About Us

Environmental & socail sustainability practices at Mountain Whitewater

“Here at Mountain Whitewater, we believe that environmental sustainability must be at the core of our business,”

– Brad Modesitt, Chief Entertainment Officer

Down Town Cache la Poudre River Cleanup

Mountain Whitewater’s Guest Carbon Offset Program

Did you realize that the average American citizen produces around 20 tons of CO2 per year, while the international average is around 4 tons per year. This Carbon dioxide pollution comes from our electricity use, driving, flying and our consumption including the energy needed to produce our food, clothing, computers, etc.

It is important to remember that the best way to reduce your carbon footprint is to reduce your daily carbon emissions. We realize that if you want to travel, it is impossible to eliminate all or your emissions. To encourage our guests to travel sustainably, Mountain Whitewater has partnered with a local Non-profit group, Trees, Water & People, to create a very simple and easy way to offset your CO2 output from your trip. In fact, Mountain Whitewater believes in sustainable travel so much, that we will match all of our guests offset contributions up to $1000 each season.

Trees, Water & People (TWP) is a local Fort Collins nonprofit with an international presence. It offers carbon offsets through its tree-planting program in Central America and Haiti as well as by distributing fuel-efficient cookstoves to families in these countries. The improved stoves decrease fuel use by 50-70%. They are a key to forest conservation in the developing world where 80% of people still cook with biomass.

The program is very simple. Find where you live (or where your traveled from) on our Carbon Offset Travel Map. The map will show you the cost to offset the full Carbon impact of your travel with Trees, Water & People. The map prices are based off of national averages for vehicle mileage. Click the “Offset Your Travel” button to donate the amount of your carbon offset to Trees, Water & People. If you do not wish to offset all of your Carbon Footprint from your travels, you can donate a smaller amount.

Why is Sustainable Travel Important?

“Sustainable tourism is a level of tourism activity that can be maintained over the long term because it results in a net benefit for the socio-cultural, economic, and natural environments of the area in which it takes place.”

– Sustainable Travel International

The function of our business depends upon the Cache la Poudre River, our most precious local resource. The river turn depends on the variable snowpack in our region. Snowpack in Colorado is a resource that is greatly impacted by carbon outputs and global warming. Therefore, we must strive to utilize these natural resources without causing a negative impact and try to influence others to do the same.

Along with sustainability, raising appreciation for our environment is also vital to our success as a rafting company. Appreciation of resources and the importance of leaving a minimal impact are so important to us that we discuss it in every paddle talk to all of our guests. Rafting on a “Wild and Scenic” river, coupled with Mountain Whitewater’s philosophies create a perfect opportunity to educate guests to be good environmental stewards. We can be optimistic that after spending the day in a pristine canyon like ours, anyone can understand why we all need to travel sustainably. We hope our guests will be excited to improve their stewardship practices when they get home and when they return to any wilderness.

For more information on sustainable travel go to: www.sustainabletravelinternational.org

What are some other sustainability practices at Mountain Whitewater?

It is our goal at Mountain Whitewater to practice and promote responsible travel. Travel that is beneficial to the environmental, economic and social viability of our area, the State of Colorado and our world as a whole. We seek to create both memorable and inspirational experiences for all of our guests that work to foster their own sense of sustainable travel. Here are a few examples of what we do to promote sustainable travel:

A Mallard duck in the Frog Pond at Mountain Whitewater.
• Mountain Whitewater hires employees who are passionate about their social and ecological environments. Employees must be truly motivated to positively impact our guests and community as a whole while promoting environmental sustainability.
• Mountain Whitewater has implemented a recycling program for all of our guests as well as reusing materials to build and maintain our facilities. We recycle all standard items while exhibiting exemplary use of non-standard recycling and reuse. One way or another, our whole company has been recycled or reused.
   
  The River is recycled snow, school buses are reused, and the land we own was an old dairy farm. Using salvaged lumber and materials we have converted it into our office and recreation areas. The milking shed is now the boat barn; the pasture is now a volleyball court, area for yard games and guest seating. We regularly reuse items from CSU surplus instead of buying new. A water holding pond was revitalized into a fish pond with wetlands that now house a pair of mating Mallard ducks.

“Clean the Poudre 2017” drew over 200 volunteers!
• Mountain Whitewater organizes a Cache la Poudre River Cleanup each spring. The event annually removes dumpsters full of landfill and recyclable materials from the river. Last year we organized over 200 volunteers to clean up the banks of the Poudre where it flows through Fort Collins. We will hold “Clean the Poudre 2018” on Saturday, May 26, 2018. Please call our office for more details or to sign-up as a volunteer.
• Every year, Mountain Whitewater donates rafting trips to non-profit organizations, schools and clubs in our area who are committed to positive social development programs for youth and others in need.
• Mountain Whitewater winterizes the office during the off-season to reduce the amount of energy consumption over the 8 months of the year we are not running trips.

Brad accepts our first CW Platinum award!
• Mountain Whitewater participates annually in the City of Fort Collins Bike to Work Day (BTWD). We promote alternate forms of transportation and hold challenges to encourages employees bikes to work as often as possible. We will partner with Colorado State University to sponsor a breakfast station for both the Summer and Winter BTWD events.
• Mountain Whitewater purchases renewable energy credits to offset 100% of our electricity usage.
• Mountain Whitewater has been participating in the City of Fort Collins’ Climate Wise program since 2009 and has been a Gold Level business from 2010 to 2015. Mountain Whitewater earned Platinum status, the highest level of the program, in 2016 and has held that level ever since.
• Mountain Whitewater is a member of or supports Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics, American Whitewater, America Outdoors, The Paddle Sports Industry Association, American Rivers, The Poudre Runs Through It, CSU Water Center, Fort Collins Bikes, Colorado Carbon Fund.
• Mountain Whitewater was awarded the Environmental Business Award in 2011 by the Fort Collins Chamber of Commerce for its contributions and innovative efforts in the enhancement of the natural environment of Fort Collins.

All of these organizations are commited to sustainable practices. Please contact us by email to contacts@raftmw.com if you would like more information on these organizations or would like to know how you can donate your time and money to help these organizations.

In-kind Donations

Mountain Whitewater believes that a healthy community is fostered through community involvement and the general philanthropy of every individual within that community. Every year, Mountain Whitewater makes charitable donations of whitewater rafting trips to many organizations and individuals locally, nationally and internationally.