March 2008 Newsletter

405 Adults Trained
5615 Youth Served

What’s Inside

» Note from the Founder

» Profile of a Youth Worker

» CAP Season Has Started

» CFK Guide Wins Big

» South Bay Office Grand Opening

» BAWT Award Nomination

» Snowshoe Photo Spotlight

» Thank you to all our recent donors!

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A Note from the Founder

Happy Spring! With great spring snow in the mountains and flowering trees here in the Bay, we are gearing up for an exciting, busy season here at BAWT. The BAWT office is buzzing with interns. Our organization is growing and it’s time to send all our friends an update. In this edition you’ll meet one of BAWTs all-star youth workers and first year recipient of BAWT’s Amy Chamberlain Memorial Scholarship. You’ll also find news about upcoming BAWT courses and events, find stories and pictures of kids on recent BAWT trips, and even learn a trick or two to keep yourself safe and dry in the backcountry! We hope this newsletter provides you with both valuable tips and, even more importantly, inspiration to get outdoors. Happy reading!

With gratitude,



Kyle Macdonald
Founder and CEO

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Profile: Hike a Mile in Aaron Gilbert’s Boots

Aaron Gilbert received the first Amy Chamberlain Scholarship from BAWT and attended the May 2006 WLT course. Since then he has quickly become one of BAWT’s most active youth-workers, taking young people out on hiking, backpacking and even kayaking trips. Aaron’s work speaks to the BAWT mission of supporting youth workers through training and gear loans and illustrates the power of our train-the-trainer model.

Aaron now works as the Outdoor Challenge Program Coordinator for St. John’s Educational Threshold in the Mission district of San Francisco. He heads up their Youth Outdoor Challenge Program, where he plans and implements outdoor trips for high school youth in the Bay Area.

Here is the letter that Aaron wrote after his first year working with BAWT.

I just wanted to write you a letter to let you know how my first year as the Amy Chamberlain recipient went. I almost cannot believe that it was only one year ago that I completed my WLT.

Right after the WLT I led a group of 20 youth to Yosemite last July and August. Well, that was just the beginning of an action-packed year. I took over 100 youth on 22 trips (9 overnight, 12 day trips, and 1 community service project). Students went backpacking, snowshoeing, snowboarding, mountain biking, hiking, rock climbing, sea kayaking, and, best of all, students lead their peers and younger youth on trips.

The WLT granted me access to the amazing BAWT gear library, but this was only the tip of the iceberg. Since taking that course I have overhauled my field course curriculum to fit a more experiential learning and expedition-based model. Students assume leadership roles and receive feedback from adult leaders and their peers. The success of this model has allowed me to develop a new program in which a small group of strong youth leaders plan and lead a trip for younger students.

In April I took BAWT’s IT course and became a member of BAWT’s volunteer faculty. I am hoping to instruct a WLT or another IT course this fall.

I want to thank all of you for giving me the opportunity to become a part of the BAWT community by selecting me as the first recipient of the Amy Chamberlain Scholarship.

Be well and get out and enjoy the sun,
Aaron

Apply for the Amy Chamberlain Scholarship.

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CAP Season Starts Now

Camping at the Presidio (CAP) season is open March 21-Oct 31, 2008. We already have 17 reservations for the summer, and we’re expecting many more. Please make your reservation as soon as possible with CAP manager Miguel Gutierrez at (415) 290-8092. Dates are filling up quickly!

The Rob Hill Campground renovation is underway. The project includes expanding the site from 2 to 4 campground sites, adding a wind-proof educational pavilion and additional campfire ring in each site, and remodeling the restroom. This project should be completed by early 2009. In the meantime, Dragonfly Creek campground is the temporary site offered to CAP groups. It has a secluded private space surrounded by a eucalyptus grove. Dragonfly Creek is a short, scenic walk from Rob Hill, our gear pick-up site, and major trails.

Spring Training was March 8th-9th. Sign up here for the fall session, which will take place October 4th-5th.

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CFK Mountain Guide Wins Prestigious REI Award

We’re proud to announce that one of BAWT’s guides, James “J.B.” Brown, was just chosen as one of REI’s Guides of the Year! J.B. guides for Sierra Wilderness Seminars, one of BAWT’s guide service partners, leading Climbing for Kids teams on Mt. Shasta, Mt. Whitney and Pico de Orizaba. J.B. was one of seven guides picked from over 500 nominees. He is also the newest member of the REI backpack design team and the official gear tester for REI’s new line of ski/snowboard packs.

There’s Still Time to Climb for Kids

The summer climbs are filling up fast! Sign up for a climb now to help get youth outdoors. We still have openings on the Mt. Shasta, Mt. Hood, Mt. Rainier (including an all-women climb!), Grand Teton, and Pico de Orizaba trips. Find out more here.

Thinking about joining us on a climb this summer? Find out more at one of our webinars. Our bi-weekly training hikes are underway. Join us and ask questions about climbing a peak to help get kids outdoors.

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BAWT Now Serves the South Bay

The South Bay office and gear library in Milpitas are now open! The new office is in the Sobrato Center for Nonprofits on Valley Way, and the staff there has already begun training and loaning equipment to Milpitas area youth-serving agencies and schools. The South Bay is a unique geographical area, with lots of green, open space, and we’re excited to help make it even more accessible to local youth.

Everyone is invited to the ribbon-cutting ceremony on April 19th from 11AM-4PM. Check back on the Milpitas page for details. To volunteer, contact Cisco.

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BAWT Award Nomination

BAWT Named Finalist in Outdoor Industry Association Ambassador Award

Salt Lake City, UT, January 24, 2008 – Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) announced that Bay Area Wilderness Training (BAWT) was a finalist for the 2008 Outdoor Industry Ambassador Award, as nominated by the outdoor industry and then selected by OIA’s Board of Directors. The award winners were announced at the Industry Breakfast on Thursday, January 24, 2008, which kicks off the Outdoor Retailer Winter Market in Salt Lake City, Utah.

The Outdoor Industry Ambassador Award recognizes companies or organizations that have made significant and ongoing achievements toward the growth of participation in outdoor activities. Those efforts could include spearheading conservation programs, the development and support of programs or efforts intended to serve as model practices for the industry, the introduction and advancement of responsible tourism practices, outstanding consumer outreach campaigns, or strides in encouraging youth to develop an active outdoor lifestyle. This award pays tribute to a company that has embraced a worthy cause and made a significant achievement. The finalists include Adventure Cycling Association, Bay Area Wilderness Training, Great Outdoor Provision Company, Mountain Gear, Sierra Club, and the Coleman Company. Previous recipients of the OIA Ambassador Award include Atlas Snow-Shoe Co., Backpacker magazine, and River Sports Outfitters.

“We’re honored to be named a finalist for the Outdoor Industry Ambassador Award” said Kyle MacDonald, Bay Area Wilderness Training Founder and CEO. “Our partnership with the outdoor industry allows BAWT create opportunities for at-risk youth to see the Milky Way or the mountains for the first time. We are deeply indebted to our industry sponsors for supporting us in our life-affirming work of getting kids into the wilderness.”

BAWT’s corporate sponsors are leaders in the outdoor industry, including Auclair, Atlas Snow-Shoe Co., Big Agnes, Clif Bar, Columbia, Gregory Mountain Products, Gu Sports, Julbo, Leki USA, Merrell, Outdoor Research, Pacific Outdoor Equipment, Princeton Tec, Teva, and Timberland.

“Our corporate sponsor support is also essential to the success of our Climbing for Kids benefit climb program,” states MacDonald. “They generously provide over $1,500 of free gear that each Climbing for Kids participant keeps after they join BAWT on a professionally guided climb on one of six amazing mountains.”

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Photo by Dennis Guikema

Photo Spotlight

The week before the “Snowshoe Basics” course it snowed over 200 inches in 10 days. Participant and BAWT intern Jane Tucker recalled, “The snow was coming down all around us and as we hiked and had a small picnic on the snow. We made snow angels and had snowball fights. My only question was, ‘When do I get to go snowshoeing again?!’”

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