Ruth’s project focused on teaching youth how to plan a camping trip.
For the Leadership Academy Capstone Project, Ruth offered camping workshops to youth and took some of the participants on a camping trip. This project aimed to reconnect underrepresented and overworked families to nature by helping them learn how to navigate camping and feel that it is an accessible way to vacation and recreate in nature.
Ruth led two 1-hour camping workshops in English and Spanish for the Hawthorne, Inglewood, and Lennox community at Lennox Park. The first session was an orientation on how to reserve camping spots on the County, State and Federal levels and how to recreate responsibly. Participants learned about the Leave No Trace Ethics and how to prepare for the actual camping trip by checking weather, fire, and road conditions.
Ruth hosted a camping workshop and took youth to Crystal Lake Recreation Area.
The second part of the project consisted of an outing to Crystal Lake Recreation Area where the youth practiced setting up a tent, how to cook their own meals, participated in a simple wayfinding activity, reviewed general hiking safety, and learned about the local flora.
Ruth also explained the importance of vegetation in the forest to the floodplain. Students were able to draw conclusions about how forest health is directly tied to the air quality of cities in lower lying areas.
We are proud of Ruth for all of her work and dedication to make this project a success. We are also grateful to LA2050 and USDA Forest Health Protection for making these projects possible.
Read more about the rest of the Leadership Academy Cohort 20’s projects.
