Rain and cold did not dampen the enthusiasm of the youth attendees at the first Swan Valley Youth Outdoor Education Rendezvous (YOER), held on Saturday, June 15. Fifty youth ages eight through 18 attended outdoor workshops designed to provide wilderness learning experiences. Children came from as far as Creston, Seeley Lake and other communities in between to join Condon youth in this special experiential event.
The Swan Valley Community Foundation (SVCF) in Condon hosted the event at the Condon American Legion Ball Field. Foundation President John Mercer said, "This was a true community event with over 50 volunteers donating their time, talent and resources to provide an opportunity for young people to come together and experience the amazing outdoors we get to enjoy here in the Swan Valley. It was especially exciting to see a young woman who had never touched a bow and arrow begin with nervous hesitation, and ultimately become confident in her archery abilities by the end of the class."
YOER was the vision of Board Member Fred Fanizzi and his wife Maria. Experienced in hosting outdoor events, the Fanizzies feel passionate about passing on outdoor skills to the next generation. Fred said, "Condon is a special place with a wonderful community and it is our hope that the next generation can take full advantage of all the outdoor resources in the area, whether it's hunting, fishing, backpacking, exploring the wilderness, or just enjoying nature. We want them to know how to safely be adventurous."
Participants could attend Backcountry First Aid, Backcountry Stock Packing, Basic Knot Tying, Dutch Oven Cooking in the Wild, Firearm Safety and Maintenance, Introduction to Archery and Fly Casting, Preparing for Backcountry Hikes and Wildlife Encounters Safety Training. Adults even enjoyed the Mastering OnX Hunt Application.
When asked what her favorite class was, Jolene Auchenbach said she liked the "mule packing class because I learned new knots and a different way of tying knots than the way my mom does it, plus I got to practice tying the boxes onto the barrel."
Elliot Burton's favorite class was the Backcountry First Aid class. "I got to do a lot of stuff, a lot of activities that I have never seen before," Burton said. Cara Page echoed the sentiment and said, "Backcountry First Aid allowed me to try CPR for the first time."
The YOER event was a family event. Participants were chaperoned by a parent or caregiver, and many enjoyed participating in the classes as well. Elliot's father, Ryan Burton, said he was "blown away by how amazing the event was, and enjoyed watching the kids learn."
Derek Page, Cara's father, relayed a timely experience that happened the next day, immediately after Cara took the Wildlife Encounters Safety Training. "The next morning my daughter and I walked up on a sow and cub in the woods near our home. My daughter did exactly as instructed (the previous day). She turned 45-degrees to the bear, grabbed the dog, spoke in a calm voice saying 'hey bear' and backed away. The bears moved off in the other direction. Thanks for the guidance, Tom!"
Several adults enjoyed learning the functionalities of the OnX Map application. Gary Palm, left the class stating, "It's amazing how much this thing can do."
The event ended with a fabulous rib dinner cooked by Holl Hubbard. When Fred concluded the event he asked three important questions: "Was it fun? Did you learn anything new? And would you do it again?" A roaring "yes!" came from the crowd of tired youth.
SVCF would like to thank the following sponsors of the event:
Rick and Jodi Miller, Brad and Jenifer Motz, Chris Barnes, Clint Morgan, Condon Community Church, American Legion Post 63, Bushy Tails Screen Printing, Holl Hubbard, Kevin Slade, Tom Parker, Tom Berkley, Nicole Tindale, Colton Dunlap, Johnnie Dunlap, Libby Stultz, Lake Pickle, Racheal Vargas, Ron Ream, the Swan Valley Community Foundation Board and all of those who donate to the Swan Valley Community Foundation that made this event possible. Stay tuned for more information regarding next year's event.
Reader Comments(0)