Heart Lake Adenture Gets Local Youth Outdoors to Explore

With eagles, hawks, and various songbirds circling overhead, ten canoes nosed into the waters of Heart Lake in Anacortes. Aboard these canoes were youth from the Kulshan Creek Neighborhood Association led by staff from GPI. Together they would spend four hours exploring the waters of Heart Lake, watching bald eagles feed along the lakeshore, investigating pond scum and lily pads, creating a flotilla, and enjoying a meal and snacks along the shore. Wrapping up the day was a sweet treat at Lopez Island Creamery!

This was the latest in a series of partner day adventures where GPI has teamed up with leaders from the Kulshan Creek Neighborhood Association to provide outdoor education and recreation experiences for the youth living in Mount Vernon's Kulshan Creek neighborhood. For a program like this, GPI provides transportation, all necessary equipment, safety training, and on-water guide duties. Kulshan Creek provides meals and snacks, helps coordinate logistics, and gets participants signed up for the program. Past programs have included bicycle rides at the Mount Vernon Tulip Festival and guided hikes around the region.

Kulshan Creek's adventure days are made possible through the collaborative support of community partners including the Skagit Land Trust, Mount Vernon Police Department, and the US Forest Service, along with other like-minded organizations who share our mission to help underserved youth connect to the outdoors. Equally essential is the generous support of our donors, whose gifts directly fund the transportation, equipment, and staff training necessary to make these transformative outdoor experiences accessible to youth who might not otherwise have these opportunities. Thank you for helping us build stronger communities through the power of nature. We look forward to offering more partnership day adventures in the future!