As summer turns to fall and kids are back to school, the days get colder and hours of daylight shorter. This transition can be stressful for the entire family and compounded by increased screen time that is part of today’s childhood. Numerous studies show that kids today spend as many as six hours a day in front of screens.
Fortunately, spending time in nature is a natural remedy for stress and anxiety. The sight and sound of water specifically triggers a calm and meditative state, according to research done by Wallace J. Nichols, author of “Blue Mind” and former marine biologist. Less anxiety leads to greater feelings of happiness and being centered.
That’s why Forever Our Rivers provided scholarships to the Colorado Canyons Association, who send thousands of kids and young adults on river trips every year. Both day-long and overnight rafting trips are offered along the Colorado and Gunnison rivers.
Programming isn’t just about thrill and adventure, it also reinforces the importance of taking care of nature, particularly in beautiful but heavily visited areas like our public lands. Students learn how to recreate responsibly and restore habitat at three National Conservation Areas in Western Colorado: The McInnis Canyons, Dominguez-Escalante and the Gunnison Gorge.
Other project partners include The Hispanic Affairs Project, which empowers emerging leaders within immigrant and poor communities, and Upward Bound, who supports first-generation students on their college journey.
This program isn’t just important to communities on the Western Slope. Studies also show that children who spend time in nature regularly are shown to become better stewards of the environment. That is good for all of us.
