This spring, DNDA celebrated the conclusion of our second Branch Out cohort! From February to May, our seven high school interns explored outdoor recreation, learned how to care for public greenspaces, and built leadership skills and confidence as they stepped outside of their comfort zones nearly every week.
Branch Out is a 4-month internship for high schoolers in Delridge that exposes youth to outdoor recreation, careers in the outdoor industry and environmental sciences, and equips them with the skills to confidently spend time outdoors. Throughout the program, we take interns hiking, rock climbing, mountain biking, bird watching, and more, with the program culminating in an overnight camping trip.
For most participants, this program offers them their first opportunity to experience the joy of hiking in an old growth forest, learning how to clip into a climbing harness, snowshoeing through a meadow, or setting up a tent with their friends at a state park campsite. Along the way, they also deepen their understanding of Pacific Northwest ecology and the importance of caring for our public lands.
We had the privilege of working with a number of partner organizations this spring, each of which brought an invaluable addition to our interns’ experience with the program.
The Mountaineers hosted Branch Out to rock climb at Magnusson Park – an experience that opened our interns’ eyes to the world of climbing for the first time. Despite their initial apprehension about hanging off a wall from a rope, each intern climbed to the top of the wall and enjoyed the experience so much that we returned a few weeks later!
Other highlights from the spring include our snowshoeing trip at Gold Creek Pond, hiking at Bridle Trails State Park with Big City Mountaineers, bird watching at Seward Park with Seward Park Audubon Center, and mountain biking with Y.E.T.I. at North SeaTac Park.
Since launching in fall of 2025, Branch Out has already grown into a powerful space for youth to explore the joy of outdoor recreation, community connection, and learn what they are capable of when they push themselves out of their comfort zone. We are so proud of our spring interns and can’t wait to welcome our next cohort this fall!
Thank you to Philanthropy Northwest, the Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office, and every other partner and supporter who helped make this program possible.
