impactgiving
Mountain Workshops Inspiration, instruction, and inclusion for the next generation By Mckenzie Campbell Davies, Annual Giving Manager
Mountain workshops participants on a hike. Photo by Mountaineers staff.
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eaving the cars behind, a group of young teens were a little unsure, but excited, as they walked up the trail together. Hiking is not something that they would usually choose to do on a summer afternoon. We’re just looking at a bunch of trees? Where do we go to the bathroom? Is there even cell service up here? Jiordi Henderson, Recreation Lead at Seattle Parks and Recreation and one of the chaperones for the day, hoped that the kids would be able to unplug. They pressed on, the adults guiding the group in activities meant to inspire their inner naturalist. They counted the rings on felled trees. They used clues to determine species of flowers. They identified traces of bugs and animals in the forest. The most memorable part of the day happened near the end. “We were in the middle of our hike down and there was a clearing,” said Jiordi. “Without saying anything, everyone just looked out. We just stopped and really took in the nature. And it was unprovoked. We didn’t ask them to do it.” Gazing out over the trees and rock outcroppings, the group shared an unplanned moment of silence, broken only by the hum of pollinators and the scuff of shoes on dirt. “They had passed the same view on the way up, but then they just kind of… saw it. And the whole mood shifted.” The way down was marked by different questions than the ones from the
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mountaineer | summer 2022
morning. What kind of bugs live in this tree? If we got lost out here how would we find our way back? What other hikes can we do?
The Mountaineers partners with Rock the Park The youth on the hike that day were part of Rock the Park, a program created by the Magnuson Park Community Center in partnership with other organizations who have a missiondriven interest in serving youth and getting people outside. Rock the Park primarily serves the low income and formerlyhomeless families living at Mercy and Solid Ground Housing in Sand Point, just down the road from The Mountaineers Seattle Program Center. Through our Mountain Workshops program, The Mountaineers provides summertime activities for youth in Rock the Park that range from rock climbing to outdoor cooking to navigation. Kids ages 7-14 come to The Mountaineers to participate in upwards of 50 hours of structured outdoor activities throughout the summer. By returning every week, they build their skills and develop relationships with the staff and volunteer leaders. This partnership empowers new adventurers, trains future conservationists, and breaks down barriers to equity and inclusion in the outdoors in our home community and beyond.
