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Introducing Hispanic youth to the natural wonders of the Skagit Valley
Kulshan Creek Neighborhood Kids Program is a year-round outreach initiative that engages youth from one of the Skagit Valley's most diverse neighborhoods in a variety of outdoor activities including all-day field trips and after-school programs. In 2008, over 100 youngsters learned about bears, marine biology, migratory birds and the natural history of the Skagit Valley through visits to local public lands with a variety of educators. The program is the product of a unique grassroots partnership between North Cascades Institute, the National Forest Service, Mt. Vernon Police Department, Skagit Youth and Family Services and the National Park Service.
The program targets underserved, urban youth in the Kulshan Creek Neighborhood in Mount Vernon, Washington, ages 8-14. This is a community of 2,400 low-income residents that is 65 percent Latino with 40 percent under age 18. Most of these youth have never visited a national forest or park. Many are considered at risk to engage in gang-related activity and youth crime.
Kulshan Creek Neighborhood Kids Program goals include fostering a connection with nature and increasing an understanding of their place in the North Cascades and the surrounding region while developing stewardship ethics through meaningful environmental education experiences; providing role models for staying in school and exposure to careers in natural resources and environmental education; and facilitating opportunities to gain life skills, build self-esteem and discover the connection between natural resources, public lands and the urban environment.
In 2009, we are expanding the program by adding two after-school programs per month on Fridays. We are incorporating NatureMapping, a citizen science database initiative coordinated by the University of Washington and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and are conducting wildlife surveys with the Forest Service at Barney Lake. We expect that expanding activities for the neighborhood will increase the core group of participants. We'll also continue all-day field trips organized by the Park Service, Forest Service and North Cascades Institute, including a 3-day 2-night stay at the North Cascades Environmental Learning Center.
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