inner city outings

Sierra Club Inner City Outings is a community outreach program providing opportunities to explore, enjoy and protect the natural world for those who would not otherwise have them.

• E-mail Lois Pokorny at lpkomo@cox.net  or go here for Oklahoma City trip info.
• E-mail Dave Zuconni at davegz_2000@yahoo.com for Tulsa trip info.

    Our volunteer leaders, trained in recreational, outdoor and safety skills as well as environmental education, provide wilderness adventures for people who wouldn’t otherwise have them.  To introduce people to the wilderness, ICO volunteers donate their time to community agencies that want to provide an outings program for their members.  The agencies may include schools, church and neighborhood youth groups.

    Mission Statement: The mission of the Sierra Club's Inner City Outings Program is to promote personal development by linking cultures, fostering respect of self and other and providing leadership skills and to promote appreciation of protection of our local and global environments through a process of spiritual growth and sharing. The ICO program meets these goals by providing safe and enjoyable outdoor experiences for persons who might otherwise have them.

    Currently, most of our trips are conducted with Elementary kids (ages 11-14).  ICO furnishes the equipment needed to conduct safe wilderness experiences such as daypacks,  backpacks, water bottles, cooking gear, sleeping bags, water purifiers, and first aid kits.  Storage space is provided by a local storage company and  we offer the outings completely free of charge to the participants.

        Outings conducted may include dayhikes, backpacking, bicycling, camping, and canoeing. 

        ICO volunteers believe that the wilderness exists as a resource for all people and that all people should have access to it.  Through Inner City Outings, participants are introduced to the wilderness, the Sierra Club and its values.    ICO participants discover the beauty of the wild lands we treasure, and how to enjoy these areas without harming them.  They develop interpersonal skills and self-esteem through active an involvement with the outdoors.  Fostering teamwork and cooperation are also major aspects of the ICO experience. Participants learn skills that enable them to face challenges outside their urban environments. 

Dayhikers give a stream in the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge a closer look

The first ICO group was established in 1971 in the Sierra Club’s San Francisco Bay Chapter.  There are over 40 groups across the country.  Nationwide, ICO volunteers conduct as many as 1,000 outings a year, serving approx.  15,000 participants.

        By bringing people of diverse backgrounds into the environmental community, the ICO program strengthens the ranks of the environmental movement at large.

The Inner City Outings program is made by possible its volunteers who give generously of their time and skills, and by donations of money & equipment made by supporters like you.  There is also always a need for In-Kind donations, such as food, water and camping equipment.  

    Outings are conducted at a relatively low cost, but financial support from foundations,  corporations and supporters like you can make the difference!

You can send your tax-deductible donation to:

	Sierra Club Foundation, Attn: Oklahoma City ICO or Tulsa ICO
	85 Second Street, 2nd Floor, San Francisco,  CA  94015

For more information or to give in-kind donations, contact:

	Lois Pokorny, Oklahoma City Chair  @ lpkomo@swbell.net
	David Zuconi, Tulsa Chair @  davegz_2000@yahoo.com
	Go to the national website: http://www.sierraclub.org/ico/