Newsletter of, by, and for the kids of New Haven ICO
WHAT IS ICO?
Inner City Outings (ICO) is a program of the Sierra Club, which is the
oldest environmental organization in America. The Sierra Club works
to protect all living things and the land, water and air that surrounds
all living things (that is, the environment). It also promotes responsible
enjoyment of the outdoors by human beings, and the recognition that
people are part of their environment, not separate and above it. ICO
is a program that allows kids to get out and experience nature in ways
they wouldn't otherwise be able to. ICO provides trained leaders, equipment,
transportation and everything else needed for trips such as hiking,
biking, ice skating, roller blading, skiing, whitewater rafting, and
camping. What's your favorite kind of outing? Is there something you
haven't done yet with ICO that you'd like to do? Tell your leaders!
SPOTLIGHT ON NATURE
In each issue of this newsletter, we plan to spotlight a critter that
you might see on an ICO outing. This month it's the red-tailed hawk,
a bird of prey that spends time in Connecticut and migrates as far south
as Central America every winter and as far north as Canada and Alaska
every summer. These hawks build nests of sticks and twigs in tall trees
and often return to the same nest year after year. The male and female
mate for life. They soar above cliffs on updrafts of air, using their
sharp eyes to find their prey (mostly rodents). This hawk can fly up
to 100 miles an hour! It gets its name from its reddish tail (surprise!).
If you would like to research and write up for the next newsletter an
animal of your choice that lives in Connecticut and might be spotted
on an ICO outing, talk to your leader. There are many animals to choose
from: mammals such as chipmunks, racoons, fox or deer; birds such as
eagles, cardinals, crows or swans; reptiles such as painted or snapping
turtles, black snakes or copperheads; amphibians such as bullfrogs or
toads; fish such as carp or trout; and thousands of different kinds
of insects!
YOUTH LEADERSHIP
ICO does not want to just take kids on trips, even though that's a lot
of fun for both kids and adults. ICO wants to help you develop leadership
so that someday, you can lead trips. Learning skills and taking on responsibility
will also help you in all other areas of your lives. Some ways kids
have taken on leadership include: helping to organize gear for trips,
making lunches, cleaning up hiking trails, helping to sell calendars,
writing thank you notes for the donations ICO received after all our
equipment was destroyed in a fire, and talking to reporters about the
program. These are all ways you make ICO your program. What other ideas
do you have for taking on leadership? (How about writing or drawing
for the newsletter?!)
---------------------------------------------------
HAVE YOU MET THE
SLEEPING GIANT?
Most of you have been hiking up Sleeping Giant. It's the first hike
any new ICO group takes, and some groups go back again, since there
are a dozen trails that crisscross the park that can be put together
in lots of combinations. Sleeping Giant is in Hamden, a short drive
from New Haven. It's also an easy bus ride away. Sleeping Giant was
not always protected as a state park. It used to be privately owned,
and at one time a large quarry operated there. Huge chunks of the trap
rock that forms the head of the Giant were dynamited and removed. If
something wasn't done, the Giant would completely lose its head! But
people who loved the Giant formed the Sleeping Giant Park Association
in 1924 and worked to protect it. In 1933, the Association succeeded
in buying the land. As a state park, it is protected from development
so that all of us can enjoy the beautiful Mill River flowing through
the park; we can climb to the Tower and look out over New Haven, the
glistening water of Long Island Sound, as far as Long Island itself;
we can scramble over boulders, hike the Cascade Gorge trail and look
50 feet down to a rushing stream with little waterfalls; we can look
for wildflowers, different kinds of trees, and enjoy watching chipmunks,
hawks and, if we're really lucky, maybe even a deer. We can sit quietly
and listen to a bird's song, leaves rustling in a breeze, or no sound
at all. We are lucky to have this wonderful place so close to visit
any time we want. We also have an obligation to help take care of it,by
never littering ourselves, defacing the rocks, or destroying any plants
when we go hiking. And more than that, we can pick up litter we find
or help keep the trails clear. That way, Sleeping Giant will feel even
more like our very own park.
---------------------------------------------------
KIDS COMMENTS
Following are some of the things kids had to say after ICO trips:
"What I liked on the last trip (canoeing) was the water because
it was nice and cool. And you can look right through the water and it
had lots of sand. I also saw pretty birds. And I give thanks to ICO."
-- Tammy, Age 12
"When we went
canoeing the only thing I like is the water. When we went to the first
point it was okay but the second point was scary, but I like swimming.
I love going on any trips just as long as we have fun."
-- Latoya, Age 15
"I got on this
big bus and I got there on this hiking trip; I never did this before
in my life. Then I started hiking up hills and roads. I said...this
is getting very hard. I have to get into caves. I said I hope I will
not get stuck in these caves. Then my friends...helped me get up these
ladders. I was getting very scared about these things but my courage
helped me get through the hiking trip. It was exciting to finish. I
really, really enjoyed this activity with [leaders] Stephanie, Heather,
Jessica. I want to thank them for the excellent trip. "
-- William, Age 12
"It was fun...deep
water...blue and brown heron...a minnow...we got stuck between two rocks...put
our feet in the water...the biggest tree in Connecticut."
-- Monique, Age 12.
"It was a hard
trip and it made my feet hurt and I was waiting to go back to the car
and it was fun. "
-- Jackie, Age 10
"[What] I like
about the last trip, it was very fun. And I like the mountain because
you had to put up your legs. "
-- Cherise, Age 10
"I like the
way we were walking. I saw a log. "
-- Dorothy, Age 8
---------------------------------------------------
And here's what
ICOer Jessica, 13, had to say about a special 9-day backpacking trip
she took with the Sierra Club in the mountains of California, made possible
through Inner City Outings:
"The most fun
part was climbing the mountains because it was a struggle with myself
and I won. My favorite part of each day was playing games around the
campfire at night. The hardest part was leaving at the end of the trip.
I would love to go on another Sierra Club national outing because it's
fun and challenging.
---------------------------------------------------
SAVE THESE DATES!
New Haven ICO now has regular trip days for our groups. Generally, each
group goes out on a set weekend of the month, i.e. first Saturday, second
Saturday, etc. As a volunteer, you can hook up with one group, and plan
for that particular Saturday. As a leader, part of taking leadership
is keeping track of these dates and being available for all your ICO
trips unless something else comes up that you really have to do.
SEE YOU LATER!
We hope you enjoy this first issue of The Stars of Tomorrow (that's
you!). Many thanks to ICOer William Cornigans for the wonderful name.
Please discuss with your leaders any ideas you have for the next issue,
or call OR email Melinda Tuhus, ICO Chairperson (and editor of this
issue) at 946-8964 to get more involved in writing, drawing, or producing
the next issue. See you on the trails (and the rivers, ski slopes, etc!)
