BWCA becomes classroom for students of color from St. Paul catholic school

Boundary Waters Canoe Area becomes classroom

A handful of students spent five days in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area to learn about the great outdoors and the skills that come with camping.

ELY, Minn. (FOX 9) - As a seventh-grade student at St. Peter Claver in St. Paul, Lovey goes to school in the heart of the city.

But for a few days during her summer vacation, her classroom was the great outdoors.

"It was amazing, It was really pretty and I never smelled air so fresh ever in my life," said Lovey.

Lovey is one of three students from the school who took a trip to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area near Ely for five days last week.

Big City Mountaineers and Friends of the Boundary Waters covered the expenses and provided the gear and expertise for the students to explore the natural environment up north.

"I heard loon calls, and I also got to see some beavers, too. Then I also saw a snake, which was kind of scary, but I wasn't really that scared," said Lovey.

In addition to camping skills like putting up a tent, cooking outside and taking care of their equipment, the students also learned how to build a canoe from scratch and took paddling lessons to prepare for the trip during the school year.

"I think it was very important because most of them hadn't had an experience like this before and being up there and being able to enjoy the wilderness and also appreciate it and also know why we're working so hard to preserve these areas. I think it was very important to them," said St. Peter Claver's City Connection Coordinator Jenny Perea, who accompanied the students on the trip.

Lovey says getting in touch with nature was not only a stress reliever for her. It also opened up a whole new world she plans to explore further in the future.

"Fun. Calming. Excited. Scary. Beautiful and amazing," said Lovey.