8A | SATURDAY, JUNE 2, 2018 | SIUSLAW NEWS ADVENTURE from page 1A Unfortunately, the future of the program is somewhat in doubt. Drastic cuts to the block grant that funds the Outdoor Adven- ture Camp through the “Twi- light Education Program” has forced the district to reduce the services offered to students after school. This has led to an elimi- nation of meals and supervised activities for students that wish, or need, to stay at school after classes have ended for the day. “It costs somewhere between $10-15,000 dollars to hold the camp, depending on what activ- ities and other things, like meals and transportation, we include,” Wells said. “And the school dis- trict has some work to do.” Wells will meet with Siuslaw Superintendent Andy Grzesko- wiak this summer to discuss possibilities for the program. “After camp wraps up this year, the planning team is going to look at our finance reserves from our donors and figure our best approach to meet the needs of the students,” Grzeskowiak said. “There is quite a bit of in- terest in the community to re- turn to an outdoor education program that has the overnight component. So many people speak of that week from their middle school days as one of the greatest experiences of their lives.” On the positive side of the ledger, voters approved Measure 99 in 2016, which takes four per- cent of the state’s lottery funds and dedicates them to creating an Outdoor Education Fund. This revenue stream has some restrictions as to its use and while voters overwhelmingly ap- proved measure 99, the specifics of obtaining and utilizing this money is still being worked out. According to Grzeskowiak, WATERSHED from page 1A The islands are the remnants of a more extensive forest that once covered the dunes, which has been lost through erosion over time. The remaining is- lands are hubs for vegetation and wildlife, including a ro- bust population of fir and spruce trees. But the tree islands are in danger of being overrun by invasive species like Scotch broom, which are growing on the edges of the islands. “Sand Dunes Frontier will take the students on sand bug- gies out to the tree islands and work with campers and forest service folks to remove the invasive species,” Terry said. “We’ll also have someone do- ing a history of the dunes and dune ecology.” After learning about and caring for the tree islands, students will be taken to Sand Master Park where they’ll be given lessons on sandboard- ing. “It’s a good experience for them to see recreational op- portunities that they haven’t had before. And along the way, teach them that if you’re going to recreate out here, it’s great to keep in good shape,” Terry said. “It’ll be a heck of a day and really cool.” One day will find the stu- dents at lakes south of Flor- ence, such as Siltcoos and Cleawox, where students will discover birdwatching and how the region’s delicate eco- system supports habitats. That will then lead to the dunes, where students will learn about the Western Snowy Plo- ver, a threatened species that is just recently beginning to reestablish its population on the coast. Another day will find the students at Sutton Lake. “We’ll do invasive species monitoring,” Terry said. “We’ll walk the creek with some of the kids and actually map where the invasive species are, patches of Japanese knotweed or parrot feather, and we’ll be going with a botanist from the National Forest Service.” That day will also include the representatives from the Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw PHOTOS BY MARK BRENNAN/SIUSLAW NEWS Archery, kayaking and canoeing, hiking and learn- ing how to set up a campsite and cook food on an open fire are all lessons taught by qualified volunteers at the Outdoor Adventure Camp. In addition, cooking, beadmak- ing and tie-dyeing options were available, as well as lessons about native cul- tures. there will more than likely be some changes to the program in the future. “With the passage of Measure 99, outdoor school funds can be spent for fifth- or sixth-grade students for either a day or over- night educational experience,” Grzeskowiak said. “We cannot continue with our current for- mat building relationships be- tween fifth- and seventh-graders to ease the transition to middle school and use the M99 funds to cover all of the program costs.” Historically, Siuslaw’s outdoor school has been a sixth-grade activity. “Since our current fifth-grad- Indians, which will do a canoe pull with the students. Other activities include pad- dle boarding and horse rides at C&M Stables. By doing these activities, Terry hopes that local youth will look beyond the usual summer activities. “If you’re at home in the summer, and you’re playing video games, you could also be out there stand up paddle boarding. There’s entertain- ment today outside in the nat- ural environment. They’ll be exposed to recreational oppor- tunities in their own backyard that maybe they wouldn’t have access to otherwise,” he said. Beyond recreation, Terry hopes that the experiences will give youth the opportunity to explore future employment op- portunities in the field of res- ers have had Outdoor Adven- tures this year, the program at sixth-grade would not be eligi- ble for M99 funds if we spent any M99 funds this year on camp, since the measure’s funds will not cover any costs related to seventh-graders. So, we are caught in the middle of a legisla- tive gap if we move the program back to the middle school,” Grz- eskowiak said. He clarified that the program would not necessarily go away. “The format may change as it moves back to the sixth-grade level. There has been too much work done by staff, students and people in the community toration. “The students can see that this is a viable future,” he said. “They can say, ‘If I enjoy what I’m doing out here, this could be a viable job for me.’ There are a lot of jobs in restoration and other fields right here in the Siuslaw region. And it’s great for the natural resource specialists to see what rural youth are actually interested in. It’s good to introduce those two groups.” The camp, which is being funded by The Ford Family, Western Lane Community and Mapleton Community founda- tions, will run from Monday, June 25, to Friday, June 29. The cost of the camp is $75, but scholarships are available. For more information, vis- it www.siuslaw.org/camps, or call 541-268-3044. to not bring outdoor camp back for Siuslaw students,” Grzesko- wiak said. “We are just having to wrestle with the funding re- quirements of the state and the Florence Food Share provides food to those who are hungry in our community. If you have four hours a week available, we are in need of vol- unteers to staff our Front Desk and also act as Guides as clients walk through the pantry. Please call our volunteer coordinator, Sarah Lovejoy, @ 541-997-9110 (Monday – Friday, before noon) to learn more about volunteering. info@lorence- foodshare.org 2190 Spruce Street. Volunteer Volunteers needed for new home construction, home repairs, general RIÀFHZRUNSXEOLFUHODWLRQVDQGSURJUDPDGPLQLVWUDWLRQ-RLQDQ RSHUDWLQJFRPPLWWHHDQGKHOS+DELWDWKHOSRWKHUV &DOORUHPDLOWRÁRUHQFHKDELWDW#JPDLOFRP 2IÀFHORFDWHGDW+:<)ORUHQFH ZZZIDFHERRNFRPUHVWRUHÁRUHQFH Annual Ice Cream Social July 21 at Florence Events Center Get involved Donate Do your part and volunteer today Meet 1st Wednesday of every month Luncheon Meeting ($8.50) Shorewood Senior Living 1451 Spruce St 541-991-3209 or sgelmstedt@gmail.com to help support these local Memory Care Respite of Florence Your Memory Care Respite Center needs you! Seeking volunteers for our Coffee Club: Conversation & companionship in a caring setting while providing respite for caregivers. Contact us at memcarerespite@gmail.com Get Results...List With Ed. non-proft organizations in our community! Join the Peace Harbor Hospital Volunteers.