Explanation of this Letter of Support Explanation

Thank you for agreeing to write a letter of support for this applicant to the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness Backpacking Trek. The following information is meant to provide you with a clear description of this trek and the challenges it presents. 

In partnership with the United States Forest Service (USFS) and the Selway-Bitterroot Frank Church Foundation, Johnson County Conservation (JCC) is leading a 10-day backpacking trip for local high school students to the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness in Idaho. The 3.6 million acres in this federally designated wilderness area make it the largest piece of wilderness in the lower 48. 

Participants do not need any prior backpacking/wilderness experience (we will provide a mandatory orientation to introduce skills). On the trek, students will further develop backpacking skills, Leave No Trace ethics, and trail stewardship skills. As a large part of the trip, participants will work on projects that may include trail construction, campsite rehabilitation, and ecological restoration. 

We are offering this trip to give students experiences in nature that could not experience in Iowa, and to stimulate their minds in what the world has to offer. Through this experience, we hope to alter the way our students conceive wildness and how they perceive their relationship to it. This experience will be a watershed moment for each participant; it can even change their life. 

With this description in front of you, we are now asking you to help us determine if this applicant is prepared for the challenges, and if they are deserving of the rewards. The challenges of the trek are summarized by four components:

1. Physical: participants may backpack up to 10 miles/day, camp and work for six days in primitive backcountry conditions, and hike uphill for long periods of time at steep grades while carrying packs up to 40 pounds. 

2. Social/Emotional: the success of the trek largely depends on the participants evolving from strangers to a cohesive community of friends. Students will be required to contribute to collective group tasks, and show kindness and acceptance towards all members of the group. 

3. Maturity/Responsibility: participants must recognize the group dynamics, be autonomous, self-motivated, and accepting of diversity. Participants must also be trusted to make good decisions and to minimize risks at all times. 

4. Intellectual: the goal of this trek is to assist students in their personal journey towards understanding the role of nature in their lives and to return to Iowa to find wildness both at home and in themselves.

In your letter of support, please address these four topics to the best of your ability as you evaluate the participant's attributes within the context of this trek. If you do not have knowledge of the applicant's skills/experience within one of the components, you can simply state that. Additionally, please include your opinions on how the participant will benefit from this opportunity. 

The deadline to complete this form is April 15, when the official application period closes. All information provided is confidential and will be viewed only by the selection committee. If you need further information, please feel free to contact the trip lead at kmorrow@johnsoncountyiowa.gov.