Along with many partners, rare wants to play its part in ensuring that outstanding opportunities are available to children in this area and that every local child receives an outdoor education. That’s why over the next four years, rare is preparing to host up to 20,000 elementary and secondary school students, giving these future citizens the chance to experience a creative,living curriculum in the context of their own backyard.
But there is a problem: Every Child Outdoors needs a home. It doesn’t have to be fancy, but it does require washrooms and dry places to sit. Unfortunately, rare has another problem, too: its crumbling, historic 1840s Slit Barn and adjacent farm house are in urgent need of renovation.
With a little creative thinking, both concerns are being addressed at once! The Slit Barn will be reborn as an event venue for the community. Located on Blair Road in the heart of the reserve, it has the potential to host hundreds of classes and thousands of local visitors as an interpretive centre and a trailhead, too. The farm house in turn will provide washroom, kitchen and meeting facilities, along with space for researchers, educators and storage.
Why rebuild the barn? Because it is a portal into history. The slits in the sides of this 19th century structure once provided ventilation for threshed wheat; today, they accent the cavernous interior with dramatic streams of light. The limestone bricks are awash with fossils that beckon visitors to take a closer look, and the lower level reminds us of the days when cattle used to graze this land.
The barn has provided much shelter in the past. To make it and the farm house safe and useful for today’s students, rare launched a 3-year campaign last fall to raise $1.3 million for Every Child Outdoors, including the proposed renovations. To date, more than $500,000 has been raised. Donate Now.