glumshoe:

I wish camping weren’t so expensive. I think if more people had the luxury to enjoy the outdoors, there’d be greater motivation to preserve wilderness, biodiversity, and natural splendor.

If I were wealthy, I think it’d be cool to make a program that helps introduce people to the outdoors. My camp does that, but mostly for children – teaching whole families how to enjoy nature would be really cool. It’s not only about resources, but also about becoming comfortable interacting with nature in a careful but enjoyable way.

You can loan someone a tent and drive them to a national park, but you can’t (easily) teach them to become comfortable with the risks and inconveniences of nature.

People should check out their local Community Colleges for programs!

I know mine has a whole department on doing nature classes, hikes, and camp outs. And its not something you have to be a college student for, they’re open to the public AND have special classes just for children, and they’re really cheap, and super easy to sign up for. (I dont think they provide the gear though, for camping…)

I’m sure other colleges have similar programs!