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One of the best aspects of a river trip is how people
from a variety of backgrounds can spend time together
on the river and by the end of the trip bond into a
cohesive team. On a trip in July, 2008, a group of
young
people from across the U.S. came together to
experience the power of the Colorado River in the
Grand
Canyon. Half of the group was visually impaired
and the other half was sighted. Also joining the trip
was a film crew from CBS and Eric
Weihenmayer, the first and only blind person to
summit Mount Everest.
The goal of the "Leading the Way" program was to
give visually impaired students and their sighted
partners an opportunity to experience the Grand
Canyon utilizing all of their senses. As part of the trip,
the participants collected baseline data related to
sound monitoring within Grand Canyon National Park
as a service-learning project. Education
presentations were also given by the students on a
variety of topics and non-organized educational
opportunities abounded. Whether it was the thrill of
the rapids, the
visually
impaired students
leading the sighted students on a hike, or the Canyon
folklore, guides, chaperones and
students were filled with river mirth and gratefulness.
This trip was truly a team effort long
before the oars
even touched the water. This program was a joint
effort between two outfitters: Arizona Raft Adventures
and Canyon Explorations, and two non-profit
organizations: Grand Canyon
Youth
and Global
Explorers. The collaboration of these
groups was a key element to this trip's success. A
special thank you to AzRA Guides, Fred Thevenin,
Jerry Johnson, Jon Harned, Kristin Huisinga and
Harlan Taney for putting their heart and soul into this
amazing trip.
If you
are interested in seeing an inspirational video
about the trip, check out this Video Clip which was aired by
CBS on September 14. Thank you to Emma
Wharton,
executive director of Grand Canyon Youth, for
submitting this story. (Photo: participants and
guides submitted by Global Explorers)
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Kristin Huisinga has been
guiding for AzRA for 10 years. On the river, she is most
known for her love of music, art and botany and for
sharing these passions with her passengers. Kristin
has also recently assumed the
position of Trip Leader. Between trips she likes
spending time with her fiance, Jon Harned (another
AzRA guide), painting, working in her garden
and playing the violin. During the winter, Kristin
works for the Hopi
Cultural Preservation Office as a consultant. She
facilitates the tribes progress as they monitor
resources in
the Grand Canyon that are important to the Hopi
culture.
Many years ago, a fellow Grand Canyon river guide
mentioned to Kristin that there was a need for a
decent plant
guide specific to Grand Canyon.
Kristin joined forces with fellow botanists Lori
Makarick and Kate
Watters to begin what would be a 6 year project:
writing a complete and comprehensive plant guide
specific to the Grand Canyon. They began by writing a
grant for funding through the Grand
Canyon Conservation Fund (GCCF). Then the
team spent several
years collecting data, taking photos and compiling
information. Finally in 2006, their book River and
Desert Plants of the Grand Canyon was
published.
The book describes more than 300 plant species,
includes 310 color photographs, 92 line drawings, an
illustrated glossary and thumbnail identification key.
All profit from the sale of this book is directly donated
to the Grand Canyon
River Guides (a 501(c)3 non-profit organization).
This book is so popular,
almost every Grand Canyon river guide owns a copy!
If you would like your own copy, you can purchase this
book from our Red River Sports retail division.
(Photo: Kristin Huisinga by Rob Elliott)
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Experience the adventure of the Grand Canyon at
home! In this recently released board game called
Grand Canyon Adventure, the object of the game is to
be the first player to collect photos from eight Grand
Canyon destinations including familiar locations like
Phantom Ranch, Thunder River, Lee's Ferry
and Havasu Falls. You strategically plan efficient
routes by river, trail or helicopter in this game of
strategy, luck, and
adventure. If you have been on a river trip, you are
sure to recognize aspects about the Grand Canyon
and will
learn even more as
you play. Grand Canyon Adventure it is currently for
sale on the Grand
Canyon
Association website for $24.99!
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We would like to thank you for river seasons full of wonderful memories and for taking time to read our newsletter. We hope you will choose to continue receiving this publication so that we may keep in touch throughout the years. In fact, we appreciate your input and if you have suggestions for future newsletters or have stories or photos to share, please drop us an email. (Arizona Raft Adventures and Grand Canyon Discovery are concessioners under contract with the U.S. Government and administered by the National Park Service.)
See you downstream!
Arizona Raft Adventures and Grand Canyon Discovery
email:
info@azraft.com
phone:
800-786-7238
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