Ave Burke Rojas

From January 21st to the 23rd , the young women of Chinquapin School with great enthusiasm and optimism spent a weekend with Sierra Club Houston Inner City Outings leaders, Angie Langolf, Lorraine Gibson, and Ave Rojas at the Brazos Bend State Park. The all female group set up camp under an unpredictable sky and put their faith in Nature's plan. Threats of rain and freezing temperatures did not quiet their laughter or curb their curiosity.

The weekend was filled with education about wildlife at the Brazos Bend State Park Nature Center, through guided hikes around the Creekfield Lake and the 40 Acre Lake, at the observation tower surrounded by marshes and roosting birds, and at the George Observatory under stars and amidst amateur astronomers.

They were all fascinated by four generations of a family of alligators found sunbathing in an open space along the 40 Acre Lake. A chubby raccoon waddling around the campsite, apparently accustomed to campers, entertained them as he searched for fallen crumbs. And as they had hoped for, the night winds blew away the clouds as celestial bodies speckled the sky.

The students, between the ages of 15 and 18, embodied the confidences and the curiosities of youth. On several occasions, students escaped to a private bench or into their tents or gathered around the warmth of the campfire to reflect and journal on the feelings evoked by the subtleties and experiences with the natural world. They expressed an appreciation for the peacefulness of the forests and the lakes. They expressed an appreciation for the Sierra Club and ICO.

The highlight of the weekend was just after midnight on Sunday, January 23, 2004. From their tents, the Chinquapin girls sang a melodious Happy Birthday to their friend Krystal Liggins, who had turned 18 years old in a tent, wrapped up in a sleeping bag at Brazos Bend State Park. The girls all knew each other at school, but a weekend camping together would make them friends.

The Sierra Club ICO leaders of the trip proved to be wonderful role models for the young women of Chinquapin. Angie Langolf, Lorraine Gibson, and Ave Burke provided warm meals from Dutch ovens on chilly nights, taught camping safety measures, and encouraged their free spirits to touch, smell, look, and listen to all that lived in the Brazos Bend State Park. The weekend turned out to be absolutely beautiful. As they all said their good-byes Sunday morning, the sun and goodbye hugs warmed them up after a cold night.   It never rained after all.

April 2005

Last updated:  11/10/2007.   Content © 1999-2004 by the Sierra Club.