One special feature of the Anchorage public school where I teach is that we have three times each year where the students have just a single class all day for two or three weeks. We call these "intensives." Historically, we've been able to offer one wilderness intensive each year. In my time there, we've taken students backpacking Alaska's back country and in Zion National Park, we've camped lakeside while learning to sail, and we've been kayaking in Glacier Bay and Prince William Sound. It's .... magical. Seeing kids grow comfortable with themselves, with silence, and with the natural world has been a blessing. It's not something everyone would choose to do, but I'm grateful that we've been able to maintain that part of our program despite budget cuts and staffing reductions. (The links above are to websites, each built in a day by the students to memorialize their experience.)
Over the years, we accumulated some quality gear: awnings and tents, canister stoves, backpacks, and sleeping bags; water bladders, dry bags, and paddling suits; and emergency gear like compasses, whistles, and signaling mirrors. This was expedition quality gear; you just can't afford to be in the middle of nowhere with gear that might not stand up to the conditions.
With the school's equipment, the wilderness adventures we've offered have been available to a much wider student population; we've made the cost affordable and have been able to supply just about everything a student would need after transportation to the field.
After the recent earthquake, I was cleaning up an outbuilding in which we kept the gear so we could take inventory in preparation for this spring’s trip. Once I tamed the clutter that had fallen from the shelves, I realized that the school's supply of camping gear had been stolen.
We’ve had a few donations, which has been heartening, but we aren’t yet close to replacing the lost gear. At the suggestion of friends, I’ve created a Donor’s Choose project to restock some of the essentials that would be used on just about any expedition: water bladders, dry bags, emergency signaling equipment, etc.
We’ve been able to facilitate remarkable connections between students and the natural world; I’d certainly appreciate any assistance you’re able to provide to help us continue this part of our program.