July 2008 Newsletter

560 Adults Trained
6897 Youth Served

What’s Inside

» Note from the Founder
» Breaking News: Over 6,000 Youth Served!
» CAP Youth Served Doubles!
» WLTalk
» Interview with a WLT Participant
» Mt. Shasta Challenges CFK
» South Bay Grows
» Nickels for BAWT!
» Quote from a Kid
» Thank you to all of our recent donors!

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A Note from the Founder

Friends of BAWT,

This spring marked a tipping point for BAWT: we took a giant step in becoming a truly regional organization. Last September we hired Cisco Martin del Campo to start up our new office in Milpitas. By this issue, BAWT had implemented separate, email-ready gear-request forms unique to the South Bay and SF and is well on its way to building a thriving community of youth-serving wilderness buffs in the area. This June we trained 6 new youth workers from the South Bay (read more about the spring trips in our new WLTalk column!). Each of these trainees will, on average, take 17 youth outdoors in the next year – that’s a projected 102 youth outside, to add to the 247 youth we’ve already reached in 2008! Finally, to highlight BAWT’s regional impact, we’ve built a Google Map that’s graphically stunning as it loads all the sites in which we’ve made an impact around the bay and allows users to see organizations we’ve served over the years. Enjoy the newsletter, then enjoy some more of the summer season outside!

Enjoy,

Kyle Macdonald
Founder and CEO

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BAWT Nears 7,000 Youth Served!

As of June 2008, BAWT has served 6,156 youth through WLT-trained leaders and 741 through CAP-trained leaders. To do this, BAWT has trained 471 leaders through WLTs and 89 through CAP! Congratulations to all!

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CAP Will Double the Number of Youth It Serves in 2008!

By Eve Skylar
Programs Associate, Camping at the Presidio Coordinator

“During our CAP trip, we saw lots of birds, big ones, little ones --we saw an owl, a heron, and a hawk,” a youth from Lazarus House roared in excitement when asked about his June 28th-30th Camping at the Presidio trip. This year, CAP is offering new educational, guided programs, including bird watching, plant restoration and other service projects on top of the regularly offered, site-specific programs.

Since the program’s opening in March 2007, CAP has helped get over 740 youth outdoors. The number of youth served in 2008 reached 406 by the end of June, versus 335 for the entire year of 2007. This means that by the end of the 2008 season we project that 650 youth will have been enrolled in the CAP program this year, which means an increase of about 100% vs. last year!

Currently, exciting improvements and revitalization for the future Rob Hill Campground is underway. Plans call for doubling the number of campsites, creating new restrooms, and adding a large stone fire circle and gateway. With the planned renovations and expanded services, the campsite could eventually serve around 20,000 people each year.

For information about eligibility criteria, costs, and the camping package, please call CAP Manager, Miguel Gutierrez at (415) 290-8092 or click here.

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May WLT: 35F and snowing. WANNA CROSS THE RIVER?

By Chelsea Griffie
BAWT Program Director

The Wilderness Leadership Training is our flagship course. It’s the heartbeat of BAWT. It’s the quality time that we get to spend in the backcountry getting to know some of our favorite people. These favorite people will, in turn, complete our mission of leading their youth outdoors. Because BAWT has so much going on in the spring, it’s the most challenging time of year for me, but also the most fun.

Each WLT is different, depending on the mix of participants and what they bring to it, as well as on the circumstances surrounding the trip. Remember that last weekend in May, and how there was deeply inclement weather in the mountains of California? That’s what I will remember most from the May 2008 WLT. Rain, hail, sleet, and snow. Never a dull moment, that’s for sure! Did I mention the BAWTmobiles? We drove those magical vehicles for the first time on a WLT. Very cool.

We had two sections in May, both of which handled their challenges with grace and good humor. Tough conditions can really bring groups together, and the May WLT was no exception. People in each group had to work together and rely on each other.

For the first time ever, we came out of the back country a day early and stayed in the Cherry Valley Campground for the final night. No need to punish the group when a number of people and their clothes or sleeping bags were completely soaked, with no chance to dry them. Luckily, we had dry clothing and sleeping bags back in the BAWTmobiles.

June WLT: 3 Bears, a Little Smoke, a Great Time!

The weather for the June WLT was a lot more congenial. The skies were sunny and clear, even the smoke from California’s wildfires was pretty mild. It definitely decreased visibility on the big views, but it was never a hazard for breathing. The haze decreased significantly as we went deeper into the Kibbie Canyon toward Kibbie Lake.

Because the weather was milder, we had more chances to focus on topics other than survival. The two sections really gelled as groups by simply spending time together and working through the challenges that we created for the participants.

All in all, both trips were tremendous learning and bonding opportunities for all involved. We have 38 new WLT graduates from May and June. The June training included a police officer, an All Start after school teacher, an after school teacher from the UK, and even a former BAWT intern.

Congratulations and Thank you!!!

Gina’s Testimonial

Next WLT
September 10-14, 2008
Pre-trip meeting September 6, 2008
Sign up

Apply for the Amy Chamberlain Scholarship

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Interview with a Wilderness Leadership Training Participant

Christian Hackbarth, 24 year old
assistant middle school program coordinator for Seven Tepees

Seven Tepees is a non-profit that serves youth who live in the Mission in San Francisco. It provides educational support to 6, 7, and 8th graders and also organizes trips several times a year to get youth outdoors.

What was your favorite moment during the training?
After camping for 15 years, I saw my first bear in the wild!

If you hear a rattle snake, what should you do? (One workshop before the hike was dedicated to wilderness hazards)
I would stop and look around and see if I could find it.

What is the most challenging moment you experienced on the WLT?
When I was a leader, the biggest challenge was getting the group to stick together, because there were slow and fast hikers.

What is your next step after the WLT?
I will take the [Wilderness] First Responder training and maybe become a BAWT instructor.

What would you say to someone who is considering taking a WLT?
Take it, definitely! People think they know everything about wilderness but in fact they don’t (and they think they don’t need training).

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Emily Hagan stands on the summit of Mt. Hood. The entire team of 4 climbers summitted in beautiful weather on the morning of July 6th, 2008.

CFK: Tough Conditions on Shasta Made for a Real Adventure

By Cliff Agocs
Climbing For Kids Coordinator

In December of 2007 Michael Hannigan decided to climb Mt. Shasta to support Bay Area Wilderness Training. “BAWT is the real deal,” he wrote in a simple letter to his friends and colleagues. “I believe in what BAWT is accomplishing with these kids. To convince you to help me with my fundraising, I have kicked it off with a $1,000 contribution of my own.”

$12,915 dollars later Michael was standing on the side of Mt. Shasta, the highest fundraiser to date of the 2008 season. “I think our climb was a great success. We raised a lot of money for the program and we worked our butts off in very difficult snow conditions.” Despite the climb’s location on the North-East side of the mountain where the best snow conditions exist, a warm snap made the snow soft and difficult to climb through. “The weather was too good and the snow too soft. I came up 300 vertical feet short. Thankfully, my rope partner Josh still had a little left in him. I sat on a rock so that he could summit with our Guide JB.”

Michael plans to return next year. “I look forward to doing this all again - different mountain though. Maybe, Whitney, but I have declared Rainier my ultimate goal. See you soon. P.S. Our Guides JB and Josh were awesome!!!!!”

Sign up for our international climb on Orizaba!
Nov. 10-18, 2008

NEW! Come share your experience and add your photos to our new CFK facebook group! Click here to join, and don’t forget to invite your friends!

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South Bay Update

By Cisco Martin del Campo, Jr.
South Bay Programs Associate

The South Bay BAWT office is alive and busy with gear requests, receiving gear donations, and training South Bay youth leaders. The demand for gear during the month of June and the generous gear donations from North Face and Back to Earth have helped the South Bay gear library provide four youth organizations simultaneously with camping and backpacking gear. During the June 2008 WLT, BAWT trained four new youth leaders from After School All Stars and a teacher from Pala Middle School. We already have a variety of South Bay organizations attending the September WLT, so get your application in soon!! We’re also growing a South Bay advisory committee and are in need of another South Bay intern. Contact Cisco to join the fun! Check the webpage for updates.

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Whole Foods’ “Nickel for Non Profits Program” Benefits BAWT

Since Earth Day (April 22, 2008), Whole Foods has stopped offering disposable, plastic grocery bags in all 270 of its stores in North America and the United Kingdom. That means that in 2008 alone roughly 100 million plastic bags will not be used. They also encourage consumers to bring their own bags by taking 5 cents to 10 cents off the bill for each bag. The customer then has a choice: take the 5 cents, or donate to BAWT!!!!

“We’re excited to be partnering with Whole Foods Market. The program not only gets the word out about BAWT but gets people to reduce waste too!” Kyle Macdonald says.

BAWT approached Whole Foods at the beginning of 2008 with the hopes of partnering with the new Potrero Hill Market in San Francisco. BAWT is highlighted and will benefit from both the Potrero Hill and the Franklin Markets until October 15th. 2008. BAWT is currently working on expanding this donation program to more Whole Foods stores in San Francisco.

So if you shop at Whole Foods Market, bring your own bag and make a donation to BAWT. Save the environment while helping us get more kids outdoors! You will notice our BAWT logo at the cashier when checking out.

Potrero Hill: 450 Rhode Island St, San Francisco, CA 94107
Franklin: 1765 California Street, San Francisco, CA 94109

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Kid’s Quote From the Field

“To me being in a group is whatever you make it, whether that is good or bad is up to you and our group mates. Everyone depends on each other, because if one person doesn’t do what is needed for the group, the whole group is out of luck and has to deal with the consequences of that, not just that one person.”

Student at Soquel High, Santa Cruz City School District

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