Alexander Springs State Park – October – 2014
MERO GEESEY, VOLUNTEER LEADER
ICO had a special outing in October to Alexander Springs. This was a three-day, two-night event, taking advantage of a school break. All but one of the students had never been to one of Florida’s amazing springs before, and they loved it! Everyone enjoyed swimming, snorkeling, and floating in inner tubes in the crystal clear water.
The children also went canoeing, where the highlight for the girls was seeing a playful river otter swim alongside the canoes. For the leaders, it was very rewarding to see the girls learn to work together as a team to improve their paddling skills. At the end of the day, they were reluctant to leave the springs, remarking that this was “a once in a lifetime opportunity” to see such a beautiful place, but the s’mores and chocolate fondue for dessert were an incentive to get back to camp!
On the way home, we stopped at Kelly Park outside of Orlando to have some more fun in crystal clear spring water. We floated down the little run several times, enjoying nature’s natural lazy river! Several children said that they had never seen such beauty before, from the wildlife to the water and the starry skies, they loved it all! It’ll undoubtedly be a weekend they will always remember.
Comments from trip participants:
“I’ve never seen stars before in my life!”
“We should do one of these trips every month”
“The water is cold but this is a once in a lifetime opportunity and I don’t want to get out” “This is the most beautiful place I’ve ever been”
“This is so much fun we should just stay up all night”
Gumbo Limbo -June - 2008
BY MEDGINE MERCELY, WPB ICO JR. LEADER
Everyday people go on living their lives without giving a thought about nature. We don’t think about how the forest and the animals are an important part of the ecosystem. I am very proud to say that the Sierra Club’s ICO group is doing a great job educating children about the environment. I myself never cared much for nature, but after each outing I attend, I come to care more for the natural world.
Myakka State Park Campout - November - 2007
BY JOSE REYES JR, WPB ICO JR. LEADER
When we were done with setting up camp, we went on a hike and found a wonderful surprise, a very tall tower that went above the canopy of the trees. When we got to the top, the view was breathtaking. I went up and down more times than I could count - it was such an unforgettable experience. But that was just the start. Night fell upon the still park - we were all at the campsite and just finished our spaghetti dinner and went on a night hike. The serenity of the calm night gave me a nice feeling of peace. We all laughed and giggled at some of the corny jokes as we strolled through the night with our flashlights. Then we made it to a beautiful lake where we saw the stars and the moon at it’s fullest beauty.