ENVIRONMENTAL TRAVELING COMPANIONS In 1972 three river rafting guides founded Environmental Traveling Companions to lead whitewater trips on California’s Stanislaus River for people with disabilities and for disadvantaged youth. Today, along with rafting, San Francisco–based ETC offers sea kayaking, cross-country skiing, and youth leadership programs and is the oldest organization of its kind in state.
HALLECK CREEK RANCH For nearly 40 years Halleck Creek Ranch has helped create a better quality of life for children and adults with disabilities through therapeutic horseback riding. Ranch staff pairs gentle horses with dedicated volunteers, creating a team that carries riders into the Nicasio countryside. A pioneer in the concept, Halleck Creek Ranch is one of the largest and oldest weekly therapeutic riding programs in the Bay Area.
SPECTRUM SURF Natalie Pepper, a special-education teacher, surfer and mom, combined her passions to create Spectrum Surf. These one-week surf camps cater to kids with special needs, including autism spectrum disorder, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy and emotional issues. The program’s home base is in Bolinas and Stinson Beach, where gentle surf and open beaches make an ideal setting for introducing children to the sport.
This article originally appeared in Marin Magazine’s print edition with the headline: “Outside Chances”.
Kasia Pawlowska loves words. A native of Poland, Kasia moved to the States when she was seven. The San Francisco State University creative writing graduate went on to write for publications like the San Francisco Bay Guardian and KQED Arts among others prior to joining the Marin Magazine staff. Topics Kasia has covered include travel, trends, mushroom hunting, an award-winning series on social media addiction and loads of other random things. When she’s not busy blogging or researching and writing articles, she’s either at home writing postcards and reading or going to shows. Recently, Kasia has been trying to branch out and diversify, ie: use different emojis. Her quest for the perfect chip is never-ending.
