go out there to be aware

I was talking to Todd about the mission statement and language/pitch around the leadership/outdoors adventure camps we're running and I thought of a story from last year that sums up the goals pretty well.

Near a reservoir is a drainage tunnel that runs under the interstate. It's about 200m long and it's completely dark. It's an eerie experience to go through. You don't really have any bearings or points of reference. I've probably already written about it. But anyway we take the kids through there because it's a unique thing. Usually what happens is people get a little scared or nervous and so they talk or make noise or try to be funny, or, worst of all, scream or try to grab someone to mask their own fear. And so, instead of having these cool, unique experience, all you are able to focus on is how annoying this person is being. It's like all the attention is on them and their actions. Which is rude and crappy. 

So that relates to the goals of this camp in two ways. One, we want to get people out in nature, on trails, on rivers, in these environments they may not have been in. If you've never really spent time in the woods it can feel like this dark scary tunnel with no points of reference. There's a lot of unknowns. And so we want to get kids to see that and try out some unexplored areas and see what's possible in that new space. 

And then secondly, we want to learn to do that in a way that doesn't ruin the experience for ourselves and others by drawing attention to ourselves. Learning how to go through the tunnel quietly. Learning how to hike or kayak or camp in a way that doesn't ruin the area for future visitors. And maybe that seems really basic but you'd be surprised at some gaps in knowledge that people have. 

And then we do other stuff too but I think that's how I would best sum it up.