GCO Monthly Newsletter

Happy Halloween! We hope that you've been having a wonderful Spooky Season. Things have been busy at Garfield County Outdoors with plenty of time outside on field trips and other outdoor events and opportunities. Check out the updates below for what we've been up to. See you out there!

We all grow better outside.

Garfield County Outdoors (GCO) is a collaborative initiative that connects youth and families to the outdoors. ALL programs are FREE and transportation and gear is provided when possible. GCO is part of the Re-2 and Garfield 16 School Districts and communities (New Castle, Silt, Rifle & Parachute).

Garfield County Outdoors was proud to support three major events this past month throughout the community. We hosted a Leave No Trace education booth at Rifle Area Mountain Bike Organization's Grand Hogback Extravaganza at the Rifle Arch/Grand Hogback Trails earlier in the month. Down in Parachute, we ran a 3D Archery Shoot at the Rockmageddon event as well as supported this year's Buck Fever 5k in partnership with Grand Valley Rec Center and Town of Parachute! It's been great to spend some time outside of school trips and connecting with other parts of our amazing communities!

It's been a busy month for Re-2 Outdoor Ed! There has been a ton of Elementary School field trips from one end of the valley to the other. Some of the trips included Kathryn Senor students at East Elk Creek, Elk Creek Elementary heading to Silt to the Sopris Alpaca Farm, and Cactus Valley making the trek up to Rifle Falls. Additionally, many classes have even had the chance to travel out of the county to locations like Studt's Pumpkin Farm and the ECE 4th and 5th grades had an amazing day at the Grand Valley Challenge Course.

This month has also seen our annual 7th grade class hiking trips. Sadly, the Hanging Lake Trail has been under construction this fall (where we've been heading the past few years) and the schools were forced to check out alternative locations. Riverside chose to explore Rifle Arch while also getting a chance to learn about erosion from Garfield County CSU Extension and the Bookcliff, Mount Sopris and South Side Conservation Districts and their stream table as well as the Leave No Trace Principles. For Rifle Middle School, the 7th grade headed West to Colorado National Monument where they hiked, learned about Geology and the human history of the area, and enjoyed the fresh desert air.

A few additional highlights were our fishing day at Lion's Pond with students from the Wellspring Program and the Wilderness First Aid Class at Rifle High continues to hone their wilderness medicine skills and knowledge weekly!

October seems to be the best month for getting our school groups outside. This month has been packed full of expeditions, field trips and class outings. Kindergarteners celebrated "Explorer Day" at Cottonwood Park, creating autumn tree art, using discovery tools, and uncovering insects in the soil. First graders explored the community by visiting the fire station, post office, town hall, and library to learn how these places support our town. Third graders took an educational hike on the Trail Through Time in Rabbit Valley, where they marveled at real fossils embedded in rock.

Our fourth-grade class ventured to Rifle Arch, bringing their geology unit to life as they observed firsthand the effects of weathering and erosion. Meanwhile, fifth graders built teamwork skills at the Grand Valley Challenge Course, and seventh graders hiked up East Elk Creek to explore local ecology and connect with nature. High schoolers had their own adventure: the Honors Physical Science class applied physics concepts with thrilling activities at the Challenge Course, while Environmental Science students studied biodiversity by identifying macroinvertebrates from the Colorado River and Parachute Creek. The Grand Valley Leadership Class also took on team challenges and obstacles at the Challenge Course to strengthen their leadership abilities.

This November, we will be planning out our winter excursions. And we will bring together teachers throughout the District for the Outdoor Advisory Team to focus on alignment of student experiences within outdoor ed. Can't wait to see you on the slopes ⛄

The Outdoor Education Program at Re-2 is looking to find the right candidate to complete their team! Head over to this link HERE for more information on the Outdoor Education Field Coordinator position.

Garfield County Outdoors is a proud Generation Wild community and is made possible through the generous support of Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO).