The BOC partnered with Paddle 4 Tomorrow and DeKalb County Parks and Recreation to bring youth ages 8–12 from across multiple Georgia counties to Fort Yargo State Park for a day of paddling, hiking, and watercoloring.
What started as a Saturday outing quickly became something more. Forty-five children were divided into three rotating groups:
- Paddling
- Hiking
- Watercoloring
Each experience offered something different, but all pointed to the same outcome: confidence, connection, and care for themselves, for others, and for the environment.
Throughout the day, youth were reinforced with values that extended beyond the activities: respect, kindness, and stewardship—not just toward people, but toward the community as a whole and our planet.
Lunch, prepared by a local chef, became its own moment of learning, introducing the idea that what we eat, when sourced from the earth, supports both our bodies and the world around us.
As the day continued, the learning continued to deepen when kids were introduced to Leave No Trace principles, recycling, composting, and the simple but powerful question: What is trash? Paddle 4 Tomorrow demsontrated their 100 percent waste-free program, allowing the group to see sustainability in action.
On the water, the impact became even more visible through American Canoe Association-aligned instruction! Kids learned how to properly enter a kayak, hold a paddle, and navigate both forward and backward strokes. For many, this was their first time in a canoe, and by the end, they were fully in control of their crafts.
Parents and partners also had the opportunity to engage, taking to the water themselves after the kids completed their rotations, creating a shared experience they could bond over. But one of the most meaningful moments came at the very end, when kids were asked a simple question: “Who owns this park?”
The answer? They do. Not individually, but collectively. It belongs to them, which means it is theirs to care for, protect, and respect.
That lesson may have been the most important one of the day.
If this sounds like an experience you’d want your child to be part of, you can learn more about upcoming Paddle 4 Tomorrow events here.