Hiking Cascade Springs Nature Preserve with The Global Village Project

 On Saturday, we took 11 young ladies on a day hike at Cascade Springs Nature Preserve.  This is Atlanta ICO's first outing post COVID.  It was great to get back out and explore nature.  The kids had a great time climbing to the top of the nature preserve.

IRC Visits UGArden and Athens Botantical Gardens

IN December, students from the International Rescue Committee visited UGArden and Athens Botanical Gardens. The students learned about different plant families, sustainable agriculture, mushroom production, and composting. Participants also got to taste some herbs and plants growing in the garden.

Dresden Education Foundation visit to Anna Ruby Falls

ICO volunteers and the Dresden Education Foundation visited Anna Ruby Falls this past weekend.  We hiked to the top of the falls, collected leaves, played in the water and enjoyed inspecting an otter den at the Unicoi State Park playground.  Ranger Dave at Anna Ruby Falls talked to the kids about the falls.

Kids from IRC Hike Tallulah Gorge

 Kids from IRC spent the day hiking Tallulah Gorge State Park.

ICO and IRC overnighting at Lake Lanier

A group from the IRC (International Rescue Committee) cabin-camped at Lake Lanier Island in July and then hike Amicalola Falls the next day.  Looks like they had a fun time.

Teaching SEEDs Ladies How to Pitch Tents

ICO had a great day teaching young ladies from SEEDs how to pitch tents.  We learned a lot from each other.  The young ladies have vision impairments and worked with us to plan some future camping trips.  We hiked Mason Mill park and then enjoyed a pizza lunch.

Summit of Stone Mountain with kids from the Global Village Project

The mountain maybe short but it was a fun climb.  Young ladies from the Global Village Project enjoyed a picnic lunch and then a climb to the top and back down.

Visiting Dauset Trails Nature Center with Kids From the Dresden Tutoring Group

It was a great experience to see all the animals at Dauset Trails Nature Center.  Some of the kids had never seen some of the animals before up close and personal.  The cutest were the baby pigs at he farm.

Ice Skating with Kids from IRC (International Rescue Committee)

Kids from the IRC decided to go Ice Skating and the Cooler in Alpharetta instead of trying to figuring out the Atlanta weather.

Hiking with the Global Village Project at Sweetwater Creek State Park

On October 13, 2018, we took a group of young ladies for a day hike at Sweetwater Creek State Park.  The weather was awesome.  The water levels in the creek were high from the hurricane passing through a few days beforehand.

 

 

Boat Building with Recycled Materials

On September 29, 2018, kids from the International Rescue Committee participated in a STEM workshop with several Georgia Tech students at Sweetwater Creek State Park.  They learned how to build boats using recycled materials.

 

 

Atlanta ICO take Kids from Warren Boys & Girls Club Fishing

  

This weekend, Atlanta ICO took a group of kids from Warren Boys & Girls Club to Rocky Mountain Recreation and Public Fishing Area for some free fishing.  Our adult experts taught the kids to hook live bait and cast a fishing rod.  We actually caught a few fish.

Dresden Tutoring Group at Panola Mountain

We took kids from the Dresden Tutoring Group to Panola Mountain in March to get an archery lesson from Brian Lanier.

He was great with the kids.  They were hitting the bullseye after a couple of rounds.

We worked on form and aiming at the target.

The kids really enjoyed the lesson and were eager to practice.

After the archery lesson, the kids played on the playground and then we hiked along some of the trails at the park.

It was a beautiful hike - the flowers were just starting to bloom.  There was a small creek that ran underneath some of the bridges on the hike and the kids stopped to play in the water.

It was a perfect day ! ! !

First Outing with Families from the Nicholas House - Sweetwater Creek State Park

Atlanta ICO, partnering with the Nicholas House, joined in with some family members to take on some hiking at Sweetwater Creek State Park.  Everyone had a fun time hiking along the creek and playing on the rocks.

Dresden Tutoring Group Visits Ruby Falls and the Inclined Railway

Atlanta ICO and Dresden Tutoring Group crossed the border into Tennessee last weekend with an intrepid journey to Ruby Falls and Lookout Mtn.
The group set a record for youngness (6-9 years) and these tenderfoots were up to the challenge of navigating caves and water falls. They really loved the music and lighting.
Concluding the adventure was the inclined railway from the Lookout Mountain to the Ruby Falls. As usual, introducing youngsters to the beauty and mystique of the outdoors was well worth the queues and I-75. Thanks to all who volunteered!!!

September 19th - Southeastern Military and Veterans hosted the IRC at Stone Mountain

The Southeastern Military and Veterans Coordinator with the Sierra Club hosted the International Rescue Center youth group at the Hike for Peace and Potluck at Stone Mountain, GA.

We are glad they are bringing veterans, community members, immigrants, and refugees together for a day hike, potluck picnic, and community building. It was an amazing, lovely day of outdoors activities and cultural exchange.

Thanks to the volunteers assisting with the festivities and hike. Team RWB, Hope for Warriors, and the Sierra Club worked out logistics for transportation and really made this outing a success.

                                      

August 8th - Trek to Mount Arabia with the Dresden Tutorial Group

Atlanta ICO took nine kids from the Dresden tutoring group to Arabia Mountain!

Ranger Robby lead a hike over the mountain and to the lake. He pointed out plants and taught the kids about the mountain. These youngsters climbed rocks and skipped rocks in the lake!

Later, they went to AWARE center and had a tour. The guide brought out a snake, possum and a turtle!

What a day for those kids!!!  They are so young and happy.  This experience builds a foundation of appreciation for the outdoors and the simple pleasures of climbing on a big rock with your friends!

July 24-25 Trip to Len Foote Hike Inn by Amicalola Falls with the IRC

Atlanta ICO took 14 students from the IRC to Len Foote Hike Inn. The students and chaperones hiked 5 miles to the lodge and re-united with a fellow chaperone and student in a wheelchair.

The students toured the Inn's facilities. They learned about compost and eco-friendly living. Later, students expressed their creative side with art activities in the game room, capped off with a family style dinner!

On day two, the team hiked back, and Atlanta ICO volunteers transported everyone from Amicalola State Park back to Clarkston.  Meals were provided by the Atlanta ICO while in-transit.

From the pictures, the weather looked terrific and everyone is all smiles!!!

               

May 13th - IRC visits Mercer Orchard/Amicalola Falls

Six student participated in the May 13th Atlanta ICO event. The day started with strawberry picking at Mercer Orchard. Each student was provided with a bucket for strawberries.

Later, students enjoyed lunch at Joe's BBQ. The trip concluded with a hike to Amicalola Falls. One student was disabled, so half of the students went on a hike and half drove up to the fall.

Transportation, breakfast, and snacks were also provided to students. A great outing and nice to see that accommodations were made for the disabled IRC student.