SOAR past meets present

Prairie Plains Resource Institute hosted its annual SOAR  summer camp with the last two weeks full of education, getting hands dirty and having fun.
This was a unique year, however. Many of the current campers were second generation SOAR attendees, with their parents being some of the first SOAR campers ever.
Though she and her family live in Florida now, Sophie Cao (Jasnowski) remembers her time during the early years of SOAR.
“I was part of one of the very first sessions of the SOAR program (maybe it was the first, I can’t remember),” she said. “There was something so exciting and adventurous about it all. I remember the buzz, even with the adults. The bus, the big load of kids, the songs, the animals, the peer leaders. All of it!”
Now, her daughters Lua and Esme got to experience it this year.
“We loved the presentations of all the people that came,” they voiced. The raptors were a favorite and soar into the night was a blast!”
The girls’ favorite part about the week was all the new things they got to learn.
“Cow pies are important,” they started. “We loved learning about galls, bugs, and seeing wildlife up close.”
Some other sessions campers got to participate in were the ecology of rotting logs, well digging, aquatic netting and sky watching just to name a few.
Another SOAR and Aurora High School alum, Jana Gibson (Wasem), talked about the impact SOAR had on her life, especially getting to be a peer leader.
“I enjoyed everything about being a SOAR peer leader; the friendships made, skills learned, and new experiences,” she explained. “It provided a perfect blend of my love of outdoors and helping others.”
The camp even helped her solidify her passion for teaching.
“From a very young age, I knew I wanted to be a teacher,” Gibson voiced. “Being a peer leader was one of many opportunities I had that solidified that desire.”
Some of her favorite memories came from participating in SOAR.
“I absolutely loved learning about Farmer’s Valley Cemetery and how to interpret gravestones,” she started. “I’m a bit of a history geek and since that experience, I have taught friends, my children, and even my 95-year-old grandma in Idaho as she loves to explore old cemeteries.”
She also noted that SOAR helped her in her 4-H creations as well.
“One year we learned how to make our own paper, which I then turned into a 4-H project,” Gibson said. “So many great memories and opportunities that I will cherish forever.”
Now, her sons have participated in the program and loved it just as much.
“My favorite part of SOAR is listening to the sounds of nature and river day,” Gibson’s son, Wesley, said. “(I liked) learning about plants, understanding how to use a telescope and look for stars and learning about maps and creating them.”
Another notable SOAR veteran is Kim Nuss of Shickley. As a kid, she loved the fun environment that SOAR brough to the table.
“Even after all these years, I still remember a lot about my first time as a SOAR camper,” she explained. “I remember making cyanotypes, singing on the bus, and of course the beloved river day. But I think the thing I enjoyed most and still stays with me is learning about the native plants.”
Now, as an adult, she has made a comeback as a presenter at SOAR.
“Initially, I hadn’t given much thought to ever presenting at SOAR,” Nuss said. “Luckily for me, my friend Carolyn Albracht invited me to tag along one of the times she was a presenter. I was a natural fit and started helping out now and then with art as well as music projects. I enjoyed returning to the camp immensely, so it was such an honor and treat to be included as a staff member. Once I had my children, I knew that of course, they would have to be campers too.”
Her daughters are current campers and they’ve found just as much value in the program as their mom did years ago.
“(My) favorite part of SOAR is hiking and seeing the beautiful scenery,” Nuss’s daughter, Abby, said. (I liked learning about) how much the Platte River has changed over time.”
Nuss’s other daughter, Emma, expressed similar love for the SOAR experience.
“(I) liked the bugs and cool plants,” she explained. “My favorite thing I learned was that those ruts on the prairie are from pioneer wagons.”
Aurora alum and current occupational therapist Sarah Lyon (Meyer) also attended SOAR as a kid.
“I think what made SOAR so remarkable was discovering the super interesting ecosystems that were close by, but outside of our daily reality,” she explained. “Forever after being in SOAR, you walk by a stream or a field, and wonder: what’s under the surface? What could I catch out there if I had a net in hand?”
Lyon also made the decision to continue her SOAR experience by becoming a peer leader once she was too old to be a camper.
“I enjoyed my time as a camper so much that I knew I wanted to be a peer leader right away,” Lyon said. “I think that’s part of the genius of program design. If you want to continue on being involved, there is a clear pathway for you to do so, first as a peer leader, then as an adult volunteer.”
Now with two kids of her own, her oldest son, Jack, got to experience his first year of SOAR this summer.
“I like how everyone is working together on the team projects. They just make it so fun -- and we learn a lot,” he said. “I never knew the names of half of these plants or bugs. I’ve also never walked through muddy water. And, I learned that people do this for a living.”
As SOAR continues to grow, more kids are starting to come from out of state to take part in the camp.
Former Prairie Plains employee Jon Groelz got the opportunity to bring his two sons, Luhi and Mahana, to SOAR from Hawaii this year.
Not only did Groelz participate in SOAR as a kid, but he was part of the very first flight of SOAR.
The program brings a new way of learning to the kids that attend, but also valuable friendships and unique experiences for campers to grow as individuals.
“One benefit I’ve seen of the camp is it’s helped to encourage my somewhat shy daughters to come out of their shells more and more,” Nuss said. “It’s definitely increased their confidence and ability to communicate. Also, I frequently hear from their classroom teachers how impressed they are that my daughters know so much about Nebraska. Whether it’s talking about the first settlers of Nebraska, native plants, insects, snakes, birds, my daughters are definitely retaining the information they are learning, and then they are applying it to their schoolwork. Which is awesome.”
Additionally, SOAR instills a greater appreciation for nature in its campers.
“I have noticed that my children (Gabe & Wes) have more appreciation and respect for nature,” Gibson said. “They take time to soak in the beauty around them and use what they have learned through SOAR, such as identifying plants or insects. Furthermore, there is the socialization aspect; making new friends, learning from peer leaders and presenters and respecting others.”
Ultimately, SOAR has provided incomparable experiences to kids and adults alike to learn about nature in a new and exciting way. Through its evolution, SOAR has continued to give the community of Aurora, and the whole country, a way to explore without limits. With campers from Hawaii, Florida, Oregon and many more, this camp provides something for just about everyone.
“I think it’s important for kids to get hands-on experience, to explore and discover things on their own,” Cao voiced. “SOAR does a fantastic job of letting kids’ curiosity lead the sessions. They are encouraged to (as Ms. Frizzle famously said) ‘Take chances, make mistakes, get messy.’ My hope is that the kids who attend SOAR will find something that excites them. Maybe they find out that they really enjoy bugs, or discover that they could have a job studying the sky. Maybe they’re inspired to do a little bird watching or cartography. Mostly, I hope they discover that Nebraska is full of beauty and wonder.”