If they encounter a bear or a rockslide or get injured on a hike, the members of Mountain Ridge High School’s National Park Geeks Club know what to do. At their weekly club meetings, they practice navigating through various national parks and getting out of sticky situations with choose your own adventure simulations. Club president Logan Forsyth created the simulations, the weekly presentations about each of the National Parks and the club itself.

“I loved visiting these national parks myself and it has just been so inspirational for me, and I feel happy in the outdoors, so I wanted to bring the people who love the outdoors as much as I do together,” Forsyth said. “I love inspiring that curiosity, and talking more about it and educating those that want to learn more about the national parks.”

Forsyth’s family plans to visit every national park, documenting their adventures on Instagram @Down with Adventure. Forsyth’s love of the outdoors inspired him to start the club, first at his online middle school, and then at Mountain Ridge High School as a sophomore.

Each week at the club meeting, Forsyth shared informative presentations about national parks, monuments, forests, historic sites and BLM areas. Club members learned how to read maps and road signs and reviewed outdoor safety and rules of etiquette. They applied this knowledge to design their own national park, for which they drew a map, including terrain and wildlife. Each club member then acted as park ranger, explaining their park’s features and fielding questions from other club members.

Club members also chatted virtually with actual park rangers and participated in some outdoor gear giveaways during club meetings.

The National Park Geeks club had about five active members.

Chelsah Thomas joined the club because she said she enjoys learning new things as well as hiking. She will be going to Alaska this year with her family. Darcy Ferguson, who is interested in biology, enjoyed the park presentations and learning about plant and animal life in protected areas. She camps regularly with her family.

Some of the club members have never visited a national park. Club advisor Kezia Dearden hopes to change that next year with a club day trip to Capitol Reef National Park. Dearden and Forsyth have already discussed plans for next year’s club, with more outdoor activities such as an interpretive hike and outdoor yoga and meditation. They hope these activities will entice more students to join the club.

“We are really looking to grow our numbers next year, now that we are established,” Dearden said.

Dearden said Forsyth has been a great club leader.

“He ran the whole show as a sophomore,” she said. “It's really impressive. He is very passionate about the club.”

 Forsyth is an expert on national parks. He has visited 32 national parks so far, mostly in the western U.S., including all the national monuments and sites in Utah except for one. His favorite national park in Utah is Bryce Canyon but his overall favorite is a tie between Joshua Tree and Glacier National Park.λ