Leadership Douglas County Class Constructs New Bridges for Outdoor Education Campus
It is now a lot easier for campers and outdoor learners to cross Plum Creek on the campus of Stone Canyon Outdoor Edventures. New footbridges were recently built and installed thanks to the work and generosity of members of Leadership Douglas County’s (LDC) Class of 2018.
In October 2017, Jolee Jones, Director of Stone Canyon Outdoor Edventures (SCOE), a program of Douglas County Schools, gave the participating LDC class a tour of Stone Canyon’s property and discussed how their program combines education, adventure and recreational experiences to transform people to become stewards of their community and environment.
The LDC class learned how multiple bridges over Plum Creek would be immensely helpful to enable use of all of their property, as well as increasing safety. The class went through their selection process for this year’s service project, and Stone Canyon was chosen out of a possible 25 other project candidates.
Leadership Douglas County (LDC) is a Castle Rock Chamber of Commerce program enabling emerging community leaders from different sectors to network with top influential people by diving deeper into local issues. LDC offers a rigorous learning environment that broadens each participants’ knowledge of the community. This two-year program began in 1997 and has had over 300 graduating participants since 2000. Every participating group selects a service project annually that requires them to respond to challenges within the community and making an impact today and in the future.
LDC spearheaded the project, from fundraising to meeting with the Planning and Construction to actual construction of the bridges. The groups who were building the bridges stayed on Stone Canyon’s campgrounds over three weekends in April.
"Through all of the development, the teamwork is what made this class,” said Steve Spencer, member of the LDC Class. “When you spend four weekends out here with each other, with no cell phone service, using hammers and chainsaws, driving tractors, you become one.”
"To have Leadership Douglas County select us for this project was humbling and honoring,” said Jolee Jones, Director of SCOE. “These are more than just bridges they have built for the kids and clients we serve. This is also accreditation and credibility for our programming.”
Located in Larkspur, Stone Canyon is the premier adventure destination with customized programs for all different sectors of clients looking for an outdoor education experience. The innovative curriculum approach engages fifth and sixth grade students, as well as providing summer camp programs for ages 9-15. Corporations can find a unique environment for team building events, conferences or luncheons with wonderful dining facilities, meeting rooms and cozy lodging. The Stone Canyon property spans 99-acres, including the flow of Plum Creek intertwining through the beautiful landscape.
For more information on SCOE programs, please visit stonecanyon.org.