Hidden Valley Nature Center (HVNC) in Jefferson is a community recreation and education center. A single staff member coordinates with a huge array of local volunteers – well over one hundred annually to keep the trails maintained, organize and implement programming, and keep the organization thriving. Community support and involvement is central to HVNC’s mission and success.

When Beth Arnold, Assistant Professor of Adventure and Experiential Education at Unity College, called HVNC’s Director, Andy McEvoy, with a proposal to get her students involved McEvoy jumped at the opportunity. “I had a whole list of programs that I really wanted to launch, but knew that I wasn’t going to have the time to make them all happen.”

Arnold proposed that she get six of her seniors from the Adventure Leadership Program involved. The six students — Summer Nay, Dean Sheehan, Rebecca Fisher, Katherine Schick, Neil D’Acierno, and Mathias Hellner — met with McEvoy to learn more about HVNC and to find the right project. Ultimately they decided to develop a program called the Little Dyer Adventure Club – a three-day program for kids ages 8-12 that would emphasize Leave No Trace ethics, teach them basic flat water canoe skills, and which would get local kids out into the woods learning and having fun.

The six students acted the part of a consulting group and developed the program from start to finish. Their final presentation to HVNC included daily schedules for the program, instructor training ideas, a risk management analysis, and just about everything HVNC will need to implement a successful inaugural program. One student, Rebecca Fischer said, “We not only wanted to meet course goals of professional development but we also wanted to create a program that was true to the HVNC mission statement.”

The program was so thorough, and represented such impressive work that the six seniors were awarded the Education Award at the Unity College Student Research Conference, along with a one hundred dollar prize. In turn, the students presented that hundred dollars to HVNC as a donation to the Little Dyer Adventure Club. “Not only did they put together a great product, they were generous enough to donate their award. I’m was very impressed,” said McEvoy.

The Little Dyer Adventure Club will be hosted in summer 2015 now that the ground work has been done. According to McEvoy all they have to do now is get the word out and start signing up kids.

For more information: wwww.hvnc.org, info@hvnc.org, or 207-200-8840.