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ACA polled a number of camps across the
country to determine how they were dealing
with the perplexing issue of rising fuel
costs and to accumulate the following list
of energy-efficient ideas and methods camps
are currently using to curb increasing
fuel prices and the subsequent consequences
of higher food prices and declines in the
economy:
- Use golf carts and scooters instead
of camp vehicles for driving around camp.
- Evaluate trips camp staff take for
errands, supply runs, and other trips
to the city if you are a rural camp.
Determine the actual need and consolidate
the outings into fewer and more efficient
trips to streamline vehicle use and eliminate
unnecessary trips.
- Reconfigure heat and water systems
use in cabins for better energy efficiency.
If a cabin is not needed for a week or
weekend, drain water and turn heat completely
off until the cabin is needed again.
- Offer discounts to parents who make
efforts to reduce their carbon footprint
by carpooling to camp or using public
transportation to motivate conserving
fuel.
- Encourage staff to bike to work, carpool,
or take the bus.
- Focus camp activities around self-propelled
sports, such as canoeing, kayaking, and
biking versus use of speed boats, pontoons,
etc. in an effort to cut gas consumption.
- Plan local adventures versus long-distance
trips for your tripping program.
- Work more strategically to educate
your campers and staff regarding food
waste to cut consumption.
- Investigate long-term use of wind and
solar power.
- Use vans instead of buses for camp
transportation.
- Cut back on your ski boat hours.
- Turn to local growers or grow your
own food in camp gardens to combat the
excessive delivery charges.
- Be mindful that charter bus companies
are adding surcharges and consider creating
a policy that allows your camp to add
a surcharge to camp fees as needed for
transportation costs.
Send your camp's energy-efficient ideas
to magazine@ACAcamps.org.
We will post your recommendations to this
evolving list. |
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