PREVENTION

People engaging in physical activities outdoors experience mental and emotional revitalization with reduced feelings of tension, confusion, anger and depression. Spending more time in the natural environment counteracts the negative outcomes of modern living, such as obesity and depression.

As you know, children who spend time outdoors are healthier, overall, than their indoor counterparts. Two health consequences of insufficient physical activity are obesity and attention deficit. Hyperactivity disorder (ADHD); another childhood phenomenon that has broad implications for wellness has been called ―nature deficit disorder.

Jon Francis Foundation Wilderness Safety Education is designed to encourage and teach young people to participate in safe, energetic, healthy pursuits. With parental involvement, families will gain new knowledge and confidence that they can be safe when engaging in healthy outdoor adventures.

Unfortunately, Everyday more and more people, many of them children, travel into the wilderness poorly informed and prepared. Many incidents of loss, injury and death could have been prevented had the person been better trained and better prepared.

The Jon Francis Foundation provides educational materials, FREE, to increase the knowledge, preparation and safety of wilderness campers, climbers, hikers and hunters and other wilderness enthusiasts.
Currently in youth wilderness training, there is a focus on camping and survival skills. There are excellent wilderness training camps in the U.S., but only a small minority of youth attends them.
Less safety training is available at the local level. We stress prevention. If you go out into the wilderness safely that will lessen the need to employ survival strategies.

This is where JFF Outdoor Education can make a difference.

The inexperienced will gain valuable (and potentially life-saving) wilderness knowledge and skills. The experienced will benefit from a great refresher course.

We are in the business of educating to save lives because there is an unmet public need and a national public health crisis. There are no local, state or federal public education courses on backcountry safety and loss prevention.

With the help of our community partners,JFF serves an at-risk populationof backcountry enthusiasts (like hikers, climbers, campers and hunters) who continue to go out into the wilderness inadequately informed and poorly prepared.

Since 2008, JFF has provided over 6000 wilderness Safety Kits and 70 presentations to nearly 3000 people at Camp Jon, outfitters, scout troops, libraries, colleges, and faith based and civic organizations.

Now, JFF has placed this knowledge and experience in a film. Please view the Jon Francis Foundation Wilderness Health and Safety Video. And read our Handbook containing important information to keep YOU safe while you enjoy the beauty of the wilderness:

We are dedicated to passing on Jon’s legacy of community service by saving lives through our Outdoor Health and Safety Education.

We have placed our excellent Camp Jon curriculum in a film. Please view the Jon Francis Foundation Wilderness Health and Safety Video.

And read our Outdoor Health and Safety Handbook containing important information to keep YOU safe while you enjoy the beauty of the wilderness.

For more information about wilderness first aid basics please visit: ACLS Training Center Wilderness First Aid Basics

GARMIN inREACH LOANER PROGRAM

Please pass on to your family, friends and neighbors information about our Garmin inReach Loaner Program. The Jon Francis Foundation will loan out, at no charge, a satellite communications device – the Garmin inReach. While outdoors a person carrying an inReach can text home assuring others that they are safe and also report their location.

Many outdoor accidents are caused by a lack of knowledge and preparation. However, a person who gets lost or injured, while enjoying a wilderness experience, can signal for help on the inReach.
Then it’s not a search and rescue. It’s a rescue!