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Summer 2008 Events for Washtenaw Inner City Outings

Upcoming Meetings

Sunday, July 13th from 7:00 to 9:00PM

Where: Location: Furstenberg Park in Ann Arbor, Fuller Rd. across the street from Huron High School - we will meet near the parking area. In case of rain, we will meet at the home of Ralph & Barbara Powell, 2887 Dalton in Ann Arbor. Call (734) 971 - 9013 for directions.

For additional information, please contact the co-chair
Vera Hernandez at (734) 665-8118

Upcoming Outings for 2008

July 12: Hikone goes canoeing on the Huron River or at Crosswinds Marsh. Outing leader is Matt Vernier.

July 19: Green Baxter goes canoeing on the Huron River or at Crosswinds Marsh. Outing leader is Tracy Raymond.

July 26: Hikone goes hiking and swimming at Pinckney Recreation Area or bike riding at Hudson Mills. Need a trip leader.

August 2: Hikone goes fishing at Silver Lake in PRA or Rolling Hills. Need a trip leader.

Date TBD: Green Baxter goes overnight camping at Kensington, Pinckney Recreation Area or Irish Hills. Need a trip leader.

August 22-24: Hikone attends the Mackinaw Chapter of Sierra Club retreat at Camp Miniwanca. Outing leaders are Michelle Nawal & Matt Vernier.

September 27: Public Lands Day - Public Lands Restoration project with Hikone or Green Baxter. Need a trip leader.

Completed Outings for 2008

May 17: Fifteen Green Baxter youth visited the Kensington Farm Center and went on a hayride. Outing leader was Matt Vernier.

May 3: Ten youth from Hikone visited Domino Farms to see the baby animals. Outing leader was Vera Hernandez.

April 19: Five Hikone youth hiked and pulled garlic mustard at the Matthaei Botanical Gardens. Outing leader was Barbara Powell.

March 14-16: Seven Hikone and Green Baxter youth returned to McGuire's in Cadillac, Michigan for a weekend of cross country skiing, snow shoeing, sledding, sleigh rides and more. Outing leaders: Matt Vernier & Michelle Nawal.

March 8: Thirteen youth from Green Baxter visited the U of M Exhibit Museum of Natural History for the Polar Science Adventures Discovery Day. Outing Leader was Vera Hernandez.

February 9: Five youth from Hikone visited the Nature Center and Farm Center at Kensington Metropark. They went for a hike and fed the birds. Outing leader was Barbara Powell, assisted by Ralph Powell, Matt Vernier & Tracy Raymond.

February 2: Eight youth from Green Baxter went ice skating at Yost Ice Arena. Outing leader was Vera Hernandez, assisted by Jan Brimacombe.

January 26: Hikone youth went cross country skiing at Hudson Mills Metropark. Outing leaders were Matt Vernier and Michelle Nawal.

Completed Outings for 2007

October 28: Fourteen Hikone youth enjoyed apple picking at Wasem's Orchard in Milan. Each youth selected a pumpkin to take home.Trip leader was Vera Hernandez.

October 20: Seven Green Baxter youth went horseback riding at Highwater Corral in Pinckney Recreation Area. Trip leaders were Matt Vernier and Michelle Nawal.

October 6: Seven Hikone youth went horseback riding at Highwater Corral in Pinckney Recreation Area. Outing leaders were Matt Vernier and Michelle Nawal.

September 29: Seven youth from Hikone went fishing at Rolling Hills County Park. Trip leader was Barbara Powell assisted by county park nauralist Faye Stoner.

August 24-26: Three youth from Hikone attended the Mackinaw Chapter of Sierra Club retreat at Camp Miniwanca. ICO trip leader was Michelle Nawal.

July 28: Youth from Hikone visited Independence Lake for a picnic, hiking and swimming. ICO trip leader was Vera Hernandez.

June 27: ICO outing leader Barbara Powell is also a docent at the U of M Matthaei Botanical Gardens. Barbara gave a tour of the conservatory to eleven Green Baxter youth. Afterwards, they donned raingear to hike one of the trails.

June 23: Matt Vernier led a canoe trip on the Huron River with eight youth from Hikone.

May 19: Barbara Powell took ten Hikone children on a 45 minute boat ride on the Island Queen II on Kent Lake. They also had a picnic lunch and visited the Kensington Farm Center.

April 21 or 22: Matt Vernier led a hike with seven youth from Hikone to Matthaei Botanical Gardens to look for signs of spring.

April 9: Vera Hernandez led a Motawi tile making outing with eleven Green Baxter children. The children toured the facility and made nature-related tiles.

March 3: Barbara Powell took six Green Baxter Court children to maple syrup-making at County Farm Park assisted by Magda Spiewla.

January 13: Vera Hernandez, Dana Jackman & Magda Spiewla took six Green Baxter Court youth and staff to the Leslie Science Center's "Back from the Brink" program about raptors.

Completed Outings for 2006

October 28: Vera Hernandez led an outing to the U of M Exhibit Museum to check out the "Sky Tonight" planetary program with nine Hikone participants.

October 20-22: Vera Hernandez, current WICO Co-chair, attended the Inner City Outings Midwest regional retreat in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park.

September 16: Barbara Powell led a hike and cookout at Lillie Park with 9 youth from Hikone.

July 26: Vera Hernandez & Barbara Powell escorted 12 Hikone youth on the "Eye of the Eagle" Discovery Cruise on Lake Erie.

July 14 - 16: Michelle Nawal & Matt Vernier led a Weekend camping trip to Sleeping Bear Dunes with 9 Hikone participants. Sponsored by the Traverse City Sierra Club.

June 3: Megan Beardsley & Matt Vernier took seven Hikone youth canoeing at Crosswinds Marsh. They loved checking out the nesting eagles through a spotting scope.

May 10: Vera Hernandez led a Hikone visit to the Farm Center and Nature Center at Kensington Metropark with 16 participants.

April 29: Barbara Powell & Phyllis Ford escorted seven Hikone participants to Lake Erie Metropark for a hike and visit to the Nature Center.

April 8: Vera Hernandez & Barbara Powell led a hike with four Green Baxter participants to the Matthaei Botanical Gardens.

March 25: Matt Vernier led a hike to look for signs of spring to Matthaei Botanical Gardens with eight Parkridge participants.

March 11: Vera Hernandez led a trip to the Leslie Science Center for the "Cold Blooded Creatures Program"with six participants from Hikone.

Completed Outings for 2005

November 19: The River Raisin Raptor Rehabilitation Center visited Parkridge Community Center.

November 5: Michelle Nawal and Matt Vernier led a horseback riding trip with Parkridge.

October 29: Vera Hernandez led a trip to Leslie Science Center with Hikone.

October 22: Michelle Nawal and Matt Vernier led a horseback riding trip with Hikone.

October 8: Matt Vernier led a trip to the U of M Arboretum with Parkridge for hiking and games.

October 1: Susan Hollar led a trip to Wasem Fruit Farm for apple and pumpkin picking with Greenbaxter.

July 23: Peter Bednekoff led a day trip to Kensington Metro Park with Parkridge for swimming and the osprey festival.

July 19: The River Raisin Raptor Rehabilitation Center visited Greenbaxter Day Camp.

July 16: Barbara Powell and Matt Vernier lead an overnight camping trip to Kensington with Hikone.

June 11: Megan Beardsley led a canoe trip at Crosswinds Marsh or Gallup Park with Parkridge.  

June 4: Matt Verinier and Vera Hernandez led a canoe trip at Crosswinds Marsh with ten Hikone participants.   A picnic lunch followed.

May 21: Barbara Powell led a trip to Park Lyndon South with seven Hikone participants. Faye Stoner, Washtenaw County Naturalist, led a nature hike followed by a campfire with s'mores.

April 9: Megan Beardsley led a hiking trip to Waterloo Recreation Area with eight Parkridge participants.

Feb 26: Matt Vernier led a Cross Country ski trip with a hay ride and visit to the Farm Learning Center with 8 Hikone participants at Kensington Metropark.

Jan 29: Megan Beardsley led a Cross Country ski trip with 8 Parkridge participants at Willow Metropark.

Completed Outings for 2004

October 30: Matt Vernier and Michelle Nawal led a trip with 6 Hikone participants horseback riding at Brighton riding stables.

September 25: Susan Hollar led a night hike at LeFurge Woods (part of the SE Michigan Land Conservancy) with Green Baxter participants. The weather was beautiful and the kids enjoyed the campfire and making smores.

September 10-12: Barbara & Ralph Powell attended the Sierra Club Retreat at Lake Miniwanca with 5 Hikone participants. They enjoyed hiking in the dunes, the Lake Michigan beach and evening campfires under the stars.

July 24: Susan Hollar led a Canoe trip with Parkridge on the Huron River.

June 19: Susan Hollar led a canoe trip on the Huron River with both Hikone and Green Baxter. The weather was gorgeous! The river current was very swift due to all the rain this spring.

June 12: Matt Vernier led an Orienteering trip to Nichols Arboretum with Hikone.

May 8: Megan Beardsley led a Pond Study trip with Parkridge to Scarlett Mitchell Woods in Ann Arbor.

April 17: Barbara Powell led a trip with Parkridge to Kensington Metropark.

March 20: Megan Beardsley led a trip with 9 Parkridge Community Center kids to the University of Michigan Exhibit Museum of Natural History.

March 13-14: Vera Hernandez led a trip to McGuire's Lodge in Cadillac with 6 Hikone kids. They went snowshoeing, sledding, on a sleigh ride, and did other outdoor activities.

February 21: Barbara Powell led a trip with Hikone to the Matthaei Botanical Gardens.

February 7: Susan Hollar led a trip with 4 Green Baxter Court boys to the Matthaei Botanical Gardens for a docent-led tour of the conservatory. There was also a brief hike outside.

January 31: Matt Vernier led a cross country ski trip with Green Baxter Court kids to Hudson Mills Metro Park.

January 24: Susan Hollar led a trip with 2 Hikone Center kids to Oakwoods Metro Park. Dana Jackman was the assistant leader on this trip. The group went on a hike led by an ICO volunteer who is a naturalist at Seven Ponds Nature Center. We learned about how the Native Americans utilized the natural environment, how animals survive the winter, and how to tell poison ivy from other vines (hairy is scary and leaves of three, leave them be).

January 17: Megan Beardsley led a trip with 6 Parkridge Community Center kids to Oakwoods Metro Park. They went on a hike with interesting stops supplemented by information in a brochure. They also visited the nature center where they were able to handle a fox snake. Barbara Powell was the assistant leader on this trip. There were three other ICO volunteers and one agency staff member.

Completed Outings in 2003

November 16: We led a trip with 6 children from Hikone to see the folksinger Walkin' Jim's "Wild Things Need Wild Places" concert at Allen Elementary School in Ann Arbor. There were 3 additional WICO volunteers and one agency staff member.

November 8: We led a horseback riding trip at the Brighton Stables with Hikone and Green Baxter. 18 children participated in this trip as well as a couple parents.

October 25: We planned to lead a group of children on an outing to pick apples and pumpkins, but due to rain opted to visit the Museum of Natural History at U of M. 15 children from Hikone and Green Baxter participated on this outing.

September 27: 12 kids from Hikone and Green Baxter took part in an evening campfire and hike at the LeFurge Woods near Ypsilanti.

August 2: 6 children from Hikone went canoeing on the Huron River and had a picnic at Gallup Park in Ann Arbor.

June 28: 7 youth from Parkridge went canoeing on the Huron River in Ann Arbor.

June 19-22: 3 girls from Hikone went camping on South Manitou Island in Lake Michigan over this weekend.

May 3: 3 middle school students from Hikone went orienteering at Yankee Springs State Park near Grand Rapids. This was a joint outing with the Grand Rapids Inner City Outings group.

April 5: 10 children from Parkridge went on a "practice backpacking" hike at Kensington Metropark.

March 1-2: 7 kids from Hikone participated in a winter overnight trip to Cadillac in northern Michigan. They skied, sledded, went on a sleigh ride, and one even went snowshoeing.

February 8: 9 children from Hikone visited the Cranbrook Science Museum in suburban Detroit.

January 25: 7 youths from Parkridge visited the Cranbrook Science Museum in suburban Detroit.