NORTH CRAWFORD - Led by an enthusiastic group of school staff, an Outdoor Adventure Club is forming at North Crawford. Interested students in grades six through 12 are welcome to join. The club will offer outdoor education and Sunday excursions to Driftless Region outdoor adventure locations.

“It was an idea I’ve had for quite a while, and with students being so cooped up due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it just seemed that the time was right,” North Crawford art teacher Brandie Myhre said. “When I talked with Liz Bransky and Amy Anderson, they were very excited about the idea and encouraged me to move forward.”

The club’s activities will be partially funded through the Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Center Grant Program, which funds North Crawford’s ‘Beyond the Bell’ program.

“We see the club as another way for the school to connect with students and give them an opportunity to interact with teachers and each other outside their homes,” Beyond the Bell coordinator Amy Anderson said. “We hope that the program will offer students each their own window into the outdoors, and offer a valuable learning experience as well.”

In addition, the club is looking for donations of equipment or monetary donations to help fund their efforts and equip their outdoor adventurers. To make a donation, contact Brandie Myhre at 608-735-4311, ext. 311, or by e-mail at bmyhre@ncrawford.k12.wi.us.

Myhre said that the first activity of the club will be a hike in Wyalusing State Park on Sunday, Nov. 29. The club will offer educational Zoom meetings the week before to educate participants about the history of the park, and the ‘leave no trace ethic’ of outdoor adventuring.

“I think our group’s vision is to get kids outside and moving,” North Crawford library media specialist Liz Bransky said. “We want to provide kids with a way to socialize safely during COVID-19, get some exercise, explore all the Driftless Region has to offer, get to do a little travelling, and learn about adventure.”

Other activities the group has in mind for their outdoor adventures include cross-country and downhill skiing, snow shoeing, geocaching, kayaking, canoeing, and maybe even some trout fishing.

Students will study all of the properties they visit in advance, and take pictures on their outings. At the end of the year, the students will make a slideshow of all of their adventures.

“It’s really about introducing kids to all the fun and healthy benefits of the outdoors, and to give them experiences that they can carry forward into their lives,” Myhre said. “We want to reinforce in kids all the good things life in the Driftless Region has to offer.”

Myhre said it is her dream that someday the kids will get enough mileage in with hiking, that she can take them on a long distance hike on one of the national trails. In the meantime, she envisions a weekend overnight backpacking and hiking excursion to one of the local parks like the Kickapoo Valley Reserve.

“We not only want to get kids outside and moving, but we also want to offer lots of educational opportunities,” Myhre said. “We plan to try to line up speakers about cool places in our area like Effigy Mounds State Park, the Genoa Fish Hatchery, and more.”

Myhre says that the kids will have lots of input into where they go and what they do. She said they will also become involved in making their own snacks for the excursions.