. And, ICO, I want you guys to know--from the leadership perspective all the way down to the volunteers--that you guys impact the young people in ways that you cannot even imagine.”

October’s Fundraiser culminated a successful year with new donors and added support to fund even more outings and training in 2020.

Other accomplishments include four new member orientations, two Outdoor Leadership Training Classes for six participants, First-Aid Certification classes for 13 leaders. and 10 meeting tutorial. In addition, a variety of outreach activities included events, ongoing communications, and innovations. such as reformatting this the E- newsletter and linking it to this web version, enabling us to reach a wider audience.

NEW LVICO CHAIR:

INSPIRE LOVING NATURE & REACH OUT TO HISPANICs

Effective Jan. 1, our new chair is Janet Carter, one of LVICO’s founders. For the Sierra Club, she is also Secretary of the Toiyabe Chapter and a member of Southern Nevada Group Executive Committee.

She succeeds Betty Gallifent, who served as chair for the past six years. Janet is serving a two-year term.

Janet grew up in a home where camping, hiking, and backpacking trips were common.  She anticipates teaching children her talent for spotting wildlife on the trail.  Having lived in Mexico City as a teenager, she is fluent in Spanish. This will enable her to reach out more to the Spanish-speaking community to ensure that language is not a barrier to participation in outings.

The Co-Chair position is unfilled. Other members of the LVICO Steering Committee are two re-elected to serve second two-year terms--William Korol, Treasurer, and Shaoann Shon, Secretary—plus new Outings Coordinator Jody Scimone.  Because Jody is mother to a newborn, past Outings Coordinator Barbara Gerhardt will meet with and assist prospective leaders on their first outings for an interim. Meanwhile, Jody will maintain the outings schedule, communicate electronically with leaders, coleaders, agencies, and the steering committee, as needed.

 2023 RESTART

Robbers Roost Produces a New Crop of Young Rock Climbers

We worked with Cambridge staff over the past few months to regroup after the Covid break in activity.  While a bout of the flu, and a few other challenges had to be overcome, we were so happy to have a very successful hike with three six-year-olds at Robbers Roost in the Spring Mountains on July 7.  

The weather was a perfectly sunny 80 degrees in the cool shade as we began at the Robbers Roost trail head, talking to the kids about the trail name and the history of the 1880 robbers who hid stollen cattle, horses, and themselves in the caves at the top of the trail. 

The kids were so excited about seeing the caves, or what they called “the holes.” The first thing we noticed on the trail was horse droppings that amazed the kids —“Yuck, that is gross!”   But they were interested to learn that there were wild horses in the area and wished they would see them.

At the start of the hike, we discussed Leave No Trace and what it means to be good stewards of the land.  For these kids, they understood this means, as Yuvia said, “We have to take care of it and keep it clean and safe.” 

Diego was a bit concerned about bugs at the start of the hike, but by the end he was happy to say, “The bugs are our friends!”  His twin sister Yuvia also chimed in, “If we are nice to them, they will be nice to us!”

As we began the climb up the rocks, we stopped for a moment at the 150-year-old Ponderosa Pine tree to rest and have some water.  When I asked the kids to smell the tree, they were at first a bit hesitant.  After showing them that I can do it, they all joined in.  Jose was the first to tell us what it smelled like to him, “It smells like chocolate!”  They were interested to learn that the sap interacts with the sun to produce the sweet smell.

The kids were troopers as we scrambled up loose rocks and natural rock steps to the top of the trail.  They were very excited about the carabiners and ropes they saw on the cliffs and wished they could see rock climbers in action.  At the caves, the kids came alive with excitement and any fear of bugs and other animals melted away as they climbed in and out of the caves.   Diego scrambled up to one of the smaller cave entrances and announced he would be the first to go in.  As he approached the small, dark entrance, he turned back and said, “Maybe you should go first Ms. Barb?”  But once in, they loved the experience and wished there were move caves to explore.  Lunch was hardly a priority for them at this point, but they settled down enough to eat and drink water and rest a bit before the hike down.

As we winded down the trail, we saw many blooming wildflowers. Jose was especially interested in the orange flowers.  He stated, “Those are called firecrackers?  They look like firecrackers!!”

At the end of the hike, we circled around and asked the kids what they liked most and least.  It was a unanimous “We loved the holes!”  Of course, they meant the caves.  And while they did not like the bugs initially, they had forgotten all about them by the end of the hike.  And although sometimes the heights made them a bit nervous, as did the slippery rocks, they all loudly exclaimed together, “We are rock climbers!!!”  And that is what they wanted to take back to their family and friends.

ICO Adding Agencies = More Kids Loving the Earth & Exploring Nature

ICO seeks agency partners to collaborate with us and schedule nature discovery outings for their young clients.

Click for more on becoming an ICO partner agency!

Our Newest Collaboration! Boys & Girls Club + ICO

LVICO celebrated Earth Day 2023 with the Boys and Girls Club of Southern Nevada. at Lied Memorial Club. Volunteers Cynthia and Barbara met at Lied Memorial with 3 groups of children, ages 6 through 11 — totaling 50 to 60 youth. 

Our lively discussions began with what the kids thought made up the earth. A "Life is Good" soccer ball was tossed from child to child as they shared their thoughtswith excitement once they received the "talking" ball.  Their answers ranged from lakes and rivers to trees and flowers, naming their favorite animals and even the fast food places they enjoyed. This unique answer became the perfect segue to discuss their important role in protecting all animals, whether they consumed them or not.

The children then enthusiastically named their favorite places to play outdoors and why. Of course, the consensus was their local parks, expressing their love on the swings to playing ball or simply sitting in the grass and looking up at the sky, as one thoughtful six year old described. Another ideal segue led into the question of how they would protect their beloved parks.  The mutual response among all the age groups was to not leave trash around, which led into another engaged discussion on recycling. 

A child from the 10-11 age group shouted, "reduce, reuse, recycle!" A variety of recyclable items were presented to the children, and we discussed the concept of decomposition.  The children took turns guessing how long each recyclable item took to break down.  This truly captured their attention, particularly when they discovered a diaper took 500 years to decompose.  "500 years, that's crazy!" gasped a couple children. 

Another child recalled the animals they would encounter in their parks and said, "I didn't know trash can hurt animals. We need to be careful to pick it up."
Our earth day event was not complete until the children piled into the large tent.  A highlight to be sure, as none of them said they've been in one before. Squeals of joy and laughter could be heard through the nylon walls.  As the children fell into line for their next activity in the clubhouse, one child said, "I want the earth to stay clean for a long time, so we can go outside and play." Another exclaimed, "This was fun, I want to protect my planet now!" 

Earth Day 2023 with Lied Memorial Boys and Girls Club was a true inspiration.

MORE GOOD NEWS

• Building a summer outings calendar with Clark County’s Cambridge Recreation Center

• An August outing as our inaugural event with Chicanos Por La Causa (CPLC)

• Exploratory talks to restart plans with Bob Price Recreation Center and to initiate them with East Las Vegas Community Center

  These are the latest ways that Las Vegas ICO is working to take local youth into the great outdoors once again. As these examples show, we are reaching out to local agencies — old partners and new ones — to find groups of young people who have not had much opportunity to access the outdoors. We want them to enjoy all of the beauty that the greater Las Vegas area has to offer. We’ve recently trained a group of new leaders.

  We hope you will consider joining us! Click for more on how to

  Volunteer with Us

  — on outings like these on this page OR

  — off-trail working with agencies to help make possible other outdoor experiences for youth!

Valley of Fire Outing Wows NPHY Youth

We hosted our first outing of 2023 with Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth. Saturday, Jan. 28, was met with blue sunny skies and warm temps, perfect conditions for our outing to Valley of Fire State Park.

 Four young adults, ranging from 18 to 20 years of age, introduced themselves as having various low levels of enthusiasm for outdoor activities. The LVICO volunteers knew they were in for a challenge. We certainly weren’t deterred. After all, we have “Inspiring” in our name!

So what better way to inspire our young participants than to be welcomed into the park by bighorn sheep grazing in the distance? Some “ooo-ing” and “ahh-ing” ensued. Then Ashley, from Pennsylvania gasped, “I never thought in a million years I’d see the state animal.”

Our four young participants timidly approached the structures, not sure what they were going to encounter. Watching them discover the wonderful nooks and crannies within them, we witnessed happy faces as the kids were snapping selfie after selfie.

Next stop: Mouse’s Tank, a trail well-known for ancient petroglyphs found along the sandstone walls. Nick Saines, ICO volunteer and our geology guru, gave us many teachable moments as we paused along the hike to get a closer look at this ancient rock art.

Meandering through the rocks, our young participants were now exploring and climbing with gusto. Mariama, a young lady who initially frowned upon outdoor activities, proclaimed, “Ya know, this might have changed my perspective on being outside.”

Our beautiful day outdoors with these lovely young participants could not have been more inspiring.
Later that day, geologist Nick Saines posted this on Facebook about his experience: “I was co-leader on a Sierra Club ICO hike yesterday. We took 4 teenagers from the Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth to the Valley of Fire. . . . The kids were really sweet, the weather was perfect, and seeing the VoF for the first time through their eyes was awesome. Here is a photo that John Gawlik, one of the new Sierra Club leaders, took. This is the Batwoman petroglyph. Actually, somewhat famous. This is on the Mouse's Tank trail. How do you interpret this?”

“Feeling So Good” in the Spring Mountains

On the trails with youth again!

In Wildhorse Canyon at the Spring Mountains National Recreation Area, sunshine and occasional breezes welcomed us and Nevada Partners at Wildhorse Canyon on Saturday, May 28, Memorial Day weekend.  Our participants were mostly young adults in their early 20s and a lone 15-year-old girl.  All are very active in Nevada Partners' programs, many of which emphasize self-development and contributing to community services.

Just before stepping forth on the trail, I asked them to engage all their five senses during the course of this hike. 

It was a special group that truly embraced everything we encountered along the trail.  From seeing the different types of coniferous trees that we passed along the way, to touching the soft bottle brush pine needles in their hands and smelling the sweetness of the Bristlecone bark, they all exhibited a sense of awe and excitement. 

They listened to the winds whistle through the trees —"Sounds like I have a shell to my ears and hearing the ocean."

They sampled a single pinyon pine needle for its citrus qualities —”Mmm, tastes like that cutie I ate this morning!” 

 During a water break. I asked if everyone feels good and they broke out into the James Brown song "I Feel Good." That pretty much summed up the entire day for all of us! ~~Hike Leader Cynthia R.

Listening to the wind while on a water break during a two-mile hike with about 620 ft. elevation gain.

On Cougar Ridge at Mt. Charleston, known by Southern Paiutes as “Nuvagntu” and by Shoshoni as “Nupakatutun”— meaning “snow sits” — the seasonal territory of these indigenous people in pre-modern times. Like them, Las Vegas ICO go there to escape summer heat of the Las Vegas valley.

These videos show the fun!

https://youtu.be/xwhDgjEXvSs
https://youtu.be/-EDQfasD3SA

“With Agency Partners, We’re Planning Outings

To best serve this underserved community, we need agency partners to work with us volunteers who can help in a variety of ways—on the trails or behind the scenes

Join our efforts to get young people with limited access to public lands to get out into nature by becoming a hike leader today.

Help them explore the great outdoors while teaching them to be nature lovers.  

This is the perfect opportunity for you if you love to hike, want to support your community, are a student or an early-in-career professional looking for new ways to add life to your resume.  

CLICK THE LINKS THE LINKS BELOW TO

• learn how you can make a difference in our organization

• recommend agencies that could benefit from ICO services

Like many outdoor organizations that inspire people to enjoy our natural treasures, Las Vegas Inspiring Connections Outdoors went dormant during the pandemic. Now our pause is over.  Local community agencies are gearing up too.

We can once again lead youth--ages seven to young adult--to explore the wild outdoors and all it has to offer.  

As we contact partner agencies to connect to local youth, we are discovering a great need for these enriching experiences.

But we must have agency partners and volunteers to meet this need.

 Connecting these kids to the outdoors has many benefits.

• We educate them.

• We promote exploration and discovery of the environment but also personally.

• We introduce them to a healthy and active lifestyle.

• We build new and future stewards of the great outdoors.

We hope you will consider joining us!

Volunteer on outings like these on this page

OR off-trail working with agencies to help make possible other outdoor experiences for youth!

EMAIL US TO sign-up for the many volunteer opportunities available. 

Get out with us and enjoy the many natural wonders of Las Vegas.

Share the Outdoors with Local Urban Youth

Make a difference — for these kids and nature

Picture Yourself Volunteering!