Calling All Nature-Loving Wheelchair Users!

By Giving List Staff   |   March 8, 2022
Founder of NatureTrack Sue Eisaguirre (left) with Brian, the biggest fan of the new “Trax” program. Here on the beach at Hendry’s. (Photo Credit: Rick Carter)

Explore Gaviota Beach Using Freedom Trax

On Sunday, March 13, from noon to 4pm, NatureTrack will be at Gaviota State Park to introduce those who use wheelchairs to the Freedom Trax devices at no cost!  Get up close to the waters’ edge, navigate the beach under your own control.

NatureTrack will have six Freedom Trax devices available for wheelchair users to use on a first-come, first-served basis. This apparatus can quickly and easily convert a manual wheelchair into a battery-powered, all-terrain vehicle allowing those users to  traverse beach sand and trails independently. We do ask for RSVPs so Trax are pre-set to fit participant’s wheelchairs.

There is no cost to use the Freedom Trax, courtesy of NatureTrack, which will also have two manual wheelchairs available for transfer should your wheelchair not fit on the device.  NatureTrack connecting people to nature, every day.

411:

March 13, 2022 from noon to 4pm at Gaviota State Park, about 33 miles west of Santa Barbara on the 101. Look for the pop-up banner once you’re in the parking lot and the NatureTrack vans.

RSVP: (805) 886-2047 or email sue@naturetrack.org

NatureTrack is a 501(c)3 non-profit that provides outdoor docent-led field trips during the traditional school day for Santa Barbara County children at no cost to the schools or students, utilizing local trails and beaches throughout north and south county. They have expanded their program to include wheelchair users of any age and providing outdoor adventures from as far north as San Luis Obispo and south to Ventura County. NatureTrack’s mission is two-fold:  to encourage participants to embrace our natural world with respect and wonder, inspiring them to be stewards of our natural resources, and prepare school-aged students with the attitudes, leadership skills, and habits for lifelong learning. Founded in 2011, more than 25,000 students have had a chance to experience a NatureTrack docent-led outdoor field trip.

The Coastal Conservancy is a California state agency, established in 1976, to protect and improve natural lands and waterways, to help people get to and enjoy the outdoors, and to sustain local economies along California’s coast. It acts with others to protect and restore, and increase public access to, California’s coast, ocean, coastal watersheds, and the San Francisco Bay Area. Its vision is of a beautiful, restored, and accessible coast for current and future generations of Californians.

 

NatureTrack

Donate now!

www.naturetrack.org
(805) 886-2047
Founder & Executive Director: Sue Eisaguirre

Mission

NatureTrack is a 501(c)3 non-profit whose mission is to provide outdoor field trips for school-aged children at no cost to the schools or students.

Begin to Build a Relationship

We know you care about where your money goes and how it is used. Connect with this organization’s leadership in order to begin to build this important relationship. Your email will be sent directly to this organization’s director of development and/or Executive Director.

NatureTrack aims to provide inclusion, access, and opportunities to individuals who may not have had the chance to experience outdoor activities that were once deemed ‘inaccessible.’ Thanks to the Freedom Trax device, people like myself can now explore beaches and walking trails and connect with nature. Additionally, I have become a volunteer docent for NatureTrack and can lead trips to give back to this incredible organization.
Don Chan, NatureTrack Volunteer Docent

Giving Everyone Access to Nature

Transportation is NatureTrack’s largest cost, and it keeps rising. Your donations help fund field trips and provide more Freedom Trax devices.

$7,500 covers a field trip for 100 students.

$6,500 buys a new Freedom Trax device.

Any donation amount is appreciated to support our mission. Field trips fill up fast each year, highlighting our need for more volunteers. Docents play a crucial role with a 5-to-1 student-to-docent ratio. Your contribution, whether financial or as a volunteer, has a meaningful impact. Please donate or volunteer today, or both!

Key Supporters

Audacious Foundation
Adams Legacy Foundation
Coastal Ranches Conservancy
Craig H. Neilsen Foundation
Hutton Parker Foundation
Mark and Dorothy Smith
Family Foundation
Natalie Orfalea Foundation
Towbes Foundation
Santa Ynez Valley Foundation
Santa Ynez Valley Youth Rec