At DUNERS we believe the future of our sport lies in the hands of our children. One main focus of DUNERS is our Junior Duners program, which will be expanding to other sand areas (Dumont Dunes near Baker, California and Sand Mountain in Nevada), and also into non-sand areas of the deserts such as Ocotillo Wells in California and the open areas of the desert near Yuma, Arizona.
DUNERS held its first "Junior Duner" session out at the Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area on February 16, 2003. This free program, designed for duners ages 5-17, included coaching the future leaders of our dunes on a variety of subjects such as:
* Basic ATV operation and safety
* Respect for the dunes
* Consideration of fellow duners
We had 15 kids in attendance and each Junior Duner received a DUNERS certificate and a commemorative photograph. Although every child in attendance was familiar with duning, since children are often more receptive to lessons from strangers than their families, the parents of these young riders were able to sit back and enjoy the session, knowing their kids were being coached by seasoned professionals.
The one-hour session, featured in an Imperial Valley Press pictorial on February 17, 2003, was a huge success for everyone involved. It was also highlighted in the February 23, 2003 edition of the Yuma Sun.
DUNERS will be scheduling additional Junior Duner sessions as requested, and would be happy to bring the program to your camp and riding group. We will also be developing additional programs aimed beyond this first step.
We are also developing programs that will capture the attention of the adolescent
and teen riders that visit the area, by way of such things as organized rides
through the dunes (which will include a safety and conservation discussion) and
gatherings where adolescents and teenagers visiting the ISDRA from various places
can meet up. If you would like to help in the development of this program, please
contact Vicki Warren.
To find out more about the Junior Duner program and to schedule a session, please send an email or call (909) 738-9047.