Lead a Trip!

BAWT promotes and supports all people getting youth into wilderness. And there's a growing body of evidence that suggests that unplugging, and connecting with nature is more important now than ever before...

Outdoor Education and Academic Success: For educational enrichment, very importantly, outdoor learning programs have proven to boost academic success. Four major studies in California, conducted for the State Education and Environment Roundtable, found that environmental education programs that get youth outdoors with a hands-on interdisciplinary approach to learning produce students that perform better on standardized tests, are more enthusiastic learners, and have fewer disciplinary problems (from www.seer.org/extras/execsum.pdf).

Creating Environmental Stewardship: BAWT believes that safe, well-led educational wilderness trips change young lives for the better, and that meeting wilderness challenges makes urban youth stronger in mind, body, spirit and ability. Wilderness - like no other teacher - introduces urban youth to first-hand lessons in personal growth, renewal and what to do to help protect and preserve the earth.

The most comprehensive overview of the importance of taking youth to nature comes from Richard Louv's book Last Child in the Woods - Saving out Children from Nature- Deficit Disorder.

Free Gear?

Yes, our gear loan system provides high quality camping gear - for free - to those people who have taken our Wilderness Leadership Training or the Camping at the Presidio course. This is our way of ensuring that the gear is used properly and that the trips it is used for are safe. BAWT now houses it's outdoor gear in THREE locations: San Francisco, Milpitas and San Francisco's Presidio (for Camping at the Presidio program only).
> Find out more about our gear

Forms

In order to use our gear, we require a reservation. We also have a form on your return so we can know how it went. There is also a form for applying to our courses.
> Download the Forms

Trip Resources

> Web Resource List
The web has a growing number of great sites to help you plan your trips. Here are a few of the links we've reviewed.

> ListServe
The Network of BAWT trained volunteers, teachers and youth workers who use the outdoors as a powerful tool for youth development is best accessed through our listserve. Join now and start posting your questions, suggestions and coments!

> BAWT's Resource Library
Here at our office, we have a large number of hiking guides and skills books for you to use. Check it out and see what we have.