On Friday, August 9th, ELK staff and 26 youth departed Denver’s traffic, noise, and endless city blocks for the clean 
air, wildlife, mountains, and glistening streams of Rocky Mountain National Park. It was a chance for ELK’s urban youth to experience the joys of starry night skies, campfires, camping, fishing, stewardship, and wildlife. For some it was their first time camping!
Within hour
s of arriving and setting up ELK’s tent city, a herd of elk meandered into the campsite, feeding on the nutrients from charred wood lying in fire pits throughout the campground. It was amazing to see the excitement of ELK’s youth as a cow and her calf walked by, oblivious to the 26 kids staring wide-eyed. Throughout the 3 day trip we saw multiple herds of elk and moose, witnessed meteoroids from the Perseid meteor shower burn up as they entered Earth’s atmosphere, learned about astronomy during a Park Ranger presentation around our camp fire, went fishing, and completed an important service project in the park.
The service project was one of the highlights of the trip as the staff and youth, big and small, displayed their leadership and teamwork skills to construct a fence that will serve as a barrier to protect the natural environment from snowmobiles, hikers, and cross country skiers for many years to come. We were all flying high and proud of our accomplishments!
Keep an eye out for our next big adventure!
If you would like to get involved and enjoy some great activities and wonderful learning opportunities, please contact dpurce@elkkids.org!
