Environmental Traveling Companions

ETC PROVIDES ACCESSIBLE OUTDOOR ADVENTURES, INCLUDING WHITEWATER RAFTING, SEA KAYAKING, CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING, AND LEADERSHIP TRAININGS FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, DISADVANTAGED YOUTH AND VOLUNTEER GUIDES.

RIVER PROGRAM- WITH THE EXPERTISE AND ENTHUSIASM OF HIGHLY TRAINED VOLUNTEER GUIDES AND A PAID CORE RIVER STAFF, ETC NORMALLY PROVIDES ACCESSIBLE AND EDUCATIONAL WHITEWATER RAFTING TRIPS FOR OVER 1,500 PARTICIPANTS WITH DISABILITIES AND UNDER-RESOURCED YOUTH. WITH THE IMPACT OF THE PANDEMIC, ETC'S PROGRAMS SERVED FAR LESS PARTICIPANT THAN NORMAL. ETC'S RIVER PROGRAM TYPICALLY PARTNERS WITH OVER 50 AGENCIES AND SCHOOLS TO SERVE A DIVERSE CLIENT BASE INCLUDING ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED YOUTH, PEOPLE WITH MOBILITY AND VISUAL IMPAIRMENTS; PEOPLE WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES; AND THOSE WITH LIFE THREATENING ILLNESSES. WHILE PADDLING THROUGH EXCITING RAPIDS OR FLOATING THROUGH TRANQUIL STRETCHES OF THE RIVER, ETC'S PARTICIPANTS CHALLENGE THEMSELVES AND DISCOVER NEW STRENGTHS. THEY LEARN ABOUT THE HUMAN AND NATURAL HISTORY OF THE AMERICAN RIVER, RIPARIAN ECOLOGY, RIVER CONSERVATION AND HOW TO PROTECT OUR WATER RESOURCES. THE MAJORITY OF OUR RIVER TRIPS ARE CONDUCTED ON THE SOUTH FORK AMERICAN RIVER AND BASED FROM ETC'S BEAUTIFUL, ACCESSIBLE, AND ECOLOGICALLY DESIGNED RIVER CAMP IN COLOMA, CALIFORNIA. ETC ALSO OFFERS SHARED RIVER EXPEDITIONS FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC ON THE COLORADO RIVER IN THE GRAND CANYON, THE ROGUE RIVER IN OREGON, AND OTHER RIVERS OUTSIDE OF CALIFORNIA.

SEA KAYAK PROGRAM- PADDLERS OF ALL ABILITIES AND UNDERSERVED YOUTH JOIN ETC'S HIGHLY TRAINED AND ENTHUSIASTIC VOLUNTEER GUIDES TO GAIN SEA KAYAK PADDLING AND SAFETY SKILLS BEFORE VENTURING OUT ON THE WATER TO DISCOVER THE DIVERSE BAY FAUNA FROM BUFFLEHEADS AND BAT RAYS TO HARBOR SEALS AND HERON. ETC'S SEA KAYAK PROGRAM HAS TWO MAIN BASES OF OPERATION: SCHOONMAKER POINT MARINA IN SAUSALITO ON RICHARDSON BAY AND HEART'S DESIRE BEACH AT TOMALES BAY STATE PARK. WHETHER KAYAKING ON SAN FRANCISCO OR TOMALES BAY, OUR PARTICIPANTS DELIGHT IN SHARING THE ADVENTURE AND LEARNING ABOUT THE NATURAL AND HUMAN HISTORY OF THESE UNIQUE ESTUARIES. THEY ALSO ARE INTRODUCED TO WAYS THEY CAN BECOME WISER STEWARDS OF OUR PRECIOUS WATER RESOURCES. IN 2019 ETC SHARED ACCESSIBLE AND EDUCATIONAL SEA KAYAKING ADVENTURES WITH OVER 1600 PARTICIPANTS. OF COURSE WITH THE PANDEMIC, ETC'S SEA KAYAK TRIPS WERE HEAVILY CURTAILED BE WE STILL MANAGED TO OFFER SMALL POD AND FAMILY STYLE TRIPS. ETC ALSO CONDUCTS SHARED SEA KAYAK EXPEDITIONS FOR PADDLERS WITH DISABILITIES COMBINED WITH THE GENERAL PUBLIC. THESE INCLUSIVE AND LIFE-CHANGING ADVENTURES ARE OFFERED IN: BAJA ON THE SEA OF CORTEZ, EMERALD BAY ON LAKE TAHOE, AND ON THE BIG RIVER AND COAST OF MENDOCINO.

YOUTH LEAD PROGRAM- UNDER-RESOURCED URBAN TEENS (AGES 14-18) JOIN ETC ON 14 TO 24-DAY SUMMER LEADERSHIP EXPEDITIONS. STUDENTS FROM DIVERSE BACKGROUNDS LIVE AND LEARN TOGETHER 24-7 AS THEY BUILD LEADERSHIP AND COMMUNICATION SKILLS, LEARN ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT, AND DEVELOP A STEWARDSHIP ETHIC. WHILE SEA KAYAKING, RAFTING A WHITEWATER RIVER, OR BACKPACKING IN THE SIERRA, OUR STUDENTS ARE OFFERED A SUPPORTIVE COMMUNITY TO FACE CHALLENGES, GAIN CONFIDENCE, AND TO REALIZE THEIR DREAMS, OFTEN AGAINST THE ODDS. FOR EIGHT OUTSTANDING ALUMNI, ETC OFFERS AN INTENSIVE AND EDUCATIONAL 8-MONTH FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM THAT PROVIDES FOLLOW-UP MENTORSHIP AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS TO PUT THEIR NEW LEADERSHIP SKILLS INTO ACTION. BY GETTING YOUNG PEOPLE OUT OF THE INNER CITY AND INTO THE WILDERNESS, WE OFFER THEM OPPORTUNITIES TO DISCOVER THEMSELVES AND THE NATURAL RESOURCES THAT SUSTAIN OUR LIVES. ETC'S YOUTH LEAD COURSES WERE CANCELLED IN 2020 DUE TO THE PANDEMIC BUT WE WERE ABLE TO COMPLETE THE FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM WITH VIRTUAL TRAININGS AND A VIRTUAL GRADUATION.

BENEFIT TRIPS & SHARED ADVENTURES- EVERY YEAR ETC OFFERS SEA KAYAK AND RIVER TRIPS FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC. FROM FULL MOON DINNER PADDLES ON SF BAY, TO FAMILY WHITEWATER RAFTING TRIPS OR A LONGER BAJA SEA KAYAK EXPEDITION. THE GOAL OF THESE ADVENTURES IS TO RAISE ETC SCHOLARSHIP FUNDS, BUILD AWARENESS OF ETC'S MISSION AND TO HAVE FUN! WHENEVER POSSIBLE WE INTEGRATE PADDLERS AND GUIDES WITH DISABILITIES ON THESE TRIPS TO ILLUMINATE THE ETC MISSION AND MESSAGE.