ECO-ACCESS Initiative

People need nature. With this idea in mind, Wesselman Woods created the “Eco-Access Initiative” - a program that harnesses the power of our local communities to further establish and assure equal access to the largest urban old-growth forest in the United States: Wesselman Woods.

Donors can contribute in various ways to provide equal access to Wesselman Woods, ever-bearing in mind that we all can experience less advantageous realities and economic ebbs and flows from time to time. These sponsorships are used to assist in covering the costs incurred in the pursuit of environmental education and connecting people and nature.

Our donors make a real difference by sponsoring a child or family to create lasting memories and inspire greater environmental stewardship.

Ways Your Contribution Works

Family Membership Sponsorship

By donating to the Eco-Access Initiative, your donation could help sponsor family memberships, giving other families the chance to connect to nature.

Wesselman Woods receives names of interested families from local partners. WW pairs those families with available sponsorships. A sponsored membership covers all individuals that reside in the same household; may include nanny or caregiver.

All donations to the Eco-Access Initiative are tax-deductible.

Know a family in need? Send them to this page to sign up to become a sponsored family.

Camper Sponsorship

Donations can help cover a child’s admission to one of our week-long summer camps. These camps create experiences for children to explore the largest urban old-growth forest. Our camps are educationally and experientially impactful - you will be planting the seeds for a child’s imagination and environmental interests to flourish and grow.

All donations to the Eco-Access Initiative are tax-deductible.

Know a child in need? Send them to this page to sign up to become a sponsored camper.

* SUMMER CAMP 2024 IS SOLD OUT. Check back in January 2025 to request sponsorship for summer camp. *

Sponsor a Classroom

We believe it is an honor to have the opportunity to commune with nature and acknowledge the value of that ability. Therefore, at Wesselman Woods, we pledge to create and maintain an environment that respects diverse traditions, primary language abilities, and the physical or emotional needs of our participants.

By donating our Eco-Access Initiative, you can help us provide quality environmental education for free to schools in need. We want to ensure everyone has the opportunity to explore this rare ecosystem. 

All donations to the Eco-Access Initiative are tax-deductible.

Know a classroom in need? Tell them about the Eco-Access Initiative and have them sign up to become a sponsored classroom.

Sponsor a Junior Forest League (JFL) Member

Donations can help cover a child’s admission to our Junior Forest League program. This program offers nature-based activities for children interested in the environment. League members will have the chance to engage with their local ecosystem, collaborate with like-minded peers, and participate in fun team building activities and games.

All donations to the Eco-Access Initiative are tax-deductible.

Know a child in need? Send them to this page to sign up to become a sponsored JFL member

Sponsor a FREE day at Wesselman Woods

Wesselman Woods is a living artifact─our priority is to protect this space at all costs. Given the rarity and importance of this ecosystem, we want to provide FREE days for our constituents so we can share this treasure.

If you are interested in sponsoring one free day or multiple free days at Wesselman Woods, we would love to collaborate with you!

All donations to the Eco-Access Initiative are tax-deductible.

Other Ways We Provide Access

First Nations Reciprocity Program

Successful conservation depends upon the representation and respect of all cultures, traditions, values, and needs of the community. We actively seek the opportunity to create diverse internal and external relationships to further our mission. With our First Nations Reciprocity Program, we donate our molted non-eagle feathers to the Liberty Wildlife Non-Eagle Feather Repository. Eagle feathers are sent to the National Eagle Repository. These repositories deliver feathers to members of First Nation Tribes for cultural and religious purposes. This is but a small contribution to be culturally accountable and responsible to First Nations of the United States. 

Eco-Access SPONSORS

How We Measure Success

Wesselman Woods' Eco-Access Initiative would not be complete without an established method to assess our success. The Eco-Access Initiative succeeds when our donors take action to sponsor a child to go to summer camp, a family membership, or free admission day at Wesselman Woods.

We furthermore prosper and succeed when we create nature experiences that impact Eco-Access Initiative participants to emerge as better stewards of the environment with a renewed sense of values, intentions, cultural responsiveness, and overall interconnectedness to nature. We evaluate the success of our program in three ways: Action, Experience, and Impact.