Sometimes the best way to gain a new perspective is to see the world from above.

EcoFlight, a local nonprofit, has been taking everyone from politicians to high school students into the thin air of the Rockies since 2002. The organization provides an eagle’s-eye view of public land management, stripping away artificial borders and encouraging shared understanding through a bird’s-eye perspective.

On Wednesday morning, high school students from Glenwood Springs and Rifle touched the clouds in a single-engine Cessna plane while earning semester credits through the Buddy Program’s Leadership through Exploration, Action and Discovery (LEAD) initiative.

“It’s a really neat opportunity for these future stewards of public lands to figure out what’s going on in the areas around them and how the public lands surrounding their homes are being used,” said Buddy Program LEAD Director John Braiser.

EcoFlight and the Buddy Program have partnered for more than a decade to engage young people from Aspen to Rifle in local conservation efforts.

“I really enjoy how the Buddy Program provided this opportunity to gain a new perspective,” said Rifle High School junior John Henry Jewell. “I didn’t realize how many oil fields and how much natural gas was around Rifle — you can’t see that from the ground. It made me think differently about our surroundings.”

The Buddy Program has served youth from Aspen to Rifle for more than 50 years. Through a variety of mentoring programs, it supports more than 600 kids each year, with a focus on outdoor experiences.

Offering one-on-one, group, school-based and outdoor leadership mentoring, the Buddy Program helps build confidence and healthy relationships among youth. Its Outdoor Leadership Program operates in 10 schools across the region — six middle schools and four high schools in Basalt, Roaring Fork, Glenwood Springs and Rifle.

In partnership with Colorado Mountain College, the Buddy Program provides LEAD to high schoolers, giving them opportunities to explore real-world issues while earning academic credit.

“Throughout the unit, we learn all about the public lands around us — why and how they’re there, who manages them,” Braiser said. “We go out and use them, and we really try to focus on building leadership and life skills through real experiences.

“We’ve been partnered with EcoFlight for about 10 years now, and it’s always one of the biggest highlights for students. Some of these kids have never been in an airplane before. They look down and see their homes, their communities, and the lands around them — it’s really incredible.”

Founded to give “the land a voice,” EcoFlight uses small-plane flights to educate the public and decision-makers about conservation issues from a bipartisan perspective.

“What you see from an airplane connects the dots,” said EcoFlight founder and chief pilot Bruce Gordon. “It helps explain how the rivers fit with the mountains, the oil and gas, and other conservation challenges. You can see where things are actually happening.

“We’ve been doing this for many years, and we call it conservation flying. We fly political decision-makers, media representatives and concerned citizens to educate them on the issues. It’s not about looking out the left or right side of the political spectrum — it’s about looking out both sides of the plane.”

Through partnerships with Atlantic Aviation and community support, EcoFlight continues to fly a wide range of passengers — from elected officials to high school students — to spark meaningful discussions about conservation.

“We do a lot of flying for youth because they’re our future,” Gordon said. “We care deeply about providing these opportunities, even if they fall outside our usual funding. Support from partners like Atlantic Aviation allows us to keep offering this vital service.”

For more information, visit buddyprogram.org or ecoflight.org.