Adventures & Outings
Making Recreation Accessible
Everyone, regardless of disability, should have the opportunity to enjoy outdoor recreation and cultural experiences. BORP’s Adventures & Outings program supports this by:
- Hosting regular group trips for people with disabilities;
- Helping individuals and families plan their own independent recreation and travel through our Access Northern California Website;
- Offering regular recreational activities like adaptive kayaking and birding.
Group Outings
BORP’s trips are fun group adventures that explore the Bay Area’s nature, recreation, and culture. Examples include a day trip to Angel Island, wine tasting in Sonoma County, hiking an accessible trail, or attending a live performance. Many trips are appropriate for children, youth and their families. On occasion, BORP also provides outings specifically for children and youth.
Participants forge new friendships, challenge themselves to do new things, and often discover new interests, skills and a sense of empowerment.
Interested in joining us?
- Contact Lori at lori@borp.org or at 510-843-4398 (after 10am weekdays).
- See the calendar for upcoming outings.
- You can also call 510-225-7880 to listen to a recording of upcoming outings.
- Register early. Outings fill up fast!
- See detailed information and guidelines about BORP’s outings.
Recreation Activities
BORP provides a variety of accessible recreational activities, including:
- Adaptive kayaking at the BORP Adaptive Cycling Center in Berkeley;
- Birding through our Birding for All program;
- Activities provided with partner organizations like archery and indoor adaptive climbing.
Interested in joining us?
- Scroll down or check out the calendar for upcoming activities.
- For information on kayaking contact leo@borp.org.
- For information on birding contact bonnie@borp.org.
Upcoming Events
New to A&O? Please review the registration steps noted below the event listings.
Note: All A&O participants and accompanying family members, volunteers, and staff are asked to be fully vaccinated and boosted, and wear a mask, for both indoor and outdoor A&O activities. If you have a fever, don’t feel well, or have any other symptoms, please do not attend an in-person A&O activity. Masks: A&O events require folks to wear an N95 or comparable mask (KN95, KF94), or be double-masked for all indoor activities. Please see the BORP Covid guideline page here for further details on the A&O program Covid guidelines.
Spring, 2023 A&O Events:
Saturday, April 1st – April Fools Costume Zoom (just kidding, April Fools!) 1 – 3 p.m.
Join in on guided outings, games including truth or dare, headband, group storytelling, and more.. We will do our version of The Moth and the topic will be, Best April Fool’s joke you’ve ever played or had played on you.
Wednesday, April 5th OUSD Indoor Rock-Climbing at Berkeley Iron Works
This trip is limited to Oakland Youth, 11 – 1 p.m.
Thursday, April 6th OUSD Bowling
Castro Village Bowl Bowling Alley; this trip is limited to Oakland Youth.
Monday, April 10th Highly Descriptive Fine Arts Museum Zoom Tour Topic: A Great Escape
Join BORP and docents Joyce Thorn and Pam Reed and experience the magic of travel on A Great Escape for a virtual, around the world adventure. As we make our way through tour stops in six countries, we will explore different approaches artists use to conjure a sense of time and place. The deadline to confirm your spot is Friday, April 7th.
“Experience the magic of travel by joining FAMSF docents Joyce Thorn and Pam Reed on A Great Escape for a virtual, around the world adventure. As we make our way through tour stops in six countries, we will explore different approaches artists use to conjure a sense of time and place.”
Pyramids at Gizeh, Thomas Seddon, 1855, oil on canvas
Sunday, April 16th Coastal In-Person Collaboration with East Bay Parks at Crab Cove in Alameda
The program fee is $10 and the deadline to confirm your spot is Friday, April 7th.
Join us for a day hiking checking out the shoreline with a docent led talk; will have lunch provided by East Bay Parks and check out the visitors center, and maybe ice cream at the end of the day.
The beach has three contiguous areas, and a flat, paved 2.5-mile trail runs the entire length. At the northwestern end is Crab Cove, where at low tide you can use the Rocky Shoreline Tide Ramp, a concrete ramp, to get close to tidepools. You may find yourself at touching distance from limpets and barnacles. The base of the ramp is submerged at high tide. Look for grebes and pelicans, and at low tide, shorebirds feeding in the exposed mudflats. Another good spot to see waterfowl is closer to the beach, from an accessible overlook at the freshwater lagoon. It was teeming with coots on my late-December visit.
At Crab Cove visitor center you can see Bay creatures in the 800-gallon aquarium system, use interactive stations to view microscopic animals, build a crab from the inside out, or get a lug worm’s view of the mudflats. Other displays are about the local ecology. Pick up a brochure here for the self-guided Memory Lane History Tour.
Sunday, April 23rd Indoor Rock-Climbing Pacific Pipe
Currently we are partnering with, “Paracliffhangers.” They currently offer a weekly Friday night climb at, Berkeley Iron Works. Since this time does not work for a majority of our BORP climbers, they are offering a Sunday afternoon climb at a new TouchStone climbing gym called Pacific Pipe Works in Oakland, on the 4th Sunday of the month from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. Program fee is $10 for adults. Oakland Youth who qualify for the OFCY grant your fee will be paid by BORP.
In order for Para-Cliffhanger and myself to know who is coming please sign up using the link provided below for Paracliffhangers and please contact me if you haven’t done so. Due to the fact that I am blind, I will not be able to get an accurate count for the trip if you don’t let me know you’re coming.
If you have difficulty with the Para-Cliffhangers sign up you can let me know you’re coming. I’ll let them know how many people are coming by Thursday evening so they can make sure they have enough volunteer support.
You also must fill out the waiver for TouchStone, preferably prior to arrival
Please note if you have already filled out the TouchStone waiver recently that you do not have to do it again. Check with me to see if we will be able to provide transportation. Please let me know if you are interested. The deadline to confirm your spot is Monday, April 17th.
May
Wednesday, May 3rd In-Person The Moth at The Freight Theme: Gossip
The Moth Story Slam at the Freight and Salvage in Berkeley. Doors open at 6pm the show starts at 7pm. Fee (for participants and volunteers) $17. Folks will need to provide their own transportation. The freight is located 1.5 blocks from Downtown Berkeley Bart at 2020 Addison Street, Berkeley, CA 94704. Parking at next door at Center Street Garage. Open until 11:30pm. The sign up deadline to let me know you’re coming is Monday, April 10th at noon. The current Freight and Salvage policy as of January 4, 2023:
Masks will be provided to patrons who request them.
Effective January 4, 2023, proof of vaccination will no longer be required.
Food & Drink are allowed inside the Listening Room and can also be enjoyed in the lobby.
Please follow all posted guidelines and on site signage, as well as any verbal instructions from event staff.
Please Note: Specific events will have artist requested masking requirements. Please check event listings for requirements.
Please note, this is a change in their policies; please let me know your thoughts if you’re ready to attend The MOTH given these new constraints – A and O will be masking. I will be purchasing the tickets so folks will need to bring their money (exact change) to reimburse me on the day of the show. Please note, if you cancel, unless I can find somebody to buy your ticket, you will owe me for the ticket.
Saturday, May 6th OUSD Bowling
Castro Village Bowl Bowling Alley; this trip is limited to Oakland Youth
Sunday, May 7th Virtual Zoom Hangout
Join in on guided outings, games including truth or dare, group storytelling, and more.. Please let me know if you’re interested by Thursday, April 27th.
Monday, May 8th Virtual Highly Descriptive Fine Arts Museum Zoom Tour Topic: To Be Announced
The deadline to confirm your spot is Monday, May 1st.
Saturday, May 13th 21st Annual BORP Revolution Fundraising Event in Santa Rosa
The Revolution Ride, Roll & Stroll is the biggest fundraiser of the year for Bay Area Outreach & Recreation Program (BORP). BORP is a nonprofit organization that provides sports, recreation and fitness programming for children, youth and adults with physical disabilities and visual impairments.
For more information follow this link https://borp.akaraisin.com/ui/Rev2023
Saturday, May 13th Virtual Night Owl Zoom
Join in on guided outings, games including truth or dare, headband, group storytelling, and more.. Please let me know if you’re interested by Monday, May 8th.
Sunday, May 21st In-person Indoor Rock-Climbing Pacific Pipe
Currently we are partnering with, “Paracliffhangers.” They currently offer a weekly Friday night climb at, Berkeley Iron Works. Since this time does not work for a majority of our BORP climbers, they are offering a Sunday afternoon climb at a new TouchStone climbing gym called Pacific Pipe Works in Oakland, on the 4th Sunday of the month from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. Program fee is $10. Oakland Youth who qualify for the OFCY grant your fee will be paid by BORP.
In order for Para-Cliffhanger and myself to know who is coming please sign up using the link provided below for Paracliffhangers and please contact me if you haven’t done so. Due to the fact that I am blind, I will not be able to get an accurate count for the trip if you don’t let me know you’re coming.
If you have difficulty with the Para-Cliffhangers sign up you can let me know you’re coming. I’ll let them know how many people are coming by Thursday evening so they can make sure they have enough volunteer support.
You also must fill out the waiver for TouchStone, preferably prior to arrival.
Please note if you have already filled out the TouchStone waiver recently that you do not have to do it again. Check with me to see if we will be able to provide transportation. Please let me know if you are interested. The deadline to confirm your spot is Monday, May 15th.
June
Sunday, June 4th Virtual Zoom Hangout
Join in on guided outings, games including truth or dare, group storytelling, and more.. Please let me know if you’re interested by Wednesday, May 31st.
Wednesday, June 7th In-Person The Moth at The Freight Theme: Pride
The Moth Story Slam at the Freight and Salvage in Berkeley. Doors open at 6pm the show starts at 7pm. Fee (for participants and volunteers) $17. Folks will need to provide their own transportation. The freight is located 1.5 blocks from Downtown Berkeley Bart at 2020 Addison Street, Berkeley, CA 94704.
Parking at next door at Center Street Garage. Open until 11:30pm. The sign up deadline to let me know you’re coming is Monday, May 8th at noon. The current Freight and Salvage policy as of January 4, 2023:
Masks will be provided to patrons who request them.
Effective January 4, 2023, proof of vaccination will no longer be required.
Food & Drink are allowed inside the Listening Room and can also be enjoyed in the lobby.
Please follow all posted guidelines and on site signage, as well as any verbal instructions from event staff.
Please Note: Specific events will have artist requested masking requirements. Please check event listings for requirements.
Please note, this is a change in their policies; please let me know your thoughts if you’re ready to attend The MOTH given these new constraints – A and O will be masking. I will be purchasing the tickets so folks will need to bring their money (exact change) to reimburse me on the day of the show. Please note, if you cancel, unless I can find somebody to buy your ticket, you will owe me for the ticket.
Sunday, June 11th In-person Wheelchair Accessible Carriage Rides in Fairfield with Access Adventures
The program fee is $15 and the deadline to confirm your spot is Sunday, May 28th.
Please note, this is a horse drawn carriage that will go over terrain that we could not do in a wheelchair. Everyone should be aware that it could be a bumpy ride. The lift on the back of the carriage will make it accessible for wheelchairs. Due to the fact we cannot social distance, everyone must be masked. Please note, temperature will probably in the 80’s with a breeze off the delta if we’re lucky. Please bring a lunch along with carrots and apples for the horses. More info to follow.
Thursday, June 15th OUSD Bowling
Castro Village Bowl Bowling Alley; this trip is limited to Oakland Youth
Saturday, June 17th In-person gathering at participants home in Berkeley
No transportation will be provided. The program fee is $10 plus the cost of lunch. Please confirm your spot by Monday, June 12th. Due to space concerns, this outing will fill up quick. We will plan to get food from Mezzos and bring it to the participants home.
Saturday, June 17th Virtual Night Owl Zoom
Join in on guided outings, games including truth or dare, headband, group storytelling, and more.. Please let me know if you’re interested by Monday, June 12th.
Monday, June 19th Highly Descriptive Fine Arts Museum Zoom Tour, from 10:30 AM to 11:30 AM on zoom. Topic:
“The Legion of Honor Museum is filled with beautiful art about women, but most of the artists are male. Do you ever wonder, “What are all these women thinking?” Please join docents Shelley Ford and Randee MacDonald as they present four works of art about “Women of the Legion”. These are stories of love, duty, honor and betrayal some of which end in mayhem and murder.”
The deadline to confirm your spot is Monday, June 12th.
Friday, June 23rd – Sunday June 25th In-Person BORP and EB Parks Camping Trip at Lake Del Valle, Livermore
the camping trip has to be postponed till October 20 through the 22nd due to storm damage at the park.
Join us for a weekend of camping and lots of fun. The program fee for individual adults is $15, and $10 per family. Oakland Youth and their families will be covered by the OFCY grant. More information to follow. The deadline to confirm your spot is Thursday, June 1st.
Saturday, June 24th Day Trip (location to be announced)
For those not interested in camping, join us for a day trip to Lake Del Valle. This will be an all-day trip extending into the evening. The program fee is $10. More information to follow. The deadline to confirm your spot is Sunday, June 11th.
New to A&O? Please review the registration steps below:
To register for an A&O activity,please take the following steps:
- Contact Lori Gray, A&O coordinator, either by phone at 510-843-4398 (after 10am) or by email at lori@borp.org. Lori will most likely need to reply to emails via telephone, so please be sure to include your phone number. No text messages.
- After you’ve reviewed the full information about a particular outing, please reserve your spot with Lori.
- If there is a fee associated with the outing: unless otherwise specified, payment for outings is due on the day of the outing.
- Cash is preferred for A&O event payments.
- If you need to pay via check, please let us know in advance.
- A&O is unable to process credit card payments for outings at this time.
- Transportation: BORP has two buses, and space is limited on them. For BORP bus transportation, we are not able to be socially distanced on the bus. Everyone on the bus (and at the A&O event) must wear a mask and be fully vaccinated. We will have the bus windows open for increased ventilation, so please dress in layers.
- If you prefer, you may transport yourself and meet us at the location of the outing.
We are currently offering both virtual and in-person outings.
- For in-person outings: Due to the fact that we will be going to public places, everyone in the A&O group will need to remain masked unless eating or drinking. If you are exhibiting symptoms of illness, please DO NOT attend.
- The BORP participant form can be filled out online. It is for the most part screen reader friendly.
- Please note at the bottom of the participant form there’s a link that you have to click on to get to the waivers; please sign both waivers. Once signed, you can submit the participant form.
- The liability waiver: There’s a way to click and then print your name or type your name at the end of the participant form.
- The publicity waiver seems to be tricky for screen readers. Please be sure to check all programs you participate in including A&O,which stands for Adventures and Outings.
- Please note, if you’ve already done these forms since July 1, 2022, you do not have to do it again. However, everytime you fill them out, the information feeds right into our database, confirming that you are definitely in there and your information is up to date.
- The participant form link is here.
- Please let Lori know once you’ve submitted the participant form and waivers, and if you have any problems filling them out.
Interested in Volunteering?
Volunteers play an important role in providing support and assistance on BORP’s adventures and outings.Covid Regulations:
While we cannot completely eliminate the risks associated with COVID-19, we will follow the guidelines of local health departments and the City of Berkeley and take the necessary steps to minimize risk.
The following BORP COVID-19 guideline updates will remain in place until further notice for all individuals aged 5 years and older.
“Fully vaccinated” – Per the City of Berkeley, “fully vaccinated” is defined as 14 days after the Johnson & Johnson (Janssen) vaccine or 14 days after the second shot of the two-dose Moderna or Pfizer vaccines. BORP is also requiring that staff, participants and volunteers have received their booster if it has been more than five months since their second dose of Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, or more than two months after the Johnson & Johnson (Janssen) vaccine.
Adventures & Outings
Participants, their families, volunteers, and staff will be asked to be fully vaccinated and wear a mask for both indoor and outdoor activities due to the nature of the activities.
Masks: Participants, their families, volunteers, and staff are required to wear an N95 or comparable mask (KN95, KF94), or be double-masked for all indoor activities.
If you have a fever, don’t feel well, or have any other symptoms, please stay home.
*Proof of Vaccination as outlined in the order by the City of Berkeley revised on February 7, 2022, shall include only the following documentation indicating that a person is vaccinated for COVID-19. BORP is not equipped to read QR codes at this time:
a. A Vaccination Card issued by the CDC or a foreign governmental jurisdiction which includes the name of the person vaccinated, the type of vaccine provided, and the date(s) the dose or doses were administered;
b. A photo or copy of a Vaccination Card either as a hardcopy or stored on a phone or electronic device; or
c. Documentation of vaccination from a healthcare provider; or
d. A personal digital COVID-19 vaccine record issued by the State of California and available by going to https://myvaccinerecord.cdph.ca.gov/ or similar documentation issued by another state, local, or foreign governmental jurisdiction.