Partners in Planning and Completion:
The Mancos Gear Share is a collaborative project between the Mancos School District, the Mancos Public Library, Mancos Valley Resources, the Mancos Creative District and the Outdoors Empowered Network (OEN). OEN has helped similar groups establish gear lending libraries across the country and has been a valuable resource in helping with the early stages of pla
nning the gear library, connecting the local planning committee with a network of similar gear libraries and resources as well as utilizing their cooperative buying power to help secure donations and deep discounts of outdoor gear. Friends of the Mancos Library
Town of Mancos
Open Sky Wilderness Therapy
Osprey Packs
The Ballantine Family Fund
Durango Devo
Mancos Gear Share Goals:
The Mancos Gear Share project is a community-wide effort with a simple goal of getting more young people and their families to enjoy healthy outdoor pursuits. The most common barriers for those that would like to experience outdoor recreation are lack of representation, opportunities, access to expensive gear, programs that are facilitated by community members that have familiarity with underserved populations, and access to trusted & knowledgeable people to help them learn how to recreate in the outdoors in and emotionally and physically safe way. The Mancos Gear Share project is addressing these barriers by first establishing a gear-lending library--built on local and national monetary and in-kind donations--and secondly by building a group of community volunteers and organizations to help establish workshops, activities and programs to facilitate the safe use and enjoyment of the Mancos Gear Share equipment. The long-view is for the Mancos Gear Share to become a community based, inclusive, volunteer and youth-centered organization that provides programming and activities that utilize its outdoor equipment to introduce and sustain an interest and love for healthy recreation in the outdoors.
