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Building C
In 1972, Environmental Traveling Companions (ETC) began as an idea hatched by three river guides yearning to share their love of the Stanislaus River with society’s disadvantaged.
Thirty-five years later, ETC is a thriving nonprofit here at Fort Mason Center with nearly 400 volunteers who lead 175 guided trips per year for people with disabilities and disadvantaged youth. En route, participants learn valuable social and environmental skills. “We view the outdoors as a perfect venue for developing an inclusive spirit,” said ETC Executive Director Diane Poslosky.
In this fashion, ETC blends human service with conservation by taking those who would not otherwise be able to do so on outdoor adventures, including sea kayaking in the San Francisco Bay, whitewater rafting along the American River, and skiing in Bear Valley. Each year, the group shares wilderness experiences with more than 2,200 people with special needs — disadvantaged youth, people with disabilities, and those with life-threatening illnesses. ETC also offers moonlight paddles on the bay, benefit rafting trips, and other expeditions for all comers.
“Over the years, some have asked, ‘Do you really take paraplegics down whitewater rivers?’ Some people really looked shocked at first,” said Poslosky. Recalling her first river trip she guided with visually impaired students from Marin, she said she was struck by the sheer joy and excitement that participants shared as they paddled the rapids and slept under the stars. “After that, I got hooked.” She became an avid volunteer, and eventually the group’s executive director.
 One of ETC’s core initiatives, its Youth LEAD Program, trains 14–18-year-olds to become outdoor leaders and put their skills into action. The program takes inner city youth and teens with disabilities on three-week wilderness adventures. Beginning in San Francisco Bay, participants spend a week kayaking and camping on Angel Island. Then they travel to ETC’s ecologically-designed education center on the American River for a week of whitewater rafting, camping, and learning, and wrap up their journey backpacking in the Sierra Nevada mountains.
“I feel like I came out of this program with a strong head on my shoulders,” said one program graduate. Another said, “Now I feel like I can do anything because people are out there who care and believe in people like me. River rafting was the most exciting experience of my life!”
To commemorate its 35 years of accomplishment, ETC is bringing together participants, volunteers, and supporters for a celebration at Runnymede Sculpture Farm in Woodside on June 3. On October 20, it will host a special Regatta and Paddle-a-Thon in Sausalito, where everyone from casual to world-class paddlers will compete in a kayak race, followed by a barbeque and music.
In the years to come, ETC plans to initiate more local outdoor trips, and expand its integrated adventures for people with disabilities and the general public, Poslosky said. Operating out of Fort Mason Center, with ready access to the bay, has been particularly beneficial to ETC. “It has been the most perfect and ideal home that we could have asked for,” she said.
“At the core of ETC is a commitment to fun-loving teamwork and sharing the adventure with all people,” she said. “In a sense, we’re creating a microcosm of the world we want to see.”
For more about Environmental Traveling Companions, please visit www.etctrips.org.
— Aaron Lehmer
Photos (from top):
Environmental Traveling Companions participants. Photo: Diane Poslosky
Diane Poslosky, Executive Director, Environmental Traveling Companions Photo: Ron Tierney
Skiing for everyone. Courtesy: Environmental Traveling Companions |
Environmental Traveling Companions
Description
Environmental Traveling Companions (ETC) opens the beauty and challenge of outdoor adventures to people with special needs. Every year more than 2,200 people of all abilities join them to raft whitewater rivers, ski across alpine meadows, sea kayak the waters of the Golden Gate and sleep beneath the open sky. ETC trips enable participants to access the wilderness, gain environmental awareness, and share the adventure.
Executive Director
Diane Poslosky
Location
Bldg. C
Office Hours
Mon-Fri 9am-5pm
Contact Information
(415) 474-7662
info@etctrips.org
www.etctrips.org
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