From the Inner City to the Guadalupe Mountains
By Lily Auliff

“The outdoors is so much a part of my life that I would like to share it,” says Angie Langolf, chair of Houston Inner City Outings (ICO), a Sierra Club project in which adult volunteers lead urban youth from low-income families on day and weekend hiking and camping trips. “I know that these kids would probably not have that opportunity if I didn’t take that time.”

This summer, with funding from national Sierra Club, Houston ICO will also take 22 kids from Houston, Austin, and Dallas on a week-long trip to the Guadalupe Mountains in west Texas.

For many of the junior high and high school students, an ICO trip is one of their first experiences with nature, explains Langolf.

“They get to see things that they’ve never seen before,” she adds. “We took some kids out to Brazos Bend a couple weekends ago, and they’d never seen an alligator before. I think ICO gives them more hands-on opportunities to experience the wilderness.”

On the Guadalupe Mountains trip, the youth will hike McKittrick Canyon, journey through Carlsbad Caverns, and much more, studying the geology, fauna, and flora along the way. As with all ICO trips, a focus on conservation will be maintained. Leaders will work hard to teach and demonstrate no-trace camping, Langolf notes.

Houston ICO collaborates with several local service organizations, including the Star of Hope Mission and DePelchin Children’s Center, to recruit participants. For the Guadalupe Mountains trip, potential campers had to complete an application and explain why they should get to go.

Houston ICO has taken groups of five to more than 20 to diverse destinations, including Brazos Bend State Park, Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, Enchanted Rock, and Huntsville State Park.

Langolf, who often leads trips herself, has personal reasons for getting involved. “I just believe that the outdoors really needs to be protected, and if the kids don’t start to get involved at a younger age, it’s not going to be around for them,” she explains.

The Houston ICO is looking for volunteer leaders, as well as people to help with logistics and fundraising. For details, contact Langolf at 713-467-6875.