Colorado Mesa University’s Outdoor Program is expanding how students engage with the outdoors through new hands-on learning opportunities like hunter education.
Colorado Mesa University’s (CMU) Outdoor Program (OP) has helped students get outside since their community expansion in May of 2019. Serving as a distributor of outdoor equipment rentals, tours, trips and educational classes, the OP's mission is to focus on affordable, safe and environmentally conscious outdoor experiences.
Recently, the OP has collaborated with Colorado Parks and Wildlife to introduce a free hunter safety course for students at CMU. Area 7 District Wildlife Manager, Jace Zundel, connected with CMU to introduce and teach hunter safety to students.
“One of our roles as a District Wildlife Manager is to perform hunter education and we like to get involved with local groups — the college, local communities — to teach hunter education so that these guys can go out and exercise their privilege of hunting in the state of Colorado,” said Zundel.
CMU’s OP and Colorado Parks and Wildlife prioritized the core values of hunting in their coursework. The course itself was a 2-day hunter education course focused on safety, ethics and conservation. This opportunity provided hands-on instruction in firearm safety and wildlife management, and utilized local spots such as Highline Lake State Park for field days. The ultimate goal of this program was to give students the tools necessary to become responsible hunters who are certified with their Colorado hunting license.
With experts teaching the class, students are able to immerse themselves in the hunting world, regardless of their level of experience. This program was also in line with the spring Colorado hunting license draw, allowing students to receive their license immediately after the course once they passed.
The OP continues to support outdoor exploration and encourages every student to embark on a new journey that they have never done before or did not think was possible. The OP makes it simple to go on excursions in the local area by offering rafting, paddleboarding, kayaking, backpacking, biking, hiking, skiing, ice climbing, rock climbing, bouldering, fishing, canyoneering, hunter education and so much more to help promote people to get outside.
“I chose to take [the hunter education course] because I am really big into angling and conservation, and I just wanted to get into hunting,” sophomore student and OP trip staff member, Alexzander Lunsford, said. “I think it’s amazing, it’s a new outlook we are going for.”
As an active staff member, Lunsford highlights the importance of the OP and its expansion into wildlife sporting. CMU’s collaboration with Colorado Parks and Wildlife allows more opportunities for students to learn about the outdoors and ultimately find a new passion.
“Really what we try to instill in people are the core values of this university. So, that’s love, that’s dignity, that’s resilience, you know, that’s curiosity. Those are the kinds of things that we try to bring to every trip we take outside with people,” OP coordinator, Alec Sica, said. “The outdoors is for everyone. Everyone has a place in the outdoors, and we are here to bring that to whoever you are.”
The Outdoor Program has everything students need to get started on their next outdoor adventure. From coursework that leads to certifications, such as hunter education, to Tuesday hikes that take place each week, CMU and its OP provide high-quality trips, rentals and education for all students, regardless of experience.
