Exposing young people to careers in natural resources – PLACE program

On November 21, four high school students moved one giant rock and learned how to place water bars on a trail reroute of an area known as “Collarbone Corner” on the Midland Trail. Students were participating in the first of 8 GARNA Public Land Agency Career Exploration (PLACE) program days, with a goal to expose greater Arkansas River region high school students to career paths within the natural resource agencies that partner with GARNA. The partner agency for the first PLACE day was the Bureau of Land Management, and Bryce Hofmann, BLM Recreational Technician, helped students work as a team to place a “step-down” rock. Alan Robinson and Lyn Berry, GARNA volunteers representing Friends of Fourmile, introduced students to the history of the modern Midland Trail, including the important role the Friends of Fourmile play in helping the BLM maintain good stewardship of the area’s resources and maintaining balance among various recreational uses in the area.