Guest Author - Jill Duck

Wanting outdoor adventure, romance, fun, education, and excitement for you and your significant other? Look no further than Four Corners School of Outdoor Education, a non-profit organization dedicated to ecotourism. Four Corners School is headquartered in Utah and specializes in outdoor educational trips around Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona.

Join them on an adventure with others from around the globe or work with them to plan a group outing for your group of 10– 25 people. Trips may include camping, hiking, rafting, and other outdoor fun.

Archaeo-astronomy Week is one specialized adventure hosted by Four Corners School. Base camp is Chaco Canyon, New Mexico. During the week, an archaeologist / archaeo-astronomist will educate you and your mate on the history and mysteries of Chaco Canyon, an area containing numerous Great Houses built by the Pueblo Indians between 850 and 1250 AD.

While hiking and exploring the ruins, you will learn about the ancient people who inhabited the area and the astronomical significance of buildings, walls, and art. You will be amazed by the sophistication of the buildings and the effort put forth to align things with astronomical occurrences such as the solstices or the moon cycles.

Hikes range between 3 and 7 miles per day and take you to frequently visited and seldom seen ruins and rock art sites. The safari–style base camp includes a camp chef who will delight your taste buds with steak, rack of lamb, and other delicious treats. Wine and beer are offered with every meal. Camp also includes an outdoor shower perfect for two! At night, as the temperature drops, snuggle under sleeping bags on a comfortable air mattress or brave the elements to do a little stargazing under the open sky.

Roughing it has never been so easy – or so romantic! Each evening, the group will meet around the campfire and the archaeologist will discuss topics ranging from the reasons the buildings were built on such a grand scale to cannibalism by the ancient Pueblo people. Guests are encouraged to ask questions and join in the discussions! Cost of this trip is $2775 per person.

Another romantic adventure offered by Four Corners takes place in southwest Utah and includes 26 miles of rafting down the San Juan River. You will visit remote ruins and view petroglyphs that are 600 to 1,000 years old. You and your significant other will also explore the Blue Mountains and the Dark Canyon Wilderness Area.

This 7 day, 6 night trip provides children or adults the opportunity to learn how to light a friction fire, throw a spear with an atlatl, paint a petroglyph, and create split-willow figures. Hikes range from 1 to 7 miles round trip and include navigating on sloping rock and around low sandstone ledges. You will learn from archaeological experts how the Anasazi people lived and explore the ancient ruins in the area. Cost of “The Other Canyonlands” trip is $2775 per adult and $2275 for children ages 6 – 15.

Ecotourism and educational trips contribute to the funding of the work done by Four Corners School of Outdoor Education. One conservation education project funded by Four Corners School is Canyon Country Youth Corps. This leadership program employs Navajo youth, ages 16 – 23. The youth work annually to complete service projects on public lands such as trail maintenance and habitat restoration.

Another program made possible by Four Corners School is the Bioregional Outdoor Education Project which provides environmental educational trainings for public school teachers in the Colorado Plateau bioregion. Twenty-four schools participate in this project during every two-year cycle. Lastly, the non-profit organization is in the process of planning for the Canyon Country Discovery Center, a science education facility that will be built in Monticello, Utah. This facility will offer education, research, and service programs throughout the region.

To learn more about Four Corners School or to plan your Eco-Adventure Romance, visit www.fourcornersschool.org