Environmental Improvements
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One of the big initiatives of this campaign is to improve Wakonda’s ecological impact. Experiences in nature and the preservation of God’s creation have always been a part of what Camp Wakonda is about. A few of the projects in this campaign directly address this value:
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LED Lighting While some of the lights in the camp have already been upgraded to LED (which uses dramatically less energy), many buildings still have incandescent, fluorescent, or sodium vapor lighting. We are striving to replace all of these both for energy efficiency and to decrease light pollution. Many exterior lights will also be upgraded with either timers or switches to allow for better control, which will also decrease light pollution and allow our campers to better see God’s wondrous night sky.
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Generator System We will be replacing our current backup generator with a propane-fed, auto-switch generator. These units provide emergency power for our freezers, walk-in cooler, and well system. The current generator is powered by our diesel tractor, which sometimes has to run for hours when the power is out. Because this system is not automatic, if a power outage occurs when the director is away or unavailable, thousands of dollars of food could be lost, and the well system could lose pressure, which would pose a danger to campers and staff, and is an Ohio EPA violation. The new auto-switch generator would come on automatically without direct supervision by a trained staff member. Additionally, it would run on propane, which is a much cleaner and more efficient fuel than diesel.
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Solar Panels Adding solar panels to the lodge roof would be a significant ecological improvement to the camp’s power usage. Throughout the year, the camp’s energy usage varies based on the freezer and cooler use in the summer, and the heating use in the winter. Solar panels would allow the camp to offset much of the electrical power usage throughout the year. The lodge roof serves as an ideal place for such panels, as it receives sun for most of the day. Placing the panels on the roof would also not negatively impact the usable green space around the camp.
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There are many other projects that will benefit the natural environment and reduce the camp’s carbon footprint (drainage solutions, electrical updates, structural repairs that limit heat loss), but these especially highlight the ways that Camp Wakonda seeks to maintain God’s amazing creation.
“Camp Wakonda is a Christian Camp.
The land, water, sky, flowers, deer, whippoorwills, boats,
cabins, woods, and campfires make it a camp.
The people in the camp, their aims, their lifestyles,
their faith, their personal witness, give it the Christian dimension.”
-from the Wakonda Staff Manual
The land, water, sky, flowers, deer, whippoorwills, boats,
cabins, woods, and campfires make it a camp.
The people in the camp, their aims, their lifestyles,
their faith, their personal witness, give it the Christian dimension.”
-from the Wakonda Staff Manual
