2004presentation

8/7/2019 2004Presentation

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To introduce Urban Youth* to recreational camping, hiking and environmental education opportunities on theGifford Pinchot National Forest.

To build environmental partnerships with traditionally under-served communities in the Vancouver - Portland

metropolitan area. Focal point of the partnerships is to teach environmental skills that can be used by urban youth and

our partners in the improvement of urban environments.

To introduce urban youth to the concepts of urban forestry, environmental justice, and careers in natural resources

management.

Urban Youth consists of a diverse group of young people ages 8-19 from urban and inner-city backgrounds that would not

normally get the experience, knowledge, and enjoyment gained by participating in National Forest activities. Neither economic

status, nor ethnic background are eliminating criteria for the program.


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The program began in 1993 when two employees from the Wind River ranger district,

namely Carmen Saunders and Tom Linde requested our help in involving urban youth

in National Forest programs and activities. The first trip to National Forest, organized

by Earl Ford, was a Christmas Tree Harvest. Thus, the Gifford Pinchot National Forest

began conducting Urban Youth Camp-Outs, Day Camps, and a Christmas Tree Harvest

each year. We are now in our ninth year of existence.


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Despite that humble beginning in 1993 with 14

children participating in a Christmas Tree

Harvest at Wind River, this program has

expanded to serve over two hundred youth that

participate in many Forest activities.


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INTERNATIONAL MIGRATORY BIRD

DAY

Each year for International Migratory Bird Day the Urban Youth Program takes youth

out to Trout Lake, Washington for an International Migratory Bird Day Campout.

During this campout, Forest Service employees come out and lead the youth in activities

such as Bird Watching and Nest Building.


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To celebrate National

Fishing Week, the Urban

Youth Program does anannual overnight

Campout. The night

before the big Free

Fishing Clinic (hosted

annually by the Forest

Service), the youth aretaken to Atkinson Snow

Park where they do

various activities to

prepare them for the

following day.


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Through a partnership with the Community A.M.E. Zion Church (Vancouver), the Urban

Youth Program also does an annual camp for the churchs Buds of Promise Childrens

Group. This group consists of children from the A.M.E. Zion church and St. John Catholic

Church that are 12 and under. These youngsters spend two nights in our National Forest

(usually on the Mt. St. Helens District), during which time they go on hikes and do various

other camping activities. In the history of the BUDS CAMP, the kids have toured the Ape

Caves, Lava Canyons, the Trail of Two Forests, as well as participated in a Terrestrial

Ecology field exercise with another one of our partners, Wolftree.


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Otherwise Known As.

In the past, this was

just an overnight

campout that gave the

youth an opportunity

to get out to the

Forest and earn astipend by learning to

identify and pull

Noxious Weeds, as

well as learning how

the Weeds affect

Forest Ecology


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With other Forest

Related recreational

and educational

activities such as tripsto the Wind River

Research Natural Area

(The Canopy Crane),

Green Space

Modeling.

And Forest Volleyball.


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From the Terrestrial Ecology

Campout came the idea for.


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The Teen Urban Forestry Club (initiated summer 2000) is a group of youth between

the ages of 14 and 18 trained by Forest Service employees and other professionals in

Forestry/Urban Forestry practices such as Tree Identification, Evaluation, Inventory,

as well as others. This training leads to the youth conducting projects both in their

own community and in the National Forest. The youth earn a stipend of twenty-five

dollars per day for the training and all projects conducted thereafter. The first project

is usually the first weekend after the five day training, and it is usually a Noxious

Weed pull in the National Forest (for old times sake). Another project completed by

the T.U.F. Club was the initial step in the development of the Kevanna Neighborhood

Park (located across the street from the GPNFHQ office).


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AND

NOW..

Throughout the year, the Urban Youth Program

takes kids from the Inner City out on a series of

various Day Trips, including the December

Christmas Tree Harvest (where it all started).


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IT ALL STARTS IN JANUARY WITH..

Each year the Urban Youth Program takes a group of youthout to the National Forest for Winterfest, an annual event

hosted by Skamania County, where they enjoy a full day of

snow play. The youth enjoy learning to walk in sno-shoes

and sledding down the huge snow hill, along with good hot

chocolate to keep warm.


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And in accordance with the International Migratory Bird Day

Campout, the U.Y.P. does a series ofDay Trips for Bird Day as

well

Each year we take the kids from the WA State School for the Blind to the Ridgefield

Wildlife Refuge where Wildlife professionals like Eric Anderson teach the kids to

identify birds by sound..and touch.


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The U.Y.P. also partners up with

the Ridgefield Wildlife Refuge to

do Bird Watching Day Trips for the

youngsters from the MarshallPreschool.


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AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST

Although the 2001 Christmas Tree Harvest was cancelled due to

severe weather conditions, the annual December event has come a

long way from the initial 14 youth that went out back in 1993.


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Funding.

Gifford Pinchot National Forest

Vancouver/Clark Parks and Recreation

Teen Services

Various Grant Sources

Smaller Contributions from other

Partnerships.


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Vancouver/Clark Parks and

Recreation Teen Services


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Age o P p nAge 15

25%

Age 14

21%

Age 13

10%

Age 12

3%

Age 11

6%

Age 9

4%Age 10

7%

Age 8

2%

Age 7

2%

Age 6

2%

Age 21%

Age 17

9%Age 16

8%


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Gender of ParticipantsMale

59%

Female

41%


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POSITIVE SPIN-OFF.

Throughout the years of the Urban Youth Programs existence, there have always

been Teen Leaders. Teen Leaders were chosen to assist the program coordinator

with the particular activity. Teen Leader duties included the loading and

unloading of all gear needed for the particular activity, as well as being

responsible for the upkeep of said gear. They are also responsible for other dutiessuch as chaperoning younger kids and being group leaders for different activities.

These and other responsibilities held by the Teens gave them a solid foundation

for a resume and valuable experience interacting with and working under adults.

As the first group got older, more teens wanted to work. Through a partnership

with the Vancouver Branch NAACP, we were able to find the older kidsemployment within Vancouvers Corporate Infrastructure. Since the program got

started (summer 2002), the City of Vancouver, Safeway, and the Forest Service

have hired over 10 of our former Teen Leaders.

2004presentation

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