Venture Outdoors

About Us
Mission and Philosophy

Our Mission Statement
Venture Outdoors, by increasing participation in outdoor recreational activity, seeks to create a sense of community among participants and a better understanding of and a deeper appreciation for the environment and wilderness among the residents of and visitors to Western Pennsylvania.

Philosophy
The Approach Venture Outdoors believes that more people will get outside when their choices of outings are

As accessible as the movie and concert listings
As well organized as the Great Race
As welcoming to novices as the Race for the Cure
As safe and insured as a Gateway Clipper cruise
As varied as booths at the Three Rivers Arts Festival
Some comfortable and relaxed like a concert at Hartwood Acres
Others challenging, with a sense of achievement like the Pittsburgh Marathon
As appealing as an evening sitcom or a Saturday afternoon TV sporting event
As socially engaging as a tailgate party
As dynamic as a popular bar, where people can expect to find their friends and make new ones

The Solution
Awareness
A first step is to provide a comprehensive listing of all scheduled outings in this region. Venture Outdoors is building an online database that will be searchable by activity type, trip date, location, and/or experience level. Outdoors clubs get exposure, the public gains access to a full array of outings and we start to change the perception that there is nothing to do outdoors around here and no one to do it with.

Training
To help our outdoor recreation community provide great trips, Venture Outdoors brings professional instructors and outdoor leader training to the region. Trip leaders, guides and outdoor enthusiasts can obtain training in topics such as Wilderness First Aid, Outdoor Leadership, Leave No Trace, Tracking, Wilderness Survival and others. Recreation clubs get excellent training and the public gets excellent trip leaders.

Opportunities
To get more people involved in outdoor activities the public appetite must be stimulated with creative outings. Venture Outdoors is cultivating opportunities to co-lead group outings with existing outdoor organizations, some public and some for private clients.

Co-sponsoring activities builds a sense of community among recreation groups, offers economic benefits, and increases public awareness of the excellent organizations that know our region's beautiful natural areas so well. Co-sponsored events can increase the diversity of available outings. For example, by combining hiking with music, massage, yoga, drawing or some other non-traditional activity, a new twist is provided to entice new participants. Multi-sport outings offer another twist for young recreationists to enjoy combinations of canoeing/rafting, biking/hiking, and/or climbing in a single outing. Each segment of these outings can be handled by a different organization working with Venture Outdoors to ensure a great time for all participants.

Community
Located at the corner of Forbes and Wood Downtown, Venture Outdoors is committed to helping our local outdoor recreation clubs thrive, conservation organizations grow, and businesses prosper. We will help build infrastructure and partnerships that help provide marketing, insurance, bookkeeping, and training to other outdoor organizations. When outdoor recreation becomes a mainstay of the dynamic Pittsburgh community, we will take a huge step toward realizing Western Pennsylvania's potential as a great place to call home.

Goals of Venture Outdoors

Build a perception of this being a great place to be
involved with outdoor activities.
Create a sense of community among outdoor
enthusiasts and participants of all ages, genders,
races and activities.
Support existing vendors, organizations and
individuals with comprehensive information about
each other.
Stimulate economic activity for the many providers
who will service this increased activity.
Grow awareness and appreciation of the region's
natural beauty and recreational opportunities.
Create additional opportunities and venues for
outdoor recreation across the region.
Support the attraction and retention of talented
individuals in the region by providing recreational
pursuits that encourage them to see this region as
a place to call home.

Inspiration
Average percent of lifetime sun exposure received by age 18: 80 (Scientific American, September 2000)

Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts.
Rachel Carson

one of the best ways to bridge the gap separating human beings from one another is to reconnect people with the land.
Communitymeans everyone and everything; eliminate any of the parts - people, species, landscapes - and we erode the sense of cohesion and common purpose that has tied people to the land and to one another for millenniaUnfortunately millions of people are often so caught up in the hustle and bustle of urban living, they simply do not have much time to think about conservation, let alone enjoy the wonders of nature.
-John Sawhill, President, Nature Conservancy, paraphrasing author, Barry Lopez in Nature Conservancy, January 2000.

We abuse land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect.
- Aldo Leopold

While my interest in natural history has added very little to my sum of achievement, it has added immeasurably to my sum of enjoyment in life.
- Theodore Roosevelt

To the art of working well a civilized race would add the art of playing well.
- George Santayana

Authentic environmental commitment emerges out of firsthand experiences with real places on a small, manageable scale.
- David Sobel, Beyond Ecophobia, Orion. MA. 1996

A society grows great when old men plant trees in whose shade they will never sit.
-ancient Greek proverb

Only in the last moment of human history has the delusion arisen that people can flourish apart from the rest of the living world.
- E.O. Wilson

I spent the summer traveling. I got halfway across my backyard.
- Louis Agassiz