Colorado’s Avid4 Adventure is the only carbon neutral day, resident & travel camp in America

Avid4 Adventure offers financial incentives for families to reduce their environmental impact

Boulder, CO. Avid4 Adventure, Colorado’s five-year-old outdoor adventure program, is taking responsibly for their carbon footprint by reducing their pollution of all types and paying carbon offsets for the waste they can’t reduce. Avid4 Adventure summer day camps introduce kids ages 5 and up to kayaking, rock climbing, canoeing, mountain biking, hiking, white water rafting and horseback riding.

“We looked at how much carbon our camps put into the atmosphere and then we figured out how we can reduce here, eliminate there and offset the rest,” says Dave Secunda, Program Director of Avid4 Adventure. “Now we are the only camp that we know of in America that is carbon neutral.”

Avid4 Adventure reduction efforts so far:

• Prevented the burning of 17 tons of coal, or the weight of 42.5 minivans
• Prevents 33 tons of CO2 emissions; that’s 238 male African elephants

Transportation produces the camp’s biggest carbon output, so Avid4 Adventure will offer discount coupons to families who carpool, take public transportation, bike or walk to camp. Conserving families can use the $20 per week coupon for dollars off other camp programs. For families that do drive to camp, Avid4 Adventure uses a portion of their payment to purchase carbon offsets. In addition, each staff member gets a RTD Ecopass, discounts on bikes and company vans for car pooling.

“This is an opportunity for families to reduce their kid’s summer activities impact on the environment and to learn about outdoor resources that are close to home when their child wants to go again to places where they went on camp days,” says Secunda. With rising gas prices this summer driving great distances for outdoor adventures will be expensive.

The goal of offsets and incentives to families is to make the company not just carbon neutral, but carbon negative.

“Avid4 Adventure is a pioneer as an environmental conscience summer camp because they try to understand their impact and take responsibility for it,” says Pete Chandler of Colorado’s Green Heart Institute. Chandler hopes to see other programs and schools follow Avid4 Adventure’s lead because he says, “They’re practicing what they preach.”

Avid4 Adventure inspires life-long active outdoor lifestyles and environmental stewardship through personal development experiences and family adventures, designed around the logistical needs of parents. Avid4 Adventure programs include summer camps, multi-day and family trips, and a school program that brings the outdoors to school, instead of bussing the kids to the outdoors. Visit www.avid4.com for more information.

Packing Waste Free Lunches for Kids at Camp & School

You know you live in the Front Range of Colorado if your child speaks of “sustainability,” “being green,” or how “eco-friendly” something is before (s)he enters Kindergarten. As Bob Dylan predicted years ago, “The times they are a changing,” and within our homes and communities we are beginning to realize that our lifestyle choices can not only influence our immediate families and friends, but the general welfare of the entire planet. As Avid4 Adventure strives to set the model for outdoor education companies by becoming completely carbon neutral in 2008 and teaching your kids the benefits of healthy, outdoor lifestyles, we will also ask for help in our mission by implementing a “Waste Free” policy for our multitude of day camps and summer programs.

As landfills overflow and incinerators pump contaminants into the air we breathe, many parents (Avid4 parents excluded, of course) are still taking the easy, careless approach to their children’s lunches. In fact, it is amazing at lunchtime discussions during Avid4's School Outdoor Education Intensives how amazed children become when they discover what their food labels mean and where their lunches are coming from. Although sending a child off with a Lunchables may be the most time efficient way to go, there are other costs involved that are often neglected. Environmental?… yes! Cost?… yes! Diet?… yes, again. I’m still searching for a parent that will argue the health benefits of the skittle-topped cold pizza that I saw a student chow last week.
Therefore, in the unfortunate age of genetically-modified vegetables, mad cow-infested school lunches, and rampant, wasteful consumerism, it is great to know that each day we can make a difference simply by packing waste free. Here are some easy steps to unite your child daily with his food and the environment, maximize the amount of money schools can spend on education by eliminating the need for excessive trash removal, and hopefully reduce the estimated 67 pounds of trash that each child is responsible for yearly:

• Pack food in re-usable containers that are inscribed with your child’s name.
• Use a re-fillable drink bottle.
• Use a cloth napkin instead of paper.
• Pack re-usable utensils.
• Elicit the help of your children. Even toddlers can assist the process by scooping chips into a Tupperware or filling bottles with water.
• Maximize leftovers. I’ve become a master of setting a portion for my next day’s lunch aside before I dive into dinner. That way, my lunch is packed the night before and eliminates the early morning madness.
• Encourage your children to bring home all leftovers in his or her lunch box to either re-use, compost, or properly dispose of.

Not only will adhering to these principles reduce carbon emissions and add
fuel to your compost piles, but it will teach your child the benefits of a waste-free lifestyle. I have seen this wisdom transfer to other facets of children’s lives… for example, don’t be surprised if you start hearing “games from the Salvation Army work as well as brand new games,” “wilderness experiences can occur at a local park and not just National Parks,” and maybe even, “I’d rather ride my bike than get in the car.” Packing waste-free lunches is an essential step in an ever-intensifying process to help your child internalize all of the words that (s)he is bombarded with and truly become “green, sustainable, and an eco-ambassador for his or her friends and family.”

Kyle Littman is the Camp Director for the Boulder Avid4 Adventure summer program. Although more passionate about your children than his lunchbox, he is excited about his cooking compost, sprouting seedlings, and nitrogen-rich soil content.

Moving Your Child Off Training Wheels: The Avid4 Adventure Progression

One of the earliest memories your son or daughter may have when looking back on his or her childhood is learning how to ride a 2-wheeler. Will you be remembered as the parent that wouldn’t let go? Or perhaps you’ll be of the hockey goalie mentality… pad your child up and let ‘em rip? My own parents’ legacy is that of the first bike lesson leading to the first emergency room visit (although, luckily being the 3rd son, my oldest brother was the victim). Regardless of the method chosen… no worries! We all heal from our childhood scars eventually (although my brother’s chin may claim differently) and likely develop a positive relationship with bicycles at some point during our lifetime.

Certainly I’m biased, but the Avid 4 Adventure method for teaching children how to ride bikes is certainly the best around. I have taught kids to ride in under ten minutes if the boy or girl is ready. However, before getting your kid’s helmet strapped on and his or her bike off the hook in the garage, make sure your child has a desire to learn. If she or he is still not ready, your choices are either to 1. wait or 2. take him or her to the park and subtly point out all of the other kids his or her age that have removed their training wheels. Before you know it, (s)he will be off and riding the trails in Boulder with the Avid 4 Mountain Bike Intensive.

The Progression:

1. Find a bike that seems to be too small for your child. Set the seat so that your son or daughter can easily touch his or her feet to the ground. If you have the proper tool (not essential) remove the pedals from the bicycle.
2. Have your child simply walk the bike back and forth in a straight line, and then in circles once he or she masters the previous skill.
3. Ideally, find a grassy slope with a slight decline. However, I have had lots of success on pavement or sidewalk, but make sure there is a slight decline to the learning area.
4. With your child on the seat, have them walk their feet and gently feel the motion of the wheels as they descend the hill. To keep their spirits up, assist them by bringing the bike back up the hill for them.
5. Next, your child is ready to see how long he or she can keep their feet up in the air and balance the bike as it descends the hill.
6. This time, before he or she descends, have your child give 3 push-offs with their feet before they lift their feet in the air to practice their balance and initiating momentum.
7. At this point, pedals become important, but only one at a time. See if your child can lift their feet to their pedals as they are cruising down the decline. Some kids are better off trying first one foot, and then the other.
8. By now, your child is ready to actually pedal. Encourage him or her to push off once, twice, three times (starting speed is critical to success!), lift their feet to the pedals, and then pedal forward. Oh yeah, make sure they have a firm understanding of what the term “forward” feels like on a bike.

You’ll be amazed on how quickly this process can be, or perhaps how not ready some kids are. Regardless, it’s important to remember that you should not move on to the next step until the previous one is mastered. Also, this method is 100% hands-off so that children develop a firm grasp on their own balance, as opposed to balance resulting from your hand on the back of the seat. In addition, a 15-minute lesson on Step #1 is a very successful primer for future success before jumping on a tag-a-long for a cruise down the Creek Path. Slow, incremental steps will lead to much greater success than a bad fall which inevitably leads to weeks of resistance.
And remember, when all else falls, call on us at Avid 4 (info@avid4.com) to do the dirty work for you. As I learned when teaching an X-girlfriend to ski, sometimes it’s not what you are saying, but instead who is saying it. Keep on pedaling!

Kyle Littman is an Avid 4 Adventure Camp Director and happily resides in Boulder. He has been car-free for nearly a decade and still claims that his #1 thing to do with kids is teach them how to ride a bike. If you have any questions, email Kyle at kyle@avid4.com.

Hiking with Kids

The most important thing to realize if you want to take your children hiking is… NEVER take your children “hiking.” In a child’s optimistic worldview, the word “hiking” has already developed a depressing, negative connotation. Kids WILL explore, collect, scavenge, investigate, transform, etc. but very few will hike. Not just kids, either… after all, would you rather hike to that peak or transform yourself to the top of the world? Would you rather hike to a waterfall or explore somewhere that no one ever has? Now, I’ll be the first to admit that Front Range children are a different breed than the rest of the world (and I’m reminded nearly every time I climb with Avid 4 boys and girls, check out Avid4 Adventure's Climbing Weekend or Climbing Intensive), but I have hiked with hundreds of children over the last decade with Avid4 Adventure, including many of yours, and I have realized quite a few things: summiting 14ers is not a goal of most school-age children, above tree-line is boring, and heavy packs do more too upset kids than a strict substitute teacher (one of my many roles). So, “hiking” with children should be the ultimate in creating a positive relationship with the outdoors, and it won’t be long before your children are asking you to accompany them on a walk in the woods.
Ten Games to Play on a Secret Mission Into the Wild (language is vital):

1. Find a river, stream, brook, crick, or puddle, and encourage your kids to construct a boat of things from nature. Of course, be mindful of Leave No Trace and choose only things already on the ground.
2. In the spirit of our childhood… lie on your backs, look into the sky, and see what shapes, animals, and scenes you can devise in the clouds.
3. Scurry ahead of your children every few minutes and place silly objects in tough-to-find places… excellent for improving kids’ nature awareness.
4. Bring along paper and some crayons, and have your children make maps of the areas that they are exploring.
5. Invest in a compass and topo map of the area (sorry GPS fans)… it’s amazing the joy children take in shooting bearings and orienting themselves to a map.
6. Devise a scavenger hunt with your child before hitting the trail and see how many things your kids can discover.
7. Have your children pick their favorite animal (or make up a creature) and have them create its habitat out of natural elements.
8. Use a stick to create tracks in the dirt of all of the animals that live in the area that you’re investigating. Pull out a real tracking card to see how close you came to the real prints.
9. Hold a piece of paper up to various tree barks and color over the paper with a brown crayon… it’s amazing that all trees have different prints, just like all people have different fingerprints. If you have access to a stethoscope, listen to the beats of different trees.
10. Since we all have our 1st aid kits handy, stage a few first aid scenarios where your children are the rescue personnel and need to administer and learn basic wilderness medicine.

Most important, when your child is ready to be done… be done! Encouragement is great and setting goals are important, but nothing will make a kid more resistant to wilderness than a parent who does not realize when to turn around. Have a nice exploration!

Kyle Littman is a Camp Director for Avid4 Adventure and currently resides in Boulder, CO. Hiking with kids remains his passion because he truly believes that it is the ultimate way for children to develop a positive relationship with the outdoors. For questions, comments, or more ideas, please email his at kyle@avid4.com.

A Parent's Guide to Choosing a Camp

With so many choices, what should you find out about a summer camp before sending your child? All parents want to choose the best and safest experiences for their child. Take a moment to call the Camp Director personally for a conversation. Here are ten questions that you should ask before enrollment:

1. Is this camp Accredited by the American Camp Association or other nationally recognized accrediting body?
Those with American Camp Association Accreditation have to comply with over 300 safety and youth development standards as assessed by outside reviewers. To find an ACA Accredited camp in the Front Range, visit www.acarockymountain.org or campparents.org.

2. Is this camp Licensed by the State of Colorado Department of Child Services?
Licensing is required for camp programs for with school-aged children by the State of Colorado Department of Human Services. Childcare licensing mandates that camps meet specific health and safety guidelines. If a camp is not licensed by the State of Colorado, ask why not, and if they follow the health and safety guidelines set out by Colorado State.

3. What is the counselor-to-child ratio?
The ratio of staff to campers tells you how much individual attention your child will receive at camp. Ask the director if their ratios include just counseling staff or if they also include support staff that doesn’t work directly with campers. Find out if these ratios are different during more specialized programming, such as aquatic activities and rock climbing.

4. What is the background of counselors and are they background checked?
Are the counselors just there for a summer job, or are they dedicated to the fields of recreation, education or child development? Industry standard for background checks of individuals working with children includes: personal reference checks, fingerprinting and submission for screening through the Colorado Bureau of Investigation.

5. How are the counselors trained?
Quality camps have at least a 3-5 day training program that invests in staff and gives them tools they need to create a successful experiences. At minimum, staff should be trained in: technical skills for activities, the camp's philosophy, emergency guidelines, age group management and activity modification. Ask the camp director how this is accomplished in staff training.

6. What is the median age of your camp counselors?
Mature counselors make a major difference in camp program quality and the manner in which campers are treated. Younger counselors can be outstanding babysitters in a home situation, but can be more impulsive in their judgment. If counselors are under 18, ask how they are supervised and if they supervise campers alone.

7. Does the camp have a crisis management plan and/or rainy day plan?
Crisis management plans are required at schools and the workplace so they should be in effect at camp too. It also rains during Colorado summers and herding an entire camp indoors without backup activities in place can be challenging.

8. What is the group's practice for nutrition and hydration?
Dehydrated campers are grouchy campers and summers can be hot and dry. What does the program do to keep campers hydrated throughout the day? Additionally, camps should have a morning snack time as well as lunch, and an afternoon snack time if camp goes late. Also ask about hand washing procedures.

9. How does the camp handle special needs?
This is a great question to ask for any camper. Listen for compassionate answers that involve individualized plans for each camper. Every camper has a special need at some time (nutrition, attention, hydration, rest etc.) and an environment where staff are already focused on camper needs will help all campers.

10. How are medications transported, stored and administered?
Legally, a nurse must delegate staff the authority for administering medications. Ask specifically about training, delegation and procedures.

Written by David Secunda, Avid4 Adventure Program Director, david@avid4.com, www.avid4.com

Dressing for Cold Weather Activities

When the temperatures drop and the days grow shorter, it’s a time for many of us to head indoors and enjoy the warm comforts of a cozy home. We accept that our bodies weren’t designed to withstand howling winds and waist deep snow. Yet, those who choose to stay inside during the winter months miss out on their favorite outdoor areas being transformed into playgrounds of a magic white carpet. The summer crowds are often absent and you’re left to explore with only the soft crunch of snow beneath your feet.

However, the one aspect that can make or break an outdoor, winter adventure is how you and your family dress. Without enough or the wrong types of clothing, a simple trip for some crisp winter air can turn disastrous. Or, if you layer on too much clothing, your family might look like poor Ralphie’s little brother in A Christmas Story, so bundled up that he can barely make it out the front door much less enjoy all that a snowy day has to offer.

So here are the basics to dressing properly for activities during cold, snowy weather. The most important concept in dressing for any activity, winter or otherwise, is layering. The outdoor clothing company, Patagonia, is credited as one of the first to push the modern idea of layering. By layering, the amount of warm air that escapes is minimized while giving you the option to take off or add layers as needed. Layering includes three basics parts: the base layer, the insulating layer and the outer layer. In proper combination, these three layers will keep you and your family warm and dry through any activity.

The first part to layering is the base layer. This is the layer that is in contact with your body and includes underwear, shirts and socks. The more aerobic the activity, the more important this base layer becomes. As you exert yourself, your body naturally sweats to cool itself off. The more you sweat, the more you need this base layer to pull that sweat, or “wick” the sweat, away from your body. If this sweat isn’t pulled away from your skin, when you slow down during your activity, your body will become chilled from the moisture and will quickly lose warmth. The best clothing materials to accomplish this “wicking” is a polypropylene material. Polypropylene, or many other synthetic materials, pull the sweat away from your skin and let it evaporate quickly, keeping the material, as well as you, dry and warm. This is especially important for children as they often sporadically alternate between high activity levels and low activity levels. If their base layer is dry, then they will stay warm.

Unfortunately, cotton, the one material most of us have plenty of, can be disastrous as a base layer in cold, outdoor activities. Although cotton “wicks” away sweat, it does not allow that sweat to evaporate quickly, thus keeping cool moisture close to your body. Almost all outdoor retailers sell some variety of synthetic base layers. There are many options out there that consider the activity level and temperature you expect to be wearing the layers in. However, as long as it is made of a material that keeps the sweat away from your body, you’ll be fine. Any lack of warmth in the base layer can be made up for in the next layer, the insulating layer.

The second part to layering is the insulating layer. As the name suggests, this is the layer that is primarily responsible for keeping the warmth your body emits. When looking for a good insulating layer, the more air that the layer traps, the warmer it will be since air is a very good insulator. Materials such as down and fleeces are good insulating layers because they hold a lot of air and transfer heat very slowly. The one thing to keep in mind when picking an insulating layer is the aerobic level of your activity. Since your body produces heat, if you’re engaging in a high level of activity, say snowshoeing, the less the insulating layer needs to be. But, if you’re going to be doing a lot of standing around, your body will produce less heat and will need more of an insulating layer. Finding the right amount of insulating layer for your desired activity will insure that you stay warm without restricting your movement.

The final part to layering is the outer layer. This is the layer that has contact with the elements and should be windproof and most likely waterproof. It is important that the outer layer is windproof because this will stop a cold wind from penetrating your layers and taking all that warm air away that your body has created. Most waterproof clothing today is made out of some variation of GoreTex, which is windproof and breathable. Having a breathable outer layer allows the moisture that is “wicked” from your skin and pulled through the insulating layer to pass through outer layer as well. A good outer layer will keep your insulating layer dry and allow it to do its own job.

These are the basic principals of layering to stay warm during outdoor, winter activities. The amount and combination of the three layers will depend on you and your personal situation. But by following these basic guidelines you’ll be able to enjoy all that the winter season has to offer. Don’t forget to wear a hat!

Note: Patagonia offers a recycling program for old, worn out layers of all types and brands. You can drop off your old layers at any Patagonia store or service center. To learn more visit Patagonia’s website at www.patagonia.com

Written by Kyle Barker
Kyle Barker has been working with Avid4 Adventure since the summer of 2007. He draws upon a lifetime of outdoor experiences for his writing and tries to promote a positive relationship between people and their surrounding environments.