Statistics from the U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service, and Fish and Wildlife Service show that although people of color make up nearly 40 percent of the total U.S. population, they make up less than 30% of the people visiting our national parks and national forests with African Americans the most under represented group. The Sierra Club has reported that less than half of African American adolescents age 13 to 17 will participate in even one outdoor recreation activity in any given year.

Several barriers have been discussed that may contribute to minority under-representation in the outdoors. Some of these Include:

Safety: Media stories of bear attacks, lighting strikes, and falls from cliffs can leave many people unfamiliar with the outdoors fearful for their own safety.  This fear is compounded for minorities with incidences of racial violence and the idea of outdoor places being historically violent social spaces. (Racial Complexities of Outdoor Spaces: An Analysis of African American’s Lived Experiences in Outdoor Recreation by Matthew Charles Goodrid, 2018)

Affordability and Access: Visiting national parks can be expensive and distant.  The cost of entrance fees, transportation, and equipment can be significant obstacles to lower-income families. Even our closer State Parks have entrance fees that can create a barrier.

Childhood Experiences: Many minority adults did not have the opportunity to attend summer camp or spend time outdoors as children.  Several studies have shown that that early childhood experiences of engaging with the natural world can shape a person’s views of self-confidence and appreciation of nature well into adulthood.  This becomes a chronic cycle of exclusion.

Feeling Acceptance:  Ambreen Tariq started the Instagram account @BrownPeopleCamping to promote diversity in the outdoors.  In an REI-Co Op journal she writes, “So, for many of us people of color, venturing into remote wilderness spaces to try something new or challenging, all while hauling the extra weight of being self-conscious or anxious as a minority in the outdoors, can make for a pretty uncomfortable experience. I would but no one out there looks like me.”

I recently read an article featuring a black female climber who speaks out about breaking the color barrier in the sport.  How she wants to be a role model for young black girls and blogs and speaks to how people of color are under-represented in climbing.  Yes, we need role models and we need to continue to have a conversation about the under representation of minorities in all outdoor spaces, but more importantly we need action.  James 15-16 says Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?  Of course, this chapter in the bible is talking about faith and deeds, but I think it applies here.  What good is all of the talk if we DO nothing?

At Camptown we put our faith into action.  For the past almost 30 years, we have been taking under-represented youth into nature.  Since we have been keeping statistics in 2005, we have introduced over 21,000 minority youth to adventures like hiking, caving, camping, climbing, fishing, backpacking and canoeing. This represents 55% of our total youth served.   I have always felt uncomfortable about keeping statistics on race because it just doesn’t matter if our youth are white, black, Hispanic or other.  What matters is that they need to get out into the outdoors and experience God’s creation and know that they are loved and have value.  To learn that there are opportunities out there that they have not even considered.

During this time of an ongoing pandemic, as well as growing political and racial divisions, we will continue to reach out to those least likely to get out into nature.  Not because of any protest, appeal from a celebrity, or societal pressure, but because it is what we have been doing and it is the right thing to do.  We envision a time when all people have equal access to all of what God’s creation has to offer without inhibition.

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What a difference a month can make. In early March we were working with our program partners on spring and summer programs. We were also short a staff member and wondering how we were going to get everything done. We knew God would provide us a new staff member and are excited to have Wes on our team, but still training someone in one of our busiest times of the year, had us running. Fast forward just a few weeks and all of our programs were cancelled and we were looking for ways to continue to make a difference in our community yet maintain social distancing and keep our staff safe and employed. So what are we doing during these uncertain times?
 We started delivering meals for Meals on Wheels of Central Indiana. Meals on Wheels of Central Indiana delivers approximately 600 medically tailored meals each day to clients who are shut in due to aging or other health related issues. Clients receive a cold lunch and hot dinner each day. In addition, every Meals on Wheels delivery volunteer does a welfare check on clients and reports any abnormalities to Meals on Wheels staff for follow up. Meals on Wheels relies almost exclusively on volunteer drivers for their deliveries. Many of the volunteers are retired and falling into the high risk category for Coronavirus, have suspended driving. At the same time, the Meals on Wheels client list has grown. We are delivering two routes, five days a week for Meals on Wheels. We are happy to be putting the resources God has provided us to the benefit of those in our community.
 Our staff alternate driving routes and working from home. On our route days, we have one staff in the office in the morning and one in the afternoon. This way we only have one person in the office at any given time. While in the office, we are taking care of facility and equipment needs. At home, we are staying in touch with our teachers and program partners to see what we can do to help during these times of uncertainty. We are following up with our summer program partners to help them prepare for summer programming.
 We have been adapting many of our nature education activities and have posted these to our website as Stay-at-Home Activities. These are outdoor activities parents and teachers can use to teach outdoor skills such as map & compass, plant & tree identification, Leave No Trace, Ecosystems, and we are adding more each week. Visit Camptown.org and click

As I sit at my desk trying to think about what to share with you in this edition of the Compass, I find myself staring out watching the snowplows clean up last night’s snow wishing I could get out with my snowshoes and enjoy some of this winter beauty. During this time of year, many people think Camptown shuts down. That is not the case. I like to say we don’t have slow times at Camptown – we have busy times and really busy times. This time of year, we are currently in eight schools with our afterschool Wilderness Adventure Clubs. We have anywhere from 10-20 students in these clubs that meet every week during the school year for about an hour and learn about nature, the environment, survival, and working as a team. We just finished our Leave No Trace lessons. We also take a field trip four times during the year at each club. Last weekend we had a club at Turkey Run and one at The CRUX & Eagle Creek. This weekend we have a club at McCormick’s Creek and one at Turkey Run. Sadly,

the snow is expected to melt by then. We also have a climbing club going on at the CRUX, where each week a group of about 12 students from LeGore Boys & Girls Club comes to learn about

climbing and practice their skills. In addition, they are learning about goal setting, risk management, and building confidence. This is an eight-week session and we have five more of these

climbing clubs coming up throughout the year. While these programs are going on, we are attending to the business of running Camptown. Like any business, we have a year-end and year begin process. We have to prepare statements, complete audits, write grant reports, submit grants, file tax reports and the list goes on. We are also meeting with our program partners and volunteers, scheduling our spring and summer programs. So far, we have two spring break climbing clubs and two spring break programs consisting of day and overnight trips. For the summer, we have four backpacking trips, eleven of our fifteen Natural Wonders Day Camps filled, two other multi day trips, and it is only February! Let’s not leave out fundraising. Last year we received 24% of our total operating revenue from fees from services. That means that we need to raise 76% through fundraising. That includes meeting with prospective donors & sponsors, organizing events (see Save the Date in the Compass), writing grants, and lots of follow up. In the midst of all this busyness, we have to be mindful of why we are here. We are not here for the fundraising, for the paycheck, for something to do, to keep us busy. We are here to make a difference in the lives of the children God places in our path. We are here to be the love of Christ through our actions to these children. We are here for a purpose. But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.

James 2:18 (NIV). We are all here to show our faith by serving others. What else is there to do on earth that has meaning? Thank you all for your service to others. Whether you serve with your time, talents or

treasures, you are showing your faith by serving.

Top 10 Adventure Books -While in the midst of winter, if you are like me, the cold weather has you inside more than warmer weather.  At Camptown, we still have groups going out, but not like the other seasons. While you are inside during this season, why not throw another log on the fire and jump into a good book to get you ready for your spring adventures.  Below are my top 10 adventure/survival books.  If you decide to read one of these, let me know what you thought.  Enjoy!

 

Into Thin Air (John Krakauer) There are several books out about climbing Mt. Everest.  While I have not read them all, this is by far the best that I have read.  In “Into Thin Air” Outdoor magazine reporter and climber, John Krakauer sets out to give a first-hand account of what it is like to climb the big mountain.  What he did not expect is that his expedition would become the deadliest in the history of Everest with 12 lives lost, 2 of which were among the most experienced mountaineering guides.  That record would hold for 8 years.

The Last Season (Eric Blehm) Randy Morgenson was a 28 year experienced backcountry ranger in the Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks.  His disappearance launched the biggest search and rescue in the history of the National Parks.  In this book, Eric Blehm takes the reader through Morgenson’s life as a young ranger to the time of his disappearance.  He also explores the changing roles of a backcountry ranger.  Morgenson’s story serves as an example of the perils of the wilderness and even that the most experienced outdoorsman can become overcome by the elements.

Deep Survival Who Lives, Who Dies, and Why (Laurence Gonzales) This one is at the top of my list for a good reason.  Through stories from survivors, Laurence Gonzales looks at why 90% of people freeze or panic, while the remaining 10% stay cool, focused and alive.  Deep Survival is a mix of adventure stories, survival skills, and practical advice.

The Old Man and the Sea (Ernest Hemingway) A true angler’s story.  Unlucky fisherman Santiago, sets out day after day as a commercial fisherman only to return empty-handed.  When he finally lands a big Marlin, he is taken out to sea by the big fish for three days.  On the return trip home, sharks plague Santiago and his Marlin and he returns with nothing more than a carcass.

Call of the Wild (Jack London) Buck, a powerful dog, half St. Bernard and half sheepdog, lives on Judge Miller’s estate in California’s Santa Clara Valley. He leads a comfortable life there, but it comes to an end when men discover gold in the Klondike region of Canada and a great demand arises for strong dogs to pull sleds.

Wilderness: Gateway to the Soul (Scott Stillman) In his almost poetic descriptions of the wilderness, Stillman shares stories from his adventures.  Set mostly in the southwest, he shares his thoughts and struggles on his mostly solo adventures.  He does include one adventure to one of our favorite destinations – the Big South Fork in Tennessee.

Majestic and Wild: True Stories of Faith and Adventure (Murray Pura) Living in Vancouver BC, pastor and writer Murray Pura shares how his real-life adventures helped him to grow spiritually and how God uses the wilderness to draw us closer to him.

Walk in the Woods (Bill Bryson) Bill Bryson and his out of shape sidekick, Katz decide to hike the 2,100-mile Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine. In his tongue in cheek style of writing, Bryson recounts their struggles and often-comedic journey.  The movie by the same name does not do the book justice.

Ranger Confidential (Andrea Lankford) As an experienced Ranger in the National Park system Lankford shares stories about what it is like to be a ranger and some of the unusual and even tragic events that made up her time as a Ranger.

Hatchet (Gary Paulsen) When 13 year old Brian Robeson is traveling to visit his father, the single-engine plane he is traveling in goes down killing the pilot leaving Brian to survive on his own.  He is alone in the Canadian wilderness with nothing but what he brought with him and his wits.  Brian teaches himself to hunt, fish, and make shelter as he survives the elements.

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Growing up I had the opportunity to spend time immersing myself in outdoor
activities. We were a boating family and most warm weather weekends were spent on the lake skiing, fishing, or just floating. My dad and I would attend the boat show every year dreaming of the next boat. For a few years, we headed up to Michigan and vacationed at a little cabin resort where we would spend our time on the water fishing. I still love the water whether I’m canoeing on a river or hiking along a stream, it is where I am most at peace. We would also take the occasional family vacation away from the water. One year we trekked up the east coast through Maine, Canada, and back through Michigan. While in Boston, I saw my first sign of homelessness as we walked through Boston Common Park. My first
National Park was Smokey Mountain National Park where we saw wildlife I had only seen in a zoo, like bears and elk. We also visited Rocky Mountain National Park where I was in awe of the immensity of the mountains. As a Boy Scout, I bike camped through Shenandoah National Park. I remember riding one morning not being able to see two feet in front of me through the fog. All of these experiences have helped form who I would eventually become as an adult.

When Cynthia and I started our family, we wanted our children to have these types of experiences. We wanted them to see that the world was a lot bigger than, and in many cases very different from Zionsville, Indiana. We started camping when they were very young, with a couple of our family favorites being the Smokey Mountains and Pisgah National Forest. But even with our nest now empty, Cynthia and I continue these adventures. This month we did a two-week tour of the Southwest National Parks, where I achieved a couple of milestones. I visited New Mexico – my 50th state, and I have now visited 33 of our 59 National Parks. During the two weeks, we visited Death Valley, Joshua Tree, Petrified Forest, Mesa Verde, Arches, Canyon Lands, and also Grand Staircase and Lake Powell. As we were hiking through the Blue Mesa in Petrified National Park, I was thinking about kids that don’t get these kinds of experiences. The kids that live in the city and their world is just two blocks around their home. The kids whose families do not or cannot go on these types of trips. Wilderness experiences have a profound impact on us. It might be the vastness of Death Valley, the majesty of the Rocky or Sierra Mountains, or the almost prehistoric splendor of the geysers, mud pots, and hot springs of Yellowstone. It might be what we learn through our adversities in nature; getting stuck in a hailstorm, hiking in 1000 temperatures in the dessert, climbing 7,000 feet to a summit, or enduring below freezing nights. Camptown brings these types of experiences to the kids we serve.

During our 7th Grade overnight trip to Shades State Park this year, the Principal came out to address the class. These students come from a school where 90% of the students are inner city and living in poverty. During her conversation with them, she talked about the value of experiences like this one. How many of those they meet in college or other post high school training will have had these experiences and how it was important for them to have the same type of opportunities to expand their worldview. These wilderness adventures teach us and help us to grow and expand our way of thinking in a way that a classroom cannot. If they wanted to compete, they needed these experiences and needed to take full advantage of them. Through our day, overnight, and weeklong programs, Camptown is able to provide these life changing experiences to more than 3,000 youth who normally would not have the opportunity to do so. Finding the resources to provide these programs is becoming increasingly more difficult. Please consider providing a life changing experience to a local youth by supporting
Camptown.

For more information on how you can help, please visit our webpage at www.camptown.net.

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