With the money raised through this project, we plan to help children in the Reno, NV community experience nature over throughout the winter months. Here in Washoe County, teachers estimate that between 50% and 75% of their students have never been in a forest.
The more money raised, the more students we can reach and allow them to experience the various seasons the Sierra Nevada offers.
Vision:
We face an issue of our future generations being completely disconnected from nature and the environment. Richard Louv, in his book “Last Child in the Woods” describes an endemic facing our generation, “Nature Deficit Disorder.” Less and less kids are able
to go outside and be in nature. This occurs due to budget cuts and standardized testing; a lot of teachers lack the freedom to bring their students outdoors for field trips. With less and less “nature” in communities, kids lack areas to play. Many parents
feel they can’t afford to get their kids to parks or feel there is danger associated to being outdoors. Your support and a few snowshoes may be just the spark to ignite the imagination of children who previously had never experienced the beauty of nature.
Children’s Snowshoes:
Nestled in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada just south of Reno, our environmental center can expect to be dumped with snow by mid-fall! In our current situation without the right equipment or the financial means, this would signal the end of our educational
season till mid-spring when the snow melts. We would love to extend our program into the winter through the utilization of a snowshoe educational program. Also, recently in the area schools, children are in class more during the winter months providing further
opportunity to offer snowshoe programs - a great way to explore the snowy landscape.
