Mountain Roots is transforming Gunnison Valley summer experiences for children through their Yes! To Adventure camps with $19,864 in help from MetRec’s Recreation Grant program. These camps now reach more families than ever before, providing crucial access to outdoor activities and mental health benefits that extend far beyond a typical summer camp.
Breaking down barriers to outdoor access
Director of Youth Education at Mountain Roots Kristen Aaltonen emphasizes how MetRec’s support has been transformative in allowing them to provide more scholarships. Mountain Roots camps serve youth ages 5-11 in both the upper and lower valley.
This dramatic increase in scholarship availability addresses a growing concern in the community facing a shortage of affordable summer care programs; some children might otherwise spend entire summers indoors on screens.
“A lot of what I hear from parents is their kids wouldn’t have the opportunity to be outside nearly as much over the summer if it wasn’t for camp,” Aaltonen said.
Many families simply don’t have the time or resources to take their children on 45-minute drives to hiking spots or provide regular outdoor experiences during the busy summer months.
The MetRec funding enables Mountain Roots to expand beyond their traditional audience.
“We’re really trying this year and last year to get a broader base and serve more different types of families,” Aaltonen said.
This expansion includes practical improvements like adding garden camps in Gunnison, extending aftercare hours to support working families, and offering programming from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday-Thursday. The organization distributed over $8,950 in scholarships this summer.
More than just fun: measurable health benefits
The camps incorporate what Aaltonen calls “old school play,” unstructured time where children can explore, create and interact outdoors. Turns out today’s youth remain fans of no-tech games like baking mud pies by the river. s
“We do see a lot of social emotional growth,” she said, describing how kids learn to navigate conflict with guidance from counselors—who sometimes seem more relatable than parents or teachers.
The camps intentional weave this free play component into structured activities that span ten weekly themes, from geology and wildflowers to ranches and farms. While on a wildflower hike, campers scrambled up rocks, monitored ants along the trail and selected a range of walking sticks.
The mental and physical health impacts are evident to both staff and parents. Children develop confidence through outdoor challenges, learn conflict resolution skills during group activities and build lasting connections with the natural world around them.
Five-year old Will started the week crying for his parents and not knowing any other kids. By the second day, he proclaimed, “I don’t want to leave. I love camp.”
For many participants, these experiences represent their primary opportunity for substantial outdoor time during summer months.
“It’s about getting everyone out there,” counselor Meena Lee said.
Expanding access through strategic investment
In an era where screen time often dominates childhood experiences, allocating MetRec Recreation Grant funds to Mountain Roots represents a crucial investment in children’s relationship with the natural world, physical activity and their own community.
Through strategic funding that prioritizes accessibility and community connection, MetRec is helping ensure that outdoor adventure and its mental health benefits reach children regardless of their family’s economic circumstances, democratizing access to the outdoors.