The Fun of Fall is Outdoors by Kirstin Copeland

A young girl hunts for upland game birds in Western Colorado.

 
Growing up in a rural community in Colorado, I learned to recognize the signs of Fall approaching by the changing temperatures, changes in daylight and changes in the activities I, and the folks around me did.  An obvious change in activity is going back to school. Each of us has our own traditions in our communities and families with the changing seasons and it recently dawned on me that in my community, we had some special activities that I will call the 3 H’s.
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H #1 is Harvesting.  The late harvest of corn, alfalfa, and other crops have narrow windows from the field to market to stay viable.  In my school, many older kids in farming families would be pulled out of school to help with the harvest.  And, many of those farmers and families would be out until the middle of the night, on harvesting equipment, to maximize crop potentials.  I remember going inside near bedtime and seeing the lights out in the fields when I was going to sleep.

H #2 is Hunting.  Soon after harvest season, came hunting season.  Many of the families in our area participated in one or more of the big game seasons.  Elk, deer, moose, pronghorn, and other big game species provided a freezer of food and memorable outdoor experiences with families and friends.  Like harvest season, many kids would be out of school for one of the big game seasons.  They would come back to school and share their experiences like we all do when we go outdoors with our families and mentors.  What I realize now is that those experiences were also when we learned many of the things we still use today; how to plan and set up a camp, how to be prepared in the outdoors, and what is in an ecosystem that helps the wildlife thrive. Finally, their excitement about their experiences seemed to really inspire them to love the outdoors, and to protect the environment that they had those experiences in.   

H #3 is Halloween.  Growing up on farms where trick or treating was not as easy, we found a way to go with our friends.  Often our parents would drive us to the ‘big’ town nearby and depending on our age, either walk with us or drop us off on one side of a neighborhood and pick us up on the other side.  In elementary and sometimes in secondary schools we would get to wear our costumes to immerse in the fun of the season. 

The Fall memories and lessons that I took away from my youth are probably why Fall is my favorite season.  There are other signs of Fall that I love, that might be more universal.  Of course, the leaf changes, football season starting, PSL’s (if you know, you know) are some I have added to my favorites list.  And we are fortunate in western Colorado to have nearby corn mazes and pumpkin patches to visit. 

Fall is a perfect time to start some new family traditions that your kids will remember.  Visit an orchard to pick apples, bake some pies or find a press to make apple juice! If your family isnt a hunting family, you can still grab binoculars or a scope to spot some wildlife; or, quietly listen for elk bugling or the calls of geese overhead heading south.

As a member of Friends of Youth and Nature (FOYAN), it is our goal and passion to get kids and families outdoors. What I realize now is that virtually all of what I love about Fall happens outside.  Harvesting, hunting, Halloween, football, leaf peeping, corn mazes and pumpkin patches all happen outside.  Many of these experiences share some of the best of life; being with friends and family and being outdoors.