Kelly Richins, what a sister!

Check out what Kelly is up to in the Oregonian. She has started her own business and people seem to be paying attention.........she sent me this link.

http://www.oregonlive.com/washingtoncounty/index.ssf/2008/11/outdoor_discoveries_keeps_kids.html

Outdoor Discoveries keeps kids exploring nature

by Jenn Director Knudsen, Special to The Oregonian

Thursday November 13, 2008, 1:58 AM

Participants' enthusiasm leads Kelly Richins to continue the camp year-round

Jenn Director Knudsen/Special to The Oregonian Ashley Corkett, 12, and Luca Perzik, 6, trade woolly bear caterpillars during an Outdoor Discoveries camp visit to Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge in Portland.

The crisp chill of autumn, shot through with occasional raindrops, permeated the air on a recent Sunday morning at Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge in Southeast Portland.

A group of schoolchildren paid no attention to the weather or the mud underfoot during a search for newts, salamanders, woolly bear caterpillars, beetles, birds, otters and native and non-native plants. The youths, ages 6 to 12, jaunted through the refuge with camp counselor Kelly Richins.

You read that right: Camp. Held in fall. As well as this winter.

Richins, 23, offered Outdoor Discoveries camp for the first time last summer. Kids from throughout the metro area met Sunday mornings at parks, refuges and gardens to explore the flora and fauna. It was also a chance to spend unencumbered time outside, away from the siren songs of media and retail.

Richins' charges so loved their outdoor experiences -- at the Audubon Society of Portland, Portland's Rose Garden, Hoyt Arboretum, Portland Japanese Garden and more -- that she followed through on her goal to make the camp year-round.

What children glean from outdoor education at school "isn't enough for a child's education," added Richins, who's studied the environment, worked in nurseries and schools and served in AmeriCorps. She's pursuing a bachelor's degree in liberal studies and education from Portland State University.

"I think all of them would be really sad if they didn't have the camp year-round," said Richins of the roughly 10 girls and boys who join her every Sunday.

They include siblings Ashley, 12, and Cameron Corkett, 8, of Beaverton.

They were on the four-mile round-trip trek through Oaks Bottom, Ashley bundled in matching gray scarf and hat, and Cameron in a lightweight black jacket.

Ashley gushed about why this venue -- and all she's been to with Richins -- is "so much fun."

"We saw so many different animals," she said, concentrating more on finding new ones.

"Birds, crawfish, otters, caterpillars ..." Her words trailed off and she followed with her eyes as her brother strayed from the path to investigate a runaway squirrel, then scooped up an ailing salamander that soon died in his hands.

Well down the trail, Cameron carefully laid it to rest in the wetlands, the otters' muddy habitat.

With her campers, Richins encourages frequent stops, to answer questions or simply wait for the kids to decide to move on.

An Idaho native, Richins said she grew up hiking and backpacking throughout the West with her younger brother and folks; her dad in particular hoofed it with the goal of getting from point A to point B, limiting time to wander.

Richins absorbed her dad's love of the outdoors, but not his style. She wants her campers to direct where the group goes.

"I am their slave," Richins said with a chuckle. "I want this to be there for them."

Richins self-funds her low-cost camp with a part-time job. She said Outdoor Discoveries' biggest expense is memberships at venues where she takes her campers, including the World Forestry Center and Oregon Zoo.

As temperatures drop, some Outdoor Discoveries activities will be indoors, such as at museums and climbing rock walls.

Kathleen Corkett, mother of Ashley and Cameron, likes that Outdoor Discoveries meets Sundays. She says she promotes "low-media influence" during the week, so having her kids explore nature on weekends distracts them from screen time.

Richins' camp is stealthily getting some kids excited about nature. Allison Bially's daughter Danielle, 6, complains five minutes into a hike with Mom. Not so at Outdoor Discoveries, said Bially, a Bethany resident.

"Two weeks ago they were having so much fun, they didn't have time for lunch," Bially said. "But don't print that!"

Outdoor Discoveries

When: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Sunday
Cost: $30 per child; $50 total for siblings
Bring: Clothing appropriate to the weather and a sack lunch
Upcoming camp venues: OMSI, Portland Art Museum, Audubon Society of Portland
Information: 208-520-3825; kelly@outdoordiscoveries.org or visit
outdoordiscoveries.org

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