The Trailblazer team was concerned about the lack of outdoor activity of children today. To learn more, we decided to survey adults and children about their outdoor habits. Our team learned that this generation spends much less time outdoors than the previous three generations – and we interviewed all four, from ages 5 to 90! The Trailblazers began an outdoor adventure program during which young students were given the opportunity to spend time in the great outdoors with us – older kids and mentors to them. Their attitudes about nature changed over time! Next, explorations with first graders led to the discovery of an abandoned railroad track. The ties and rails were pulled up 25 years ago and the prairie had slowly covered the berm. Land had taken it over, as land is prone to do; but, for a 25-mile stretch across Cochran County, there was a perfect location for a hiking and biking trail. We wanted to bring greater adventure to the young people of our community and there was no other place like this available for us to roam. Our goal was to encourage students to spend more time outdoors and establish a trail in our county as a way to lure them there.
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