Camp Elliott Barker High Country Vision Building the Foundation for Today’s Girls … Tomorrow’s Leaders
What is Our High Country Vision
Our goal is to build the premier national destination site for Girl Scout camping and high country experience while honoring the legacy of Elliott Barker. We hope you will join us! Elliott Barker, famed outdoorsman and author, scouted northern New Mexico for the perfect site for a Girl Scout camp-and found it on the eastern slopes of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Since 1962, the property has been owned by Girl Scouts. Our ranch is 536 acres of pristine meadows and woodlands bordering the Carson National Forest. Our log cabin and barn date back to the nineteenth century and set the tone for this rustic, yet updated site. Our vision is to restore and develop the amenities, capacity, and customer base to provide Girl Scouts with an amazing, relevant camp experience, while creating a selfsustaining, year-round property which protects our assets and diversifies our revenue base. Camp Elliott Barker will be used by the community and visitors to the Moreno Valley from around the country.
High Country Vision Phases Phase 1 Goal: 2012-2015 Completed/$620,000 invested
Establish a quality summer camp environment for the girls of New Mexico. Revitalize and conserve our environment.
Phase 2 Goal: 1 million dollars Develop the infrastructure, amenities and capacity to support a year-round high country western destination experience for girls, the community and visitors. This includes the necessary construction of a Welcome and Retreat Center, and a bath house in the cabin area. Phase 3 Goal: 8-10 million dollars Build a year-round lodge to accommodate girls and visitors from across the nation. This will be the crowning jewel of this high-country, high-adventure camp.
Why Camp is Important for Girls in New Mexico
Camp is an opportunity for girls to leave our modern, high-technology environment for a chance to connect with nature, to appreciate the beauty of their surroundings, to make memories and friendships, and to develop skills that will last a lifetime. Camp experiences like ropes course, horseback riding, hiking, canoeing, rafting, kayaking and rock climbing provide girls with unique opportunities to develop skills of independence, confidence, leadership, the ability to work well with others and development of healthy behaviors. New Mexican girls face many unique challenges. We rank 48th in the nation on an index of well-being-a measurement which indicates risk for physical and mental health, safety, economic strength and education. 24% of our girls live in poverty, and nearly 30% of our girls report bullying or aggression from peers. These behaviors can have a long-standing effect on a girl’s self esteem and mental health. Camp delivers a unique experience, because while the girls are exploring and having fun, they are building an arsenal of life-coping skills and strengths.
One of our former campers, now an equine orthopedic veterinarian, says that attending Girl Scout camp helped her break out of her comfort zone and connect with her own individuality in a healthy and constructive environment, while learning life skills like responsibility, learning to work with others, and functioning as an individual and as part of a team in a multitude of settings. Her love of horses drew her to the barn, and camp time helped her to stay interested in horses. She credits her career to her time at camp, saying that those experiences undoubtedly led her to where she is today.
Phase I Projects Completed
Thanks to the generous support of our donors, significant progress has been made in revitalizing our existing facilities and enhancing the infrastructure at Camp Elliott Barker. • Roads rebuilt • Equipment purchased to manage the ranch • Upgraded water system and waste treatment installed • Hoffman Hall and commercial kitchen remodeled • Wildfire and forestry management plan developed • 25 jobs created
Roads & Equipment In order to improve year-round access for fire trucks and emergency vehicles as well as transportation for campers, existing roads were widened and new roads were established to accommodate the larger vehicles. A tractor and snow plow were purchased to help maintain the road. Upgraded Water System & Waste Treatment Two new septic tanks were installed for sewage treatment to preserve and protect ground water.
Economic Development and Job Creation Transformation of our camp’s business model to contribute to the economy of Angel Fire and the Moreno Valley. This includes employment opportunities, increasing tourism revenue, and partnerships with community businesses, local schools, and local businesses, allowing each of our organizations to grow.
Hoffman Hall The main meeting room and dining facility has received a significant overhaul. For the first time, it has a full-service kitchen, running water, and bathroom facilities with indoor showers. The fireplace was converted to gas to heat the building safely and more efficiently. Other improvements include upgrading the electrical service and a gas heating system. Wildfire and Forestry Management Phase 1 included wildfire and forestry management, addressing fire prevention through landscaping, tree removal for defensible space around buildings, and environmentally responsible forestry management. Camp Elliott Barker is the only access point to thousands of acres of US Forest Service land. We must regularly thin all areas for proper wildfire management, and work to restore the forest’s health for both our campers and the wildlife which live within it.
Phase II: In Progress
Our goal is to continue developing the infrastructure, capacity and amenities of our camp. This is vital work, not only to improve our Girl Scouting experience, but also to attract community members and visitors to make Elliott Barker a year-round destination. This phase includes the construction of a welcome and retreat center, as well as a modern bath house in the cabin area. • Cabins • Showers and flushing toilets Cabins
The ten cabins can each house between 6 and 8 campers during the summer months. In Phase 2, wood stoves will be converted to electric heat for safety and year-round rental use, and all cabins will be insulated for winter use.
Flushing Toilets and Showers Installation of ADA bathrooms and showers to serve the cabin area will improve the appeal of the camp to our Girl Scouts, and other visitors.
Phase III: Vision
Our goal is to build a year-round, modern lodge to accommodate girls, families, community members and visitors at our high-country, high-adventure camp. The lodge will have 32 sleeping areas, a dining hall with commercial kitchen, a retail store, nursing unit, multi-purpose rooms, and a large lobby with a stone fireplace and rock-climbing wall, and wrap-around porch.
You Can Make This Happen! Your investment in Camp Elliott Barker is an investment in the girls of New Mexico. You will help them to realize their full potential- giving them the opportunity to make memories while developing independence, self-reliance, and self-confidence through a wide variety of camp programs.
Ways to Give • • • • •
Cash or check Credit card Monthly, quarterly or annual pledge payments Gift transfer and securities (stocks, bonds, retirement plan assets, real estate and other property) Include GSNMT in your will or living trust, or donate a life insurance policy
Contact Molly Garza at (505) 923-2518 or mgarza@gs-nmtrails.org for more information or to discuss your personal interests and how your gifts can have an impact.
Legacy and Leadership Naming Opportunities Barn Hoffman Hall Historic Cabin Welcome Center Cabin Area Entry Road Circle/Flag Pole New Shower Building Warming House Warming House to Hoffman Hall Road Garden at Hoffman Hall (committed) Cabins (10 available) Tents (12 available) Hoffman Hall Parking Area Stables Parking Area Bricks by Fireplace in Hoffman Hall
$200,000 $250,000 $200,000 $250,000 $100,000 $100,000 $75,000 $50,000 $25,000 $25,000 $15,000 $10,000 $5,000 $2,500 $2,500 $1,000
all donors giving $100 or more will be listed on a master plaque
Girl Scouts of New Mexico Trails
4000 Jefferson Plaza NE Albuquerque, NM 87109 T: 505.343.1040 NMGirlScouts.org