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Friends oF red rock canyon 19

Las Vegas Inspiring Connections Outdoors

By Cynthia Regidor
hat happens when you connect the under- exciting “problem”
W served urban youth of Las Vegas to the of searching for
spectacular views of limestone mountains, sand- a larger space to
stone cliffs and desert plant life found at Red Rock accommodate our
Canyon? supporters. LVICO
is a 100% all-vol-
Jeanette Bucklew, volunteer outdoor leader with unteer program, so
Las Vegas Inspiring Connections Outdoors, found the majority of our
out during a trip through Gateway Canyon. Chil- resources directly support the best outdoor experience
dren’s comments such as; “I could stay here for- we can provide for these kids.
ever.” “Nature is so beautiful.” “Who would guess
we are this close to Las Vegas.” My personal favor-
ite, “The smile will never leave my face today” will
warm your heart.

The gratification we receive as volunteers listening
to such sentiments almost feels insignificant when
compared to the profound and everlasting effect Red
Rock Canyon has made on the lives of the children
and young adults we serve. Accustomed to the con-
crete jungle known as the city of Las Vegas, excur-
sions to wild and preserved lands are few and far
between, particularly due to their limited economic
resources.

Las Vegas Inspiring Connections Outdoors (LVI-
CO) is an outreach program of the Sierra Club. It
introduces children to the richness of our natural Photo by Vern Quever
surroundings. Exploring and hiking through such Spending time surrounded by nature has a profound
beauty ignites the children’s instincts to protect these impact on all of us. Secretary of the Interior Sally
sacred spaces. The impact of our discussions on Jewell knows that from her own upbringing in the
“Leave No Trace” principles and the games that we state of Washington. It’s almost certain that her initia-
play, such as “Decomposition,” leave our youth with tive to “ensure that all American kids have the same
a newfound respect for the environment in which opportunity to get outdoors” was inspired by her own
they live. adventures as a child. The importance of introduc-

LVICO has been inspiring this demographic since ing our youth to our public lands is evident with the
2012, beginning with just six trips that year and launch of Secretary Jewell’s 21st Century Conser-
reaching up to 30 in 2016. Our momentum continues vation Service Corps (21CSC) as well as President
as we are scheduled to meet new agency requests Obama’s “Every Kid in a Park” initiative.
for our services in 2017, many of which come from With our collective and conscientious efforts, we
the Clark County Parks and Recreation Community can all inspire our youth and help them connect to
Centers. nature. We will create responsible stewards for our

Along with this momentum comes the challenge of precious parks and be able to enjoy their beauty into
acquiring additional funds to support our programs. the next centennial.
You can find out more about us at
Our annual “Friendraiser” was held on November www.sierraclub.org/toiyabe/las-vegas-ico
18. We had close to 100 returning donors attend and like us on facebook.com/LasVegasICO/about/#
along with new faces. Next year, we will have the

Winter 2017