FSPW volunteers close the age gap with Winter Tracks
(Photo courtesy FRIENDS OF SCOTCHMAN PEAKS WILDERNESS) Map and compass instructor Robin Chisholm points a student in the right direction at Round Lake State Park.
(Photo courtesy FRIENDS OF SCOTCHMAN PEAKS WILDERNESS) Everyone has fun when Dr. Celeste Grace and retired nurse Mary Franzel teach kids about native mammals.
Saving the rugged and wild Scotchman Peaks for future generations is part of the mission of Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness. Part of that is helping kids “find their wild place.” A primer course in loving the out-of-doors is the FSPW Winter Tracks program.
“It takes a village,” is a fitting saying for Winter Tracks. Volunteers from many walks of life bring expertise and a vital message to kids about loving wild things and places. One age group passes knowledge and passion to another in a fun and safe setting. Winter Tracks instructors — many of them retired — teach students about tracking, leave no trace, avalanche safety, trees, map and compass, native mammals, winter survival and more.
Retired foresters Jeff Pennick and Ed Robinson team up to teach about trees, and their passion for the subject is easy to detect “One of my favorite things to do is to teach kids to be curious and go out and explore,” Pennick says. “If they are curious to explore wild places, it’s a wonderful thing.”
Retired Libby teacher Gene Reckin brings a collection of bird and animal mounts to Winter Tracks, and a huge knowledge of wildlife. “Getting kids outside is fun for them and me,” he says
The love flows both ways. When kids light up about an idea — especially a kid who seemed bored at the beginning of a session — it makes the teacher’s day. And the kid’s day as well.
The bond between volunteers and students is clear. Volunteers say their favorite part of the day was Interacting with the students. Teachers notes that the best part of the experience for students was meeting people with a desire to help them learn about the outdoors.
“It’s a win, win situation,” says FSPW staffer Sandy Compton, who will run the Winter Tracks program this season. “Kids — and teachers — get turned on to the outdoors and volunteers get turned on to the joys of teaching.”
Winter Tracks sessions consist of four learning modules and a lunch break, totaling about four hours, not including arrival, departure and travel time. Shorter sessions can be arranged for schools farther away.
Not every Winter Tracks volunteer is a teacher. Retired phone company employee Howard Shay and his wife Connie help out as group guides and fire tenders. Veterinarian Celeste Grace and retired nurse Mary Franzel often teach the mammal class. Retired Navy veteran Phil Degens, 80, comes as a “general helper.”
“It keeps me young,” Degens says.
Winter Tracks venues include Round Lake State Park south of Sandpoint, USFS Timberlane Campground northwest of Libby and Roosevelt Park in Troy. Sanders County sessions are held at USFS North Shore Campground near Trout Creek. Others are held at the Trout Creek Wildlife Management area in the Pack River Delta and at Judy’s Place, a Kaniksu Land Trust property on the Idaho/Montana border east of Clark Fork.
FSPW is now taking reservations from schools for the coming year. Most sessions are held on Fridays, though other arrangements can be made. FSPW invites anyone with an interest in teaching a module or enjoying a day of “keeping young” with the students to contact us at scotchmanpeaks.org/volunteer. Teachers who want to engage their class in Winter Tracks should write to sandy@scotchmanpeaks.org
Deadline for Winter Tracks reservations is Dec. 13.