Sam Nicholas
Living in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, students are surrounded with endless opportunities to enjoy the out-of-doors. The Outdoor Club at SVC aims to get students out into nature with an appreciation for accessibility and a mindset of sustainability. Advised by faculty members Cliff Palmer and Sean Howard, this group of over 60 students enjoy staying active outside.
The mission of the Outdoor Club is to spread awareness of the innumerable options for appreciating the local surroundings. Speaking with Palmer, he noted that they seek to make everything they do accessible to the widest body of people.”
A big emphasis is placed on service projects, especially those focused towards sustainability on campus and beyond. Through activities like trail building, stream restoration, or volunteering for the US Forest Service, members are able to give back to the environment they enjoy.
In this, Palmer hopes that members will gain an appreciation for the beauty in their backyards and become well-informed individuals. Hopefully, this healthy pursuit of the outdoors is something that they can pursue for ages to come.͟Additionally, the Outdoor Club often helps with local events such as track meets. The club also assists other campus clubs and organizations with events, for example: the Veterans Club Cookout on May 29th.
The Outdoor Club frequently holds indoor climbing sessions at the Riverstone Climbing Gym in Burlington. This is one of the more popular events, and food is provided. This activity is currently planned for May 18th and June 8th.
Over winter break, they made four trips to Mt. Baker to Ski and Snowboard. They also hike, climb, and undertake countless other activities ranging from sea kayaking or ropes courses to archery and even skydiving! A rafting trip on the Sauk River is planned for June 16th.
Our objective is to provide opportunities for students to go out and enjoy these activities” noted Palmer. Between gear, transportation, meals, and other fees, it can get very expensive to have a good time outside or just try new things. The Outdoor Club removes these barriers for all, using the club budget to cover these fees, provide transport, and include food for participants!
Events are held year-round, there are typically 1-2 service projects per quarter and several activities. Anyone is welcome to join. Palmer also motioned that they hope to work towards purchasing more gear, so activities can be held more frequently and to accommodate extra people as the club grows quickly.
