2010 Fall OUtdoor Learning Expeditions
for youth ages 12-15
Registration limited to 10 children
October 1-3: Devil's Canyon
November 11-14: Havasu Canyon
December 3 - 5: Superstition Mtns
Registration and Information: info@culturalwellness.org or
via phone 602.432.3707.
OUTDOOR LEARNING
EXPEDITIONS INSPIRE:
Independence, Self-esteem, Stewardship, Awareness, Connection, Creativity, and Love of Life! Send your Youth on a 3-4 day Wild World Adventure and watch them transform!
Matthew Nelson is a passionate outdoor professional who is dedicated to helping people connect to each other and the natural world through adventure, introspection and community activism. He has worked with youth from diverse backgrounds in a variety of contexts since 1998. During that time he has been a ropes/challenge course facilitator, summer camp director, teen wilderness adventure leader and service project organizer. Matthew organizes and facilitates various outdoor activities for schools and organizations throughout Arizona. Matthew is also the volunteer chairman of Tucson’s Inner City Outings program, a project of the Sierra Club that works to share the joys of Nature with inner city and at-risk youth and their families. He lives off-the-grid in the Sierrita Mountains west of Tucson, and in between teaching programs and guiding outdoor adventures, he works as a field archaeologist and nature writer.
WILD WORLD EDUCATION
Outdoor Learning Expeditions
DEVIL’S CANYON *TONTO NATIONAL FOREST* SUPERIOR, AZ
On October 1st – 3rd, Wild World Education will offer an outdoor learning expedition to Devil’s Canyon, one of the most amazing ecosystems in Southern Arizona. Devil’s Canyon offers outstanding hiking and canyoneering opportunities – an outdoor classroom where learning, growing and interacting with Nature happen as naturally as the sunrise.
The three-day expedition will provide youth an opportunity to explore different ecosystems; become familiar with wildlife found in riparian (water dependant) corridors; learn the importance of conservation; challenge themselves in the wilderness context; connect with Native American traditions relevant to the area; gain skills in low-impact camping; learn how to rappel, climb and safely navigate through a vertical environment; discuss current environmental issues; and explore, appreciate and celebrate Nature.
ITENERARY
Day One
Afternoon (exact time TBD): Meet in Phoenix and travel for 90 minutes to Oak Flat Campground in the Tonto National Forest. Set up camp, learning low-impact camping techniques. Explore the area around camp, learning the importance of Oak Flat for San Carlos Apache people. After snack, hike around Queen Creek and Hackberry Canyon. Nature-based activities will be facilitated on the hike and back at camp. Dinner and discussions around the campfire, and sleeping under the stars (or in tents).
Day Two
Prepare breakfast and begin our exploration of Devil’s Canyon – one of the most amazing ecosystems in this part of Arizona. The day trip will include hiking, scrambling, navigating, identification of plants and animals that are only found within riparian woodland biomes. We will swim in the cool pools of the canyon, and learn technical rope work (rappelling and ascending) to get to the lower pools. Communication, cooperation, creativity and compassion will be the themes for the day – and all of these skills will be practiced as we make our way in and out of the canyon. We’ll stumble out of the canyon by dark and back to camp in time for a late dinner and reflections on our adventurous day together.
Day Three
Breakfast, morning exploration, and nature-based activities. Following lunch, we will pack up camp, prepare our afternoon snacks, and have our closing circle. We will return to Phoenix by 4pm.
WILD WORLD EDUCATION
Outdoor Learning Expeditions
DEVIL’S CANYON *TONTO NATIONAL FOREST* SUPERIOR, AZ
GEAR PROVIDED
Matthew Nelson will provide all of the group gear needed for this adventure, including:
Tents
Sleeping bags (participants can elect to bring their own)
Sleeping pads
Group cooking, eating, cleaning and sanitary supplies
Activity supplies for group games and initiatives
Canyoneering and climbing gear (helmets, harnesses, ropes, hardware, etc.)
First-Aid supplies
WHAT TO BRING
Participants will need to bring basic personal items (clothing, pillow, journal, etc.). A complete list of what to bring will be provided one week in advance of departure.
COST
Expedition = $45.00 per person/per day = $135.00 (20% sibling discount)
Food = $60.00 per person
Total = $195.00
WWE provides all food (including daily snacks). Approximate food costs are $7 per person per meal per day. For this three-day expedition, we will eat the following meals together: Day 1: late lunch and dinner; Day 2: breakfast, lunch, and dinner; Day 3: breakfast and lunch. Total: 7 meals and various snacks. *All food is organic or all-natural.
REGISTRATION & INFORMATION
Call 602.432.3707 or contact us @ info@culturalwellness.org to receive a registration form and waiver via email. Maximum of 10 participants. Final day to register: September 24th, 2010. All fees are due upon registration. Please send in your payment in full no later than September 24th, 2010 to: Cultural Wellness & Family Enrichment Center; P.O. Box #1133; Scottsdale, Arizona 85252 *Please make checks payable to: CWFEC.
Upcoming:
November 11-14 2010
Havasu Canyon
If there is one place in Arizona where Heaven and Earth meet, it’s in Havasu Canyon. With its towering red rock cliffs, turquoise water, thriving native population, and waterfalls over 200 feet tall, Havasu Canyon is one of the natural wonders that everyone should visit in their lifetime. Hidden on the far western end of the Grand Canyon, and one of the last areas within the United States to be “discovered” by non-natives, Havasu is pure paradise. Students will walk into the heart of canyon country for 8 miles to reach the village of Supai, one of only two places where the U.S. Mail is still carried on horseback. Then, two miles later, the roar of Havasu Falls beckons weary hikers. The presence of beautiful blue-green water in this dry land is breathtaking, and so is the feeling of jumping in to the deep pools of crystalline water. Farther downstream, other waterfalls beckon hikers to stay for a while in this place that the Havasupai people have called home, and fought hard to protect, for over 400 years. Most visitors to Havasu Canyon agree it’s one of the most beautiful places in the world.
December 3 - 5 2010
Superstition Mountains Wilderness
One of Southern Arizona’s wildest mountain ranges is just a short drive from Phoenix. The Superstition Mountains offer interesting geology and unlimited hiking opportunities. Hidden springs, desert critters, ancient rock art and the most famous pinnacle in this part of the state are just a few of the wonderful features to be found within the Superstitions. It’s an excellent example of a wilderness “island” near a major city.
