The New Plan
We have all watched with more than a little concern as 2020 has progressed from historic event to historic event, each one more shocking than the last. This has been an alarming year and we have all had to adapt considerably. At Footprints, this was supposed to be our first year, the year we presented our concept to the world and began to build our momentum. Like many, or most, other projects in the world right now, we were disrupted by the Coronavirus pandemic and forced to adjust our plans. So, like most other projects in the world right now, we did exactly that.
At the beginning of June we made the difficult decision to postpone the summer camp from July until January. Give the uncertainty involved with the virus, we couldn’t in good conscience bring 25+ people together from all over the world in a small hut for a week. That kind of closeness builds camaraderie and community - two of the most important values at Footprints - but it also provides beneficial conditions for the virus, so we had no choice, really. We decided not to cancel but to postpone - our camp moved from July to January, and from 11,000+ feet in Colorado to 4,500 feet in the deserts around Moab. Our original location will still be used in the summer for future camps, but Moab is also an ideal place to host our camp. The area is visually and geologically stunning, and it has also seen its land use transition in 50 years from intensive uranium mining to intensive outdoor recreation. Moab represents much of what the outdoor industry really is, good and bad, and our organization is committed to acknowledging those impacts and using the passion behind them to create positive ways forward. So we’re not heartbroken to check out the desert.
We have 13 incredible campers from around the world, each of whom has a project to develop that will directly benefit their home communities. We have 4 highly-qualified speakers who will act as teachers and mentors, and we have 9 other mentors who will give guidance to their campers on how to maximize their positive impact. We have sponsors, and supporters, and Dakota’s mom is particularly committed to cheerleading the whole event from start to finish. In addition, the online community has turned out en masse in support of this idea. We couldn’t be more grateful for the opportunities and support we’ve received.
The ideas and the values behind Footprints are good. The people making them happen are even better. This is a community-based project and we will be successful because of the passion of our staff, our campers, and our supporters. We’ve had to postpone, but we will soon turn this camp into a major lever for positive environmental and social action in the outdoor industry and beyond. Thank you for all of your support. We can’t wait to share this camp with all of you soon.