ACA Eco-Camp Conference Report

By Wendy Rosen, NRC Green Camp Initiative (GCI) Education Advisor

April 23, 2009

The ACA Eco-Camp conference brought together camp professionals from around the region to learn how strategies that promote sustainability can be applied to camp settings.  Speakers from all over the country presented workshops on a variety of topics that focused on green infrastructure.  The conference succeeded in providing attendees with a wide range of practical information, including knowledge about new technologies, resources for materials, and sources of funding that are geared towards the non-profit sector.

There were several very interesting case studies shared about how buildings and landscapes are now being designed to function in ways that imitate the natural processes that occur on the earth, such as heating, cooling and water use.  “Make the camp the textbook” was one of the messages shared by keynote speaker Chris Miller, Chief Sustainability Officer of Greenovation.  We must teach stewardship by being a living example.  Each camp needs to choose which strategies are right for their particular environment.  It was emphasized that going green does not always mean it automatically costs more.  Monetarily, the building of a facility is a small percentage of its overall cost. Maintaining it is actually where most of the spending occurs.  If the building is built to function in a sustainable way, then both natural and financial resources will be saved.  There is long-term financial benefit to choosing methods that are good for the planet, and also good for building community in camps.

One of the most meaningful ideas discussed in one of the sessions is that implementing green design alone will not foster sustainability.  We need to teach it – both to campers and to staff.  People need to understand how and why we are making innovative choices and changes in the way we live.  This supports the goals of the Ramah Green Camp Initiative, which focus on both education and infrastructure.

For more information or if you would like to get involved with the Green Camp Initiative, please contact GCI Coordinator Adi Segal.