Colorado Parks & Wildlife Awards GARNA Outdoor Equity Grant

The Greater Arkansas River Nature Association (GARNA) announces it was awarded a $100,000 grant from the Outdoor Equity Grant Board and Colorado Parks and Wildlife to continue to expand outdoor recreation and education programs for underserved youth and families in the Upper Arkansas Valley. The Outdoor Equity Grants are funded through the Colorado Lottery, and over $3 million was awarded state-wide.

GARNA has focused intently recent years to elevate inclusion and equity, community participation and youth development in all decisions and throughout programming.

“GARNA’s mission calls for a generational stewardship ethic,” says GARNA Executive Director, Jason Marsden. “We’re working to foster a sense of communal ownership, stewardship and passion for our natural environment, so we need to be reaching the broadest range of the population that we can, through a targeted effort along with our youth-serving community partners.”

Through the Chaffee Mobile Gear Library, and the upcoming Valley View Nature Learning Center, GARNA is adding capacity to existing youth programs to diversify the range of learning opportunities offered and remove to obstacles from giving children a nature-conscious, ecologically-informed upbringing. The Outdoor Equity Grant will support staff capacity and programmatic costs to create a larger lasting impact.