(Entertainment-NewsWire.com, May 07, 2013 ) Middlesex, UK -- The Oregon Zoo Foundation was awarded $10,000 grant from the Nike Employee Grant Fund in order to give low-income youth an opportunity to enjoy both camping and understand conservation efforts. Nike released the announcement in April.
The zoo's Urban Nature Overnights program attempts to give children a chance to see the beauty of nature through camping trips. During the trips, children who have never been given access to nature get to have a true first-hand experience of all that nature has to offer.
In 2013, UNO campers will be able to set their stakes in the ground in spots such as the Wildwood Recreation Site, Oxbow Regional Park, as well as Eagle Creek in Columbia. Activities for the youth involve swimming, hiking, and meals made around a campfire. Naturalists and park rangers teach children all about the wildlife in the area as well as the important of general conservation.
"We're proud to be giving kids an exciting, safe introduction to Oregon's amazing outdoor world," said Jody Van Riper, UNO coordinator. "We want to ignite their interest and encourage them to pursue outdoor opportunities through school, family, community groups and even careers. Our hope is that UNO participants will turn their initial excitement into a lifelong interest in the natural world.”
UNO has taken over 4,000 children in various trips ever since they began the effort in 2000. The company runs the camping trips according to funding received. The UNO also runs after-school programs throughout the year, which include basic conservation projects and smaller field trip for youth, free of charge.
"The zoo's UNO program has such a unique and positive impact on our community," said Nike community investment manager Kathy Webb, who administers the company's employee grant program. "Not only does UNO provide opportunities for young people to engage in physical activity outdoors, but it also teaches them about the environment."
"This grant serves as a shining example of the difference we can make with support from our community partners," said Jani Iverson, executive director of the Oregon Zoo Foundation. "We're very grateful to Nike for their investment – the UNO program is a model of successful community collaboration and public-private partnership."
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