Library users in the Lewiston area will soon have the chance to try gold panning, birdwatching and other outdoor activities free of charge.
The Lewiston City Library recently won a grant from the National Forest Community Recreation Fund to put together outdoor activity kits its users can check out starting next month. The Idaho Capital Sun first reported this story.
“We’re excited to partner with the Lewiston City Library to support new ways for people of all ages and backgrounds to connect with public lands, learn about conservation, and inspire them to take an active role in stewardship,” said Angela Edwards, a partnership coordinator with the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests.
Kits include equipment needed for gold panning, birdwatching, hiking and camping. A Dutch oven will also be available for those wanting to experience cooking outdoors.
Those are on top of the fishing poles the library has loaned out for years, according to library director Lynn Johnson.
“It seemed like a good way for us to offer things for the public that are a little out of the ordinary,” Johnson said in a press release.
“Libraries are about opportunity. Whether you have limited means or lots of access and wealth, we want to help people of all means try something out,” she said.
These new outdoor activity kits will be available to check out by those with a Valnet library card, which includes a group of 48 school and public libraries in north central Idaho stretching from Elk City to Potlatch.
It’s unclear how much Lewiston City Library will receive. It will split the $225,000 grant with six other groups across the country, including:
- Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe in Washington
- The Boat Bus, which operates in the Midwest and Northeast
- Refugee Women’s Network in Georgia
- Piikani Lodge Health Institute in Montana
- Braided Seeds in Washington
- Southeast Alaska Independent Living
Kits will be available to first check out beginning in December.
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