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Outdoor Educational Activities and Excursions

886
Youth Served
35
Community Activity Days
3
Nature Area Trips

Amount $654,285
Grantee City of Lodi
Award Year 2022
Funding Source General Fund, Outdoor Equity Program
Project Type Program Operation
Project Status

Description

Conduct the Outdoor Educational Activities and Excursions for residents at and near Hale Park in Lodi, CA. This program will include approximately 60 activity days in the community for approximately 1,800 participants and approximately 12 trips to natural areas for approximately 1,400 participants during three years of programming.

Activities in the community will includes Discover Marine Life (boating and fishing); Survive the Outdoors (hiking, swimming, and rock climbing); Conserve Resources (fire safety, clean air, and recycling); and Discover Self in Nature (camping, kayaking, and paddle boarding).

Trips to natural areas outside of the community will include Marine Life at Monterey Bay; Surviving the Outdoors at Yosemite National Park; Conservation of Natural Resources at D.L. Bliss and Emerald Bay State Park; and Self-Discovery in Nature at Calaveras Big Trees State Park.

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Community Home Base Location
209 E Locust Street Lodi, CA 95240
County San Joaquin
Assembly District AD 09 Heath Flora (R)
Senate District SD 05 Susan Talamantes Eggman (D)
Congressional District CD 09 Josh Harder (D)

Annual Report Details

Programs may span from one year to multi-year, not to exceed four years. The specific length of the program is contained in the description above.

Category Total
Youth Served 886
Days for Activities in the Community 35
Nature Area Trips 3

List of Educational Goals Achieved

2023

Our educational initiatives include:

  1. Conservation of Natural Resources
  2. Marine Life and the Ocean
  3. Surviving the Outdoors
  4. Self

Tahoe: The emphasis in Tahoe was on conservation. As guides helped students set up camp, they learned tips and techniques to reduce impact on the environment. Students received in-depth instruction from guides in the “Leave No Trace” philosophy and methods as a part of their climb up a part of Mount Tallac. They learned about the human impact in the Lake Tahoe basin, i.e. how fragile environments such as wetlands impact water clarity, the threat of invasive species to the ecology of the lake, and more. They received a seminar on the flora and fauna of the Tahoe basin from a State Parks Docent (they were especially interested in the part about Tahoe’s black bears).

Monterrey: The emphasis in Monterrey was on the stewardship of our coastal & marine environments. Students learned very quickly about the marine layer as our redwood-based campground quickly demonstrated its capacity as a rainforest (they were soaked)! Students received a safety demonstration and learned about the hazards of the surf from professional lifeguards at Manresa State Beach. They spent an entire day at the Monterrey Bay Aquarium and received multiple seminars on conservation and the human impact in our oceans from the Aquarium’s docents. - Yosemite: The emphasis in Yosemite was on “Surviving the outdoors.” Because of the historic winter, Yosemite never opened the campground we planned to use for this adventure, and our students were not as interested as we thought they’d be in an actual backpacking trip. As a result this trip became a day-trip, but we maximized the time we had. Students received an up-close demonstration from the valley’s rock climbers, and even got to try their hands and feet themselves, and in the process learned about risk assessment & safety. On a hike up to Vernal falls, students learned the value of proper exercise and hydration. The day culminated in a valley floor tour, where we spent specific extra time learning about the Native American/Indigenous peoples who once called the valley home.

General: Across all three of our excursion trips this year, our core educational goals were in the areas of personal resilience, leadership, and teamwork. Each trip featured a series of activities and initiatives designed to challenge students and in the process form each of those vital life skills. Students learned trust and problem-solving as a team as they were passed through a giant “spider web” and worked their way across the “acid river” (navigating across a series of balance beams to get from one side of an imaginary obstacle to another). They overcame their fear on a high-ropes and biplane tour in Tahoe. They practiced mindfulness and learned to reframe life’s challenges early in the morning on a beautiful northern California beach. One student, who comes from a particularly difficult set of circumstances, remarked at the end of his trip that it was “life changing” and that “I really believe more in myself now than I ever thought I would before” (exact quote). This was not a student we would ever have envisioned hearing something like this from, nor was he a student who would have been able to afford or experience something like this due to his circumstances. Many of the students shared similar sentiments, and we’re given similar once-in-a-lifetime opportunities that simply would not be feasible. It is not too much to say that the Outdoor Equity Grant Program has made the impossible, possible for students in our community.

List of Formed Partnerships

2023

One-Eighty Programs has been a vital partner for our natural area trips that take place over a multi-day span. Their existing “One-Eighty Adventures” initiative gave us a partner that had already built the resources and capacity for camping, backcountry, and environmental programming, including the necessary certificates.

For outreach, One-Eighty’s existing mental health programs on local campuses provide an instant connection to students within our target demographic and who reside in our target neighborhoods. An interesting feature of this partnership is that those same One-Eighty counselors were often able to participate on the extended trips, which give students an opportunity to continue their mental health & resiliency journey while on these trips. In our learning this connection was highly valuable. Students from traditionally underserved communities often bring unique socio-emotional circumstances with them. On several occasions the increased stress of being in an unknown and physically demanding environment (i.e. on a hike up Mount Tallac) created anxiety and activated triggers for these students. Having mental health professionals on board provided these students the opportunity to take these struggles and reframe them, learning tools and building resilience that they may not have had before. Headwaters Kayak has also been a vital partner for our activities within the community. Headwaters Kayak organized and delivered high-quality programming designed to introduce participants to all aspects of the outdoor experience.

While each trip has a unique focus per our educational initiatives 1) Conservation of Natural Resources 2) Marine Life and the Ocean 3) Surviving the Outdoors and 4) Self Discovery in Nature, each trip will include programming in basic paddling skills, intermediate paddling skills, water rescue, wilderness ethics, conservation, age-appropriate, and significant opportunities for self-discovery.

Lessons

2023

In order to maximize participation, we listened to the parents' needs and increased the hours for our activities in the community. Our parents struggled with the times that the program was offered due to their work schedules. When we opened up the time frame from 7am-6pm this was appreciated and worked out well for many parents they thanked the program immensely. The said the program was great for this age group to get them out of the house and off of their video games. Some truly had nowhere to take them or leave them and felt safe knowing that their children could participate in activities that they would not normally be able to experience.

Dress code. Be sure to include in the registration paperwork what the dress code allows for teens. We ended up providing camp tee shirts for the participants to alleviate any dress code infractions.

Be nimble. You cannot predict the weather or other natural weather events.

Have a plan B in case you have to revise the trips or activities. Redirect negative behavior. Communicate often with parents and address negative behaviors immediately. This ensures the safety and positive learning environment for all participants.

Other Program Goals

Service Learning/Career Pathway/Leadership Opportunities

30 opportunities will be available including internships with the City for Natural Resources, Outdoor Education, and Park Maintenance and Volunteer Docent opportunities at Lodi Lake and conducting School Tours.

Partnerships

One Eighty –Assisted outreach and meetings with residents due to their intentional presence in the community surrounding the Community Home Base of Hale Park which includes living in the neighborhood, a facility on premises and a teen center within a four-minute walk of Hale Park. Conduct outdoor program activities specifically for Nature Area Trips including rock climbing, kayaking and tide pooling. With certified trained staff that can help supplement equipment for the nature area trips while providing education and self-discovery opportunities in nature for participants. Provide service learning, career pathways and leadership opportunities – One Eighty participants often become leaders in their organization whether they end up tutoring youth, running activities at their teen center, or engaging the community to share resources or providing counseling for families in need

Headwaters – Assisting with program activities specifically within the community. Headwaters will be conducting kayaking, paddle boarding, boating, and canoeing to participants at Lodi Lake and parts of the Mokelumne River. Activity topics include safety in kayaks and SUPs, beginner kayaking and paddle boarding including kayaking strokes, balance control, fun drills, and games.

Mentoring

Three to six youth, ages 15-17 and young adult college undergraduates and graduate students from accredited schools, will be offered opportunities to intern for a six-month period for the Outdoor Education Program (OEP).

Under general supervision, the Environmental Education Intern will assist in planning, developing and coordinating an Outdoor Education Program for children 5-17 years old and a multi-generational program to include curriculum in natural resources, marine life, outdoor recreation opportunities, environmental conservation, watershed projects, school field trips, and Lodi Lake nature tours.

This paid internship position will afford a high school or undergraduate college student excellent hands-on, directly relevant work experience for a future career in Recreation or environmental Resources. An ideal candidate has a passion for environmental stewardship, natural resources, and/or outdoor recreation and/or teaching and delivering recreation programs to youth and adults. Internships are temporary and are limited to no more than six months of part-time equivalent work.

Internship responsibilities will include but are not limited to; 2 months prior: Conduct a community needs assessment for an environmental resource project; Assist in the development of programs designed to educate children and adults on natural resources, outdoor recreation opportunities and environmental conservation 2 months OEP: Assist in implementing environmental programs to campers Participate in outdoor recreation programs 2 months following OEP: Complete end of program reporting to include;

  • Participation numbers
  • Expenses
  • Deliverable outcomes Support other park programs as needed, such as interpretive nature hikes and special events (which may occur during weekdays, weekends, and evenings)
Annual Reports Start in December 2023!

Grantee will report the number of children served, partnership accomplishments and lessons learned, how educational goals were achieved, and unforeseen challenges and recommended solutions, with the goal of inspiring and building capacity for future outdoor program providers throughout California.