By Devon Burnham ’16
This summer, Colorado College is hosting an array of free Sense of Place trips for its faculty and staff. They give participants the chance to be involved with activities that they normally would not have the opportunity to take part in, such as fly-fishing, climbing, and local hikes.
Led by Outdoor Education Director Ryan Hammes, the most recent Sense of Place trip took place over the course of two days. During the two-hour session on Wednesday, June 22, participants learned the fundamentals of fly-fishing, how fishing fits into Colorado’s tourism and local economy, and practiced some basics on campus. Those who signed up for part two, on Friday, drove up to the Catamount Center, in Woodland Park. There, they took a tour of the center, then put their newly acquired skills to the test in one of Catamount’s fishing ponds.
Hammes believes that the Sense of Place trips provide an opportunity to build a community. “It’s neat when you can bring all of these different backgrounds together,” says Hammes. “We don’t really talk about our work—we just talk about why it’s special to be here, and really enjoy each other’s company and connect.”
Molly Moran, visiting assistant professor and one of the nine faculty members who went on both trips, says she enjoyed learning more about the opportunities available to CC students, faculty, and staff at the Catamount Center. “The campus has so many wonderful opportunities, and these kinds of events help me to see what some of them are!”
The faculty and staff who went to the fly-fishing classes were excited to participate, saying that it was something they’ve wanted to do for some time. The trip itself was enough to inspire a future hobby for Karen West, academic records assistant in the Office of the Registrar. “I’d like to rent equipment, bring a friend, and try my luck fishing [at the Catamount Center],” West says. “He [Hammes] also mentioned I could find a local fly-fishing group at one of the fly-fishing shops, and I may try that too.”
No experience is necessary to sign up for Summer Sense of Place trips on Outdoor Education’s Summit page. Trips are free and gear is provided!
Upcoming trips:
– July 26, 2016 – Hike Red Rock Canyon Open Space
A 1-2 hour day hike to become more familiar with this wonderful open space park. 3 p.m.-5:30 p.m.
You can sign up for these trips via the Outdoor Education Summit page:
https://apps.ideal-logic.com/ccoe
