Environmental Traveling Companions

ETC seeks to remove barriers to the great outdoors so that under-served youth, people with disabilities and chronic health conditions of all ages, veterans, can benefit from healthy recreation, adventure, and lasting connections with nature. At the same time, through environmental education, we seek to inspire new and creative stewardship. We seek to offer life-changing experiences in the great outdoors.

ETC designs program that can achieve life-changing, transformational impact for participants. We operate four signature programs: (1) Whitewater River Rafting, (2) Sea Kayaking, (3) Cross-Country Skiing, and (4) Youth LEAD Program and Fellowship. Through these educational outdoor adventure programs, we seek to provide adaptive, financially accessible opportunities for people of all backgrounds to enjoy the challenge and delight of the outdoors, while developing a stewardship ethos.

ETC has a highly dedicated and talented staff and Board of Directors; a cadre of 250-300 outstanding/skilled volunteers; a network of more than 90 agency partners; a stable funding base; and a track record as a pioneer and innovator in the field of adaptive, educational outdoor adventure.

At its inception, ETC was the first organization in the country to offer adaptive rafting and sea kayaking programs for people with a wide range of disabilities. In 2000, ETC expanded its capacity with the purchase of land on the banks of the South Fork of the American River. ETC developed the property into a universally accessible and ecologically designed river camp, which serves as a model of sustainable, adaptive, and inclusive architecture. In 2011, we expanded our Sea Kayak Program with a satellite operation on Tomales Bay at Heart's Desire Beach. ETC's Executive Director has been awarded the prestigious Jefferson Award for Service and the organization was recognized in 2015 with a Dewitt Award for Partnership from the California Department of Parks and Recreation. In 2015, ETC was invited by TOM Global, Google.org, and United Cerebral Palsy of the North Bay to the Bay Area Make-a-Thon to design an adaptive seating solution for kayaking and river rafting for people with disabilities. From 2014 to 2017, ETC significantly expanded the organization's reach and impact, growing services by 43 percent. We are working to expand fundraising for Scholarships that continue to open access to under-served communities.