The document describes Bay Area Wilderness Training (BAWT), which trains youth leaders and provides support to get local youth outdoors. It aims to address nature-deficit disorder by increasing children's access to nature. BAWT offers various training courses and provides gear, transportation, funding, and community support through initiatives like Climbing for Kids fundraising events. The organization has trained thousands of leaders who have served hundreds of youth annually since 1999.

1. BAY AREA WILDERNESS TRAINING
DISCOVERY SESSION

2. Share your best memory/story of being out in the wild
Your best outdoor
experience
Is it gazing at the stars in Yosemite?
Eating s’mores at a campfire on a beach?
Listening to the wind in the trees in Muir Woods?

3. From here…
B AY A R E A W I L D E R N E S S T R A I N I N G B A W T. O R G

4. To here!
B AY A R E A W I L D E R N E S S T R A I N I N G B A W T. O R G

5. The need
Nature-Deficit Disorder
This term, coined by Richard Louv, describes
the growing psychological, physical, and
cognitive costs of alienation from nature.
There is increasing evidence that this trend is
resulting in a wide range of behavioral
problems ranging from childhood obesity to
depression.
In a typical week, only 6% of children,
ages 9 - 13, play outside on their own.
from The Children and Nature Network’s A REPORT ON THE MOVEMENT TO
RECONNECT CHILDREN TO THE NATURAL WORLD
B AY A R E A W I L D E R N E S S T R A I N I N G B A W T. O R G

6. “I like to play indoors
better 'cause that's where
all the electrical outlets
are.”
- A fourth-grader in San Diego.

7. Our primary strategy:
We train the trainer
We provide Bay Area youth agency and school staff with wilderness
leadership training and comprehensive support so that they, along with the
youth they serve, may explore the power and beauty of California's
wilderness.
Getting
Training Providing
Support Youth
Leaders
Outdoors
B AY A R E A W I L D E R N E S S T R A I N I N G B A W T. O R G

8. Leaders trained, youth served
2500
ADULTS TRAINED YOUTH SERVED 1978
1377
765
604
375 692 775 831
78 428
17
26 49
52
29
20
36
1999
45 124
2000
2001
89
2002
108
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
B AY A R E A W I L D E R N E S S T R A I N I N G B A W T. O R G

9. The Five Pillars of Support
1 TRAINING
2 GEAR
3 TRANSPORTATION
4 FUNDING
5 COMMUNITY
B AY A R E A W I L D E R N E S S T R A I N I N G B A W T. O R G

10. The Five Pillars of Support
Leadership Training:
Training Wilderness Leadership Training
Frontcountry Leadership Training
Teambuilding
Wilderness Medicine:
Wilderness First Responder
Wilderness First Aid
Skillbuilder Workshops
Winter Courses:
Snowshoeing Basics
Intro to Winter Sports
B AY A R E A W I L D E R N E S S T R A I N I N G B A W T. O R G

11. The Five Pillars of Support
Three gear libraries
A library of amazing outdoor clothing
and equipment to be used by the
BAWT trained leaders and their
youth.
Oakland main gear library, smaller
ones in San Francisco and the South
Bay.
B AY A R E A W I L D E R N E S S T R A I N I N G B A W T. O R G

12. The Five Pillars of Support
Funding
Minigrants, Scholarships…
BAWT can also help with funding
for trips, through the Richard
Louv Minigrants program. There
are also scholarships available for
the trainings.
B AY A R E A W I L D E R N E S S T R A I N I N G B A W T. O R G

13. The Five Pillars of Support
BAWTMobiles with CityCarshare
BAWT has Sienna Minivans on offer at
a discounted rate for groups in
collaboration with City CarShare.
Transport
B AY A R E A W I L D E R N E S S T R A I N I N G B A W T. O R G

14. The Five Pillars of Support
The best support: the community
Community
Listserve / Yahoo Group for peer
support
BAWT Staff
Events
Volunteers!
B AY A R E A W I L D E R N E S S T R A I N I N G B A W T. O R G

15. Get Involved!
Be a part of the BAWT community!
Get trained!
Volunteer: gear room, CAP, street team, or countless other ways
Climbing For Kids: A fundraiser for BAWT where you climb a
mountain, and raise funds for BAWT!
Project OAK: like CFK, but you choose your own adventure!
3rd Wednesdays Volunteer Night VOLUNTEER
NIGHT
Join us on Facebook: Fanpage and Cause
Join a BAWT committee
B AY A R E A W I L D E R N E S S T R A I N I N G B A W T. O R G

16. Climbing for Kids
HOW IT WORKS: Climb a peak, get
$1,500 worth of free gear and raise
funds to get at-risk youth outdoors!
THE PERKS:
• Training hikes every other weekend
• Fundraising coaching
• Top professional guides
www.climbingforkids.org
B AY A R E A W I L D E R N E S S T R A I N I N G B A W T. O R G

17. Thanks!
Don’t hesitate to contact me at
Michael@bawt.org