Sunrise light on a grove of tufa towers emerging from the water of Mono Lake with soft green and dusty-red wild grasses in the foreground, Canada geese in the shallow water with reflections of the rocky towers, and desert hills in the distance.

#5: 20 Outdoor Experiences groups in 2011

Sunrise light on a grove of tufa towers emerging from the water of Mono Lake with soft green and dusty-red wild grasses in the foreground, Canada geese in the shallow water with reflections of the rocky towers, and desert hills in the distance.

The Committee’s Outdoor Experiences program began in 1994 with visits from two community-based organizations: Mothers of East Los Angeles, Santa Isabel and the Los Angeles Conservation Corps—who were part of the water conservation toilet retrofit program in LA. Who would have imagined that in 2011 we would host 20 groups from Los Angeles and beyond at the Outdoor Education Center here in the Mono Basin? In the program, participants are empowered through work on personal growth and community-oriented activities to build an understanding and appreciation for the Mono Basin/Los Angeles watershed. Through education programs and muscle-powered recreational activities, participants learn that balanced solutions are possible for meeting the water needs of people and the environment and develop a sense of stewardship through service projects that restore and improve the quality of the Mono Basin watershed. Sound fun? It most certainly is.

The Outdoor Experiences group from the Port of Los Angeles High School at South Tufa.
In addition to restoration stewardship projects, participants in the Outdoor Experiences program gave back to the Outdoor Education Center itself by building a new fence! Photos by Santiago Escruceria.

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