Children and families all gathered at Emporia State University’s Prophet Aquatic Research and Outreach Center for an annual outdoor excursion now in its eighth year.
Vamos A Pescar, which translates to Let’s Go Fishing, once again saw a stellar turnout for a morning and afternoon full of activities including fishing, nature trail walks, crafts, a fish taco lunch and much more. Vamos began back in 2017 at Camp Alexander and featured 12 Hispanic families who were getting their first experience of the sport of fishing.
Since then, the event has grown to include much more in the way of activities and has also opened up to the entire community. Patricia Reyes of Hispanics of Today and Tomorrow (HOTT), one of the event’s founders, spoke with KVOE News Saturday and says Vamos does much more than just provide an introduction to the great outdoors for many residents, it also instills a sense of “ownership” in the community for all regardless of race, color or language.
One activity that was not able to be held Saturday was kayaking on King Lake following the re-issuance of an algae warning by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment for King Lake. Phil Taunton of What’s in Outdoors says that even though the warning hampered the plans a bit, it still provided for a learning opportunity.
As mentioned, Vamos has continuously grown in size and activities over the past several years and that trend did not slow down this year as Vamos added a hunter-education experience thanks to the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks. The experience included a virtual hunting simulator, a trend that began in Europe and has slowly made its way to America in recent years.
KDWP Outdoor Education Supervisor and Hunter Education Coordinator Dave Foster says the technology is a safe and educational way to introduce individuals to the sport of hunting while eliminating all risk factors.
Vamos A Pescar is a cooperative event organized in partnership between HOTT, What’s in Outdoors, USD 253 Migrant Education, Emporia State University and KDWP. Saturday marked the third consecutive year Vamos A Pescar was held at PAROC after originally taking place at Camp Alexander and later Peter Pan Park.
Photos by Tagan Trahoon/KVOE NewsÂ
