Sea Kayaking in the Bahamas An Eco-Travel Seminar
The earth is the LORD’S, and all it contains, The world, and those who dwell in it. Psalm 24:1 (NASB)
January 4–11, 2018 A program of the Center for Lifelong Learning at Columbia Theological Seminary
Sea Kayaking in the Bahamas: An Eco-Travel Seminar A Program of the Center for Lifelong Learning at Columbia Theological Seminary
January 4–11, 2018
What a way to begin 2018! Join us for this eco-travel seminar, where we will spend five days sea kayaking and camping through the Bahamas. We will camp on the islands, learn about environmental ethics, and take time for spiritual renewal. We will spend one night on each end of the trip in a local hotel, which will serve as our point from which we embark. Our first morning together will be spent developing sea kayak proficiency before paddling to the first camp site.
We hope that participants will discover something about:
v Themselves, as they spend days away from the comforts and expectations of our culture
v Their traveling companions, as they learn – yet again – to live in community with others
v The world around them, as they explore the wonders of creation
v The fragility of the natural world, as they learn about the impact of human beings on it
v God, as they experience and reflect on the complex ways all these things interact within God’s sovereign grace
Participants must be of at least average fitness, able to swim, and willing to live “off the grid” for a week. Experience in backpacking/camping and/or kayaking is helpful but not necessary. Participants should also be willing to live intimately with others in shared hotel rooms and in two person tents. A sense of adventure is helpful.
Trip Leaders Mark Douglas, Professor of Christian Ethics, has been on the CTS faculty since 1999 and teaches on a wide variety of subjects. A child of the Colorado Mountains, and ordained PCUSA minister, Mark has long been interested in environmental issues. He helped to form environmental groups while a seminary student and now as a faculty member. Mark serves on the board of Georgia Interfaith Power and Light in Atlanta. He has published articles on ethics and the environment and teaches regularly on environmental issues. An avid athlete and outdoorsman, Mark has spent his lifetime skiing, hiking, camping, horseback riding, mountain biking, rock climbing, and generally trying to keep up with his former pastor and longtime friend, Steve Harrington.
Steve Harrington is Associate Pastor at First Presbyterian Church of Livermore, CA. An ordained PCUSA minister who has served congregations in Florida, Colorado, and California, Steve wrote his doctoral dissertation on the power of the wilderness to transform life and renew the spirit. For 31 years he has been leading wilderness adventure trips throughout the U.S. and around the world. Steve has worked as an instructor for The National Outdoor Leadership School, Outward Bound schools, and Higher Rock Wilderness Adventures. Steve is ACA-certified as an open water sea kayak instructor and as a top rope site manager for the American Mountain Guides Association. Through the Wilderness Medical Institute and the National Ski Patrol, he has advanced medical training for the backcountry. He is a master educator for Leave No Trace, Inc., and a member of the Backcountry National Ski Patrol.
Program Fees $1,450 per person, (double occupancy in the hotel and tents). All rooms are come equipped with two double beds. Enrollment limited to 14 participants.
The program fee covers the costs of the course itself, including each individual’s share of the essential gear and supplies (kayaks, tents, food, fuel, sanitation, emergency supplies, etc.), and hotel lodging for the first and last nights. A $200 non-refundable deposit toward the program fee is due at the time of registration. Balance is due November 30, 2017. No refunds after December 10, 2017
Other Costs Participants will cover their own costs for travel to and from Georgetown (GGT) in the Bahamas, meals on arrival and departure days and in the hotel, and trip insurance (optional but recommended). Participants will bring their own clothing, toiletries, and other sundry gear. Those confirmed for the trip will receive a list of required, recommended and optional gear, a detailed itinerary, required reading, required travel and medical documents and other trip details. We will provide hotel contact information for those who wish to make arrangements to spend extra days in the Bahamas before or after our trip.
Health and Safety Matters:
All wilderness experiences carry risk – some due to the health of participants; others due to the conditions in which participants find themselves. Participants will be required, therefore, to complete and submit a medical form, along with other required forms. We will be kayaking in remote settings. To minimize risk we will kayak and camp inside the Bahamas bank, where the water is warmer and calmer than in the sound. Most people of average fitness can successfully complete the trip. The group will learn the skills and best practices for kayak camping and open water travel in a safe and encouraging environment. There will be a VHF Marine radio for emergency communication as well as a satellite radio and an emergency locator beacon.
Deadlines and Essential Information: October 30, 2017 November 10, 2017 November 30, 2017
Registration deadline - $200 deposit due Confirmation of final course list; Deadline to submit required travel and medical documents Balance of program fee due
After registration and submission of deposit, each participant will receive detailed information including:
v
Required travel documents, including medical forms, to complete and return
v
Gear lists
v
Course itinerary and reading list
v
Hotel information
Each participant must schedule their own flight to and from the Bahamas (GGT) and provide a copy of their travel itinerary to the trip leaders.
Register now. http://bit.ly/CTSSeaKayak18
Questions about the trip? Contact Steve Harrington at harrington@fpcl.us Questions about reigistration? Contact the Center for Lifelong Learning at LifelongLearning@ctsnet.edu
Sea Kayaking in the Bahamas An Eco-Travel Seminar