Inspiring Urban Youth

Colorado Springs, Colorado:  With a dry, sunny climate and mild year-round temperatures, Colorado Springs is a great place to explore if you love the outdoors. Nearby parks, such as the Garden of the Gods, feature towering red rocks and beautiful trails. Whether you want to commune with nature, get an adrenaline rush on the Arkansas River rafting, or just slow down and bask in the sun - the Pikes Peak region offers beautiful views, wonderful wildlife and over 350 miles of scenic trails. If you lived here, why wouldn’t you want to go outside and play?!

That’s the question teacher, Martha Morris, of Colorado Springs’ Community Prep School is asking. CPS is an accredited alternative education campus, serving students throughout the Colorado Springs region. Diverse programming is tailored to the individual needs and goals of the students - students in need of a fresh approach to their education and Ms. Morris is refreshing her curriculum with the outdoors.

This week, Traveling Trainers Dani and Roland spent an afternoon with the energetic students of CPS. Our goal as Leave No Trace educators is always to educate, connect and protect. We are dedicated to educating our students about the Seven Leave No Trace Principles and how to use minimum impact skills in front country or backcountry settings. We strive to connect our students to the natural environments that surround the places they live – by initiating a relationship with the natural world, most gain a respect for the environment and with that respect comes a desire to take care of it. Through that respect, we are able to protect our ecosystems by encouraging preservation and creating life long stewards of the land.

The Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics has been working to connect children with nature for years, inspiring youth through activities that were created to help share the value and importance of the Leave No Trace Principles, working with educators like Ms. Morris to help get kids outside by finding new ways to engage students to learn and explore the great outdoors. 

Today, the amount of time kids spend outside is alarmingly low – sometimes only a few minutes per day - while screen time is at an all time high (approximately seven hours every day). With the help of teachers like Martha Morris, Leave No Trace can move kids back outdoors, creating a generation of happier, healthier children with more awareness and connection to the natural world. 

Ninjas for Nature - dani & roland