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Susan's Thoughts

May 2008

Boy dog died in April this year. he was 11 years old and had traveled hundreds of miles with us across San Diego and up and down the West coast. We miss him, but we celebrate his life rather than mourn his loss. He was a truly wonderful friend; trusting and loving. We now share our lives with Mystery and Legend, two girls from the same litter. They are Boglen Terriers (Boston Terrier/Beagle mix.) Better known as "Daddy's girls" they are bringing us great pleasure and have changed our lives. We feel younger than ever! How could anyone feel decrepid and old when you have to chase after little terriers to make sure they are not getting into something detrimental!

Last October we once again were evacuated due to the fires. This time, we were spared. The fire line was held about one mile from our home. Tom and I are now members of the CERT (Community Emergency Response Team.) Over the Christmas holidays, we spent several wonderful weeks teaching wilderness survival to 13 kids from Americorps. Our urban survival trainings are offered at various locations throughout the County and our courses are recognized as continuing education credits from CERT members. Our book, Ready or Not still hasn't made it to the bestseller list but we can always hope! Life is good. we are well and would love to hear from you!

September 1, 2006

Our Disaster Survival Handbook - Ready or Not is now for sale! For more information and to purchase the book, cllick on this link. What a project it was to finally get the manuscript to print! And, then how to make it available to the general public. We chose to use Amazon as a vehicle and figuring out codes for the website was equally as challenging as learning Adobe InDesign! But perserverence and a few tears finally brought it all to fruition. However, once we saw the printed copy, to our dismay, there were a few typos! Traumatized, I worried that our dear readers would think us incompetent and illiterate. Then a dear neighbor, Peggy, who had just read her copy, and to whom I had bemoaned the fact that I had made some spelling mistakes said, "Susan, get a grip. You have written and published a handbook that will save people's lives. The information contained in it is priceless. You have shared valuable ideas and expertise. No one will care if you made a couple of spelling errors. Besides, I think it makes you seem more real!" Wow! I hope you all will agree. To change the errors would cost us a great deal of money and the book would be taken out of circulation for about 6-8 weeks. Doesn't seem worthwhile when what we want to do is convince you of our survival savvy, not our literary expertise! Please bear with the typos - just get the message! But do let us know that the information is helpful.

March 10, 2006

Unfortunately the grant funding for the Coyote Youth program is over. There is nothing on the horizon as far as Abraxas High and the Poway United School District are concerned. So, at the end of June we will be "beating the streets looking for funding to keep on keeping on! We are, of course, disappointed that our program is ending. Its success was beyond anything we could have imagined, but with the focus of all school districts on testing and high school exit exams, alternative curriculum programs take a back seat.

We are optimistic however, that a new chapter will be written soon. One in which we continue to touch the lives of the kids, truly make a difference, and continue to work to save our Earth. If you know of any funding sources or want to make a donation, please contact Susan by email: susan@careforthefuture.org

We are involved in CARE, Creating Awareness of Renewable Energy. Our immediate projects include providing assistance and research to our dear friend Ken Snoke who is in the throes of starting up a new business called Fleet Biodiesel..

January 20, 2004

The Cedar Fire made us realize how important things like electric power and telephones have become in our lives! Though our house did NOT burn, we suffered extensive damage to our outbuildings and vehicles. Fortunately, we have a good insurance policy and will be reimbursed for much that we lost. The hard part was living without electric power for 11 days and without a land-line phone for seven weeks! Can you even begin to imagine how difficult it was to function with a district wherein everyone uses email to stay in contact! Thank goodness we are back in the 21st century now.

Abraxas High continues to be our facal point for new and innovative programs. If it works there, it can work anywhere! WIth a little help from Coyote Youth, a new principal and a year-round schedule, programs are easier to try out, students are more focused, course completions are up, attendance is up and discipline is down! Things are good. The students are awesome! And, most of all, Tom and I are grateful for our jobs!

 

May `4, 2003

It has been ages since I updated this page. We have been so busy. Poway High now takes part in the wilderness training. Abraxas High keeps us busy three days each week with the Success Orientation class and the Coyote Youth English class. We now accept vehicle donations. What a great way for folks to help out the kids!

December 27, 2002

Rancho Bernardo High School has completed two wilderness training sessions and has signed up for more!

Just as an aside, we are not some sort of a boot camp for juvenile delinquents, sent by the Court. Rather, we work, under grant from the Poway Unified School District and the Los Rancheros Kiwanis Club to provide the program for youth attending the Poway Unified School District schools. Our training programs are After School Programs with on campus activities. We do NOT take kids to the wilderness and hope they survive. Instead, we use the wilderness survival training activities, correlated to school standards to not only increase self esteem and confidence, but also to increase school grades and interest in literacy.

October 22, 2002

Yesterday we met with support staff of Rancho Bernardo High School. Beginning in November, students of RB will be attending the wilderness training provided by the Coyote Youth Project.

October 16, 2002

Today we received the Freedom Award from the Los Rancheros Kiwanis CLub. Brian Maienschein, San Diego City Councilmember presented Backyard Tourist with a Commendation for the work we have done in the last two years. Many thanks to Los Rancheros Kiwanis club and to Brian!

13 members of the club signed up to work as mentors for the kids enrolled in Project Coyote!

October 4, 2002

We received news yesterday that the Poway Unified School District has been awarded the Character Education Grant from the U.S. Department of Education. Project Coyote/Coyote Youth Project as a main component of this grant will now begin its expansion into seven of the district's schools. We are privileged to continue working with PUSD to provide meaningful programs for youth. Thanks to the District for its support!

August 30, 2002

Wow! It has been an incredible summer. First we finished up the 2001-2002 school year by helping Tony with an intensive study course in order to get him graduated on-time, and then watched him ship off to boot camp for the US Navy. His letters have brought us all much joy and give us the type of reward that cannot be matched by any financial donation or special recognition award. I have met with the new principal at Abraxas High School and we are both excited about the incredible opportunities that will take place this year and look forward to a long-lasting partnership with the staff and students.
Thanks to both the Los Rancheros Kiwanis and the Rancho Bernardo Sunrise Rotary Club for their generous contributions which helped keep the program going through the summer and will give us the start we need for the 2002-2003 school year. Keep those donations coming - equipment, money, time. We're excited about all the great things lined up and welcome any suggestions.

March 6, 2002

Tom Dyke has stepped up to the plate again and made it possible for the Coyote Youth Project to purchase a Toybox Trailer to haul our kayaks, bikes, tents and sleeping bags to the "woods." Students from Abraxas are now working with San Diego City Lakes to create and implement a wheelchair accessible interpretive trail at Lake Sutherland. The Coyote Youth Project continues to expand and is now available to all high school students in the Poway Unified School District.

October 17, 2001

When Tom Dyke donated a passenger van to us last month, he did so with the words, "Now is no time to stand still. Unlike much of the nation gripped with paralysis, the Coyote Youth Project should surge forward providing knowledge and activities for our youth and their families." The basic wilderness survival skills that the teens learn are simply relevant from a daily standpoint. With heightened confidence and awareness, they and their families are better equipped to deal with the tentative nature of today's environment. Terrorism is here to stay, that seems to be a given. But, if you know how to provide for your family in a crisis situation, the fear and panic is reducible. For that reason, Backyard Tourist has made a commitment to continue providing classes for the general public from Urban Survival Emergency Preparedness to Wilderness Survival Techniques. One of our most popular classes is the 3-day intensive; a class that takes you all the way from an urban crash to a wilderness survival situation. The class is scheduled at the end of December. And, if you are thinking you'd like to give a gift to a loved one that has real value this year - this is it. Click on the link for more information. 3-day Intensive.

September 28, 2001

The Coyote Youth Project has been blessed with an awesome donation: a 15-passenger van donated by Tom C. Dyke Drilling and Blasting in Alpine, CA. What a gift! Now the possibilities are endless in terms of outdoor adventures for the participants. Many thanks Tom!

Perhaps some of you are wondering how we can push forward with our youth projects given the troubling times that are facing our nation. It's simple. Now is not the time to ditch our kids. They need us more than ever. Traditional school work to many of the students seems not only boring but to some, even pointless right now. Being outdoors, the kids have a chance to touch all that is real and alive. They need to receive positive reinforcement and that is what our youth projects are all about.

What has happened has changed our world as we know it but the rewards of working with our youth give us hope that we can make lemonade out of lemons.

August 2, 2001

Working with students from Abraxas High School and Juvenile Court School, we have had our hands full this summer. One day wilderness experiences and community service action projects have all been a grand success. Clean up efforts at Lake Hodges, El Capitan reservoir and Lake San Vicente brought lots of kudos!

June 5, 2001

I have completed my training and am now a Project Wild facilitator and also a Backyard Habitat Host for the National Wildlife Federation. Contact me about workshops.

June 2, 2001

The Coyote Youth Project is expanding! A successful second session at Abraxas completed, we have been asked, and have agreed, to provide ten sessions of the Wilderness Training beginning in the fall semester. In addition, along with school staff and students, a wilderness outdoor educational facility will be built at the rear of the campus. Backyard Tourist is eagerly seeking your help, monetary donations and in-kind donations for this important project. We have already received a Rototiller!

April 16, 2001

School shootings! And, everyone is looking for answers. We have a positive solution. Help us to expand the Coyote Youth Project. Last month, the Poway Unified District became the newest of our partners as they approved our curriculum for Abraxas alternative high school in Poway. On March 31 and April 1, 10 students attended the wilderness training at the Poway Primitive camp located between Lake Poway and the Blue Sky Ecological Reserve. Fox 6 filmed the event for the Saturday night news and the North County edition of the Union Tribune published an article in the Sunday paper. The results have been astonishing. Eight of the ten students completed the training and will receive commendations from Councilman Brian Maienschein and Assemblywoman Charlene Zettel on April 17th at the Rancho Bernardo Sunrise Rotary.

January 18, 2001

In order to heal our Earth, we must all become a part of the solution. In December, 2000, students from Lakeside Summit High School, part of the Juvenile Court and Community School system were the first group of teens to take part in the Coyote Youth Project. This unique program, the first of its kind in San Diego, provides the missing piece of the equation. Please take the time to review the details of the program and whether you have a youth to enroll or a donation to make to the program, you will all be contributing to being part of the solution! And, just in case you need a success story to convince you that wilderness education makes a difference, read on....

October 3, 2000

It is indeed our hope that those of you who are visiting for the first time, will tour the site and get a feel for who we are. Not only do we teach wilderness survival and nature awareness, we truly talk the talk and walk the walk!

We live in two worlds. Our teacher, Tom Brown, Jr. coined the phrase, "The Razor's Edge" and it is truly how we live our lives. Though we are savvy to the ways of the wilderness, we live in the 21st Century surrounded by technological advances that affect us profoundly on a daily basis. What we have done at Backyard Tourist is find a way to develop our skills in such a way as to make living in both worlds truly an adventure. Apache Scout skills are just as relevant in the wilderness as they are in an Urban Setting. In fact, some of our sojourns into the downtown jungle have been just as exciting as any excursion into the wilds of the back country! Well, almost!

Whether you are looking for a course in which you can learn firsthand the excitement and intricacies of the bio-diversity in San Diego, or you want to learn the basics of lost proofing so that your next camping trip will be less stressful, Backyard Tourist has a program designed for you.

Corporate America has been amazed and delighted as they have participated in special wilderness team-building programs and the At Risk Youth Camps have changed the children forever.

We are constantly evolving our programs, searching out new partners and planning our camps, seminars and courses to provide you with exciting outdoor experiences. Custom classes are also available for families and groups - just call us and let us develop an adventure for you.

Let Backyard Tourist teach you the skills to enjoy life to the fullest, a way to make every day an adventure, and, in some cases, you'll need to go no further than your own backyard!


 
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