young Volunteers for Outdoor Arizona
Families sometimes bring their children to VOAz events. From time to time groups from schools, churches, or human services agencies
bring their youth. But until young Volunteers for Outdoor Arizona was started with the support of REI, there was no special effort to
accommodate young people. The value of getting young people outdoors and connected with nature has received considerable national
media attention due to a popular book by Richard Louv. Louv raised a general alarm about the diminishing connections between young people and the natural
environment.
Given VOAz's success in developing a strong program focused on adult
volunteering, we created young Volunteers for Ourdoor Arizona (yVOAz). While "work" at yVOAz
is meaningful--it is designed achieve outcomes of genuine value to the environment, yVOAz places a special emphasis on education
with respect to the value of the specific work and the importance giving back to the environment from which, after all, we draw everything
we need to sustain life.
Funding for young Volunteers for Outdoor Arizona has been provided by
The first set of events described on this page are an eclectic mixture of yVOAz Parents, teachers, and others who work with young people
are invited to contact VOAz about arranging a special outdoor volunteering opportunity for their youth groups.
October 25, 2008
Buffel grass Removal in Phoenix Mountain Preserve
Members of the Outdoor Club of Thunderbird High School dug and filled 48 bags of buffel grass at our 19th Avenue site.
Thom Hulen of VOAz provided an orientation to the problems created by this non-native bunch grass to start the day.
young Volunteers: Carla, Cody, Dalton L, Dalton O, Eric, Jacob, Jeremy, Joseph, Kevin, Kyle, and Raymond.
Volunteer Staff: Carla, Donna, Michael, Thom
Volunteer Hours: 60
Thanks to our event partners from the Phoenix Mountain Preserve Staff:
Jerry Waehner - Park Manager and Park Rangers Donnie and Scott.
Thanks to FOP Lodge # 2 (Larry and Pat) for making their facilities and parking lot available to us.
October 30, 2008
Trail work in South Mountain Park
Students for Desert Vista High School built new trail as part of the VOAz project to realign a segment of the perimeter trail
in the northwest end of South Mountain Park.
young Volunteers:Araron, Paul, Amanda, Addison, Tom, Brittany, Stephanie S, Natillie, Alex, Staphanie W, Bobbie, CJ, Carley, Kari
and Chris (faculty trip leader)
Volunteer Staff: Carla, Eric, Donna, Michael, Thom
Volunteer Hours: 60
Thanks to our event partners from the Phoenix Mountain Preserve:
Kim Kieth - Park Manager
April 25, 2009
Native Plant Restoration
Nine vounteers from the Desert Botanical Garden TEENs (Teen Environmentalists Exploring Nature) program
spent a Saturday morning reshaping damaged landscape and reseeding disturbed areas with native grass at Montezume Well.
Volunteer Hours: 50
Thanks the the staff at the Monument Castle National Monument for supervising the work.