Environmental Commitment

Chilkoot High Adventure Base is dedicated to preserving and protecting our invaluable natural environment through education. Understanding the world around us, recognizing its beauty and minimizing our impact within it, are the necessary steps toward a healthy planet and sustainable society. Boy Scouts on our adventures develop an understanding and respect for the natural environment. Dedication to minimum impact ethics and environmental education goes with the scouts beyond our courses.

Protection and preservation through education!
Since the early 90’s, IWLS has been dedicated to educating students about global and local environmental issues. Chilkoot High Adventure Base instructors have been continually teaching glaciology, marine biology, and minimum impact camping in relation to the broader picture of environment preservation. As global climate change and other environmental issues have come to the forefront of the 21st century consciousness, the value of environmental education is priceless. Education of the earth’s ecosystems is essential for developing the sense of environmental responsibility that is needed in today’s society.

Public Lands
Many public land agencies seek to put a dollar value on the precious natural resources of our country’s lands. As active community members, we must weigh the environmental impacts of logging and mining compared with the values of wilderness education and adventure tourism. The promotion of commercial tourism based revenue generation versus natural resource extraction protects our environment through preservation and education.

Minimum impact camping
All of our courses and programs practice minimum impact techniques. From camping in pre-established campsites, packing out all of our waste, and avoiding unnecessary backcountry fires; Chilkoot High Adventure Base is committed to promoting minimum impact and environmental ethics.

The Chilkoot High Adventure Base proudly supports the following organizations in their efforts to protect and preserve our natural environment through education:

Wilderness Education Association
In addition to providing the highest quality outdoor education curriculum, the WEA’s mission includes the following: Help develop a land ethic consistent with the ideals of the Wilderness Act and elevate wilderness education and preservation in the minds of students and future leaders across the country.

Nature Conservancy
The Nature Conservancy’s mission is to preserve the plants, animals and natural communities that represent the diversity of life on Earth by protecting the lands and waters they need to survive.

SEACC – Southeast Alaska Conservation Corps
SEACC is dedicated to preserving the integrity of Southeast Alaska’s unsurpassed natural environment while providing for the balanced, sustainable use of our region’s resources. Even after years of industrial scale logging on public and private lands in Southeast Alaska, the region continues to possess magnificent old-growth forests, outstanding fish and wildlife habitat, vital customary and traditional use and subsistence areas, and excellent air and water quality. Southeast Alaska’s rugged, wild landscape allows Alaskans to pursue a lifestyle no longer available to most Americans.
Lynn Canal Conservation
For over 30 years, LCC has been dedicated to fostering environmental awareness and protecting the natural environment and quality of life in Southeast Alaska.