Looking for a new way to encourage your child to get outdoors and explore new places? Getting Kids Outdoors Emmet County is announcing the release of their Passport to Adventure. Modeled after the National Park Service’s “Junior Explorer” program, Passport to Adventure encourages children and their families to get outdoors and explore, while promoting local events, programs, and nearby natural destinations.
After each outdoor experience, children record their observations and experiences in their passport on the page designated to each location. Once the experience and correlating passport page has been completed, children will receive an official GKO stamp (stamping provided by staff at each location or office) to prove their participation. GKO hopes that the Passport to Adventure will be an ongoing activity for everyone to enjoy all year long.
To celebrate participants and their accomplishments, a ceremony will be held at Pond Hill Farm at the end of each summer. Awards will be given out for participation. (Completion of Passport not necessary to attend the ceremony.) Participating organizations for exploration include but aren’t limited to: Raven Hill Discovery Center, Pond Hill Farm, SEE-North, North Country Trail Association, Thorne Swift Nature Preserve, Wilderness and Petoskey State Parks, Camp Daggett, Odawa Natural Resource Department, and Little Traverse Conservancy.
With help from Harbor Springs Area United Fund, a pilot of the Passport to Adventure program will be conducted through Harbor Springs elementary schools this fall. Passports are available to download at gettingkidsoutdoors.org. For more information, please call Alison Berry at 231-344-1010.