Charles Gittings Email and Phone Number

"And I dream of the vast deserts, the forests, and all of the wilderness of our continent, wild places that we should protect as a precious heritage for our children and for our children's children. We must never forget that it is our duty to protect this environment."— Nelson Mandela.Current undergrad student at Cal Poly Humboldt as a Recreation Administration Major with an emphasis on Outdoor Leadership. I chose this path of education from feeling this is where I belong. My experience in the outdoors over my lifetime has led me to want to make it more than a passion, I want to influence the next generations to find their place in the outdoors and bring more diversity to it. Leisure has played such an important part in my mental health and purpose in my life. With how many benefits I see within myself spending time outdoors, I also know it has influenced the people in my life to become better people themselves. My future looks bright with goals for myself to work in outdoor recreation with the aim to influence others to help protect and experience the outdoors as I have. I have a wide range of skills and experience which will be an asset to this field. I spend time in state parks and national parks picking up trash and practicing LNT principles. I would be humbled to work for one of these employers to make an even bigger impact in this field. This major is a change for me, working in the trades for the beginning of my 20's and realizing that was not where my passion lies. I am a believer in doing, by spending my time in the outdoors and doing my part to keep it as pristine as when I found it and how best to educate others of the importance of the LNT principles and protecting the outdoors.Backpacking has been a passion of mine since early adulthood. I have hiked thousands of miles over the span of 15 National Parks in and out of the U.S. My passion lies in the healing and awe that comes from enjoying our public lands. What backpacking has led me to realize is how important my dedication to conservation is. My education at Cal Poly Humboldt has been a catalyzed this passion as I have learned about native ecology, human interaction with nature and our impact as a species on the ecosystems we inhabit. I have also realized how important play and fun is to all humans. How important it is for us to feel connected to the places around us and how parks should be a natural right for everyone to enjoy and frequent no matter where you live.