Our mission: Sharing Nature – Enriching Lives.

We want our trips to leave a positive line on the balance sheet of the lives of our travelers as well as the people and places we visit. Through superlative guides and artfully orchestrated itineraries we strive to connect people in a meaningful and personally relevant way to the places we visit. We work to inspire guests to become actively involved in preservation and conservation while doing our best to create a safe space in which people may blossom, grow, gain new self-confidence and discover untapped power within.

We believe strongly in running our business in a socially responsible manner and here are some of the ways in which we walk our talk:

Buy Local - We purchase as many of our trip supplies as possible locally, and use locally-owned restaurants and hotels, thus increasing the economic benefit of our operation to local communities. On our Rogue River trips we serve cheese from the local Rogue River Creamery, Pholia Farm, Oak Leaf Creamery and other local artisans. We serve beer from local breweries, wine from Oregon wineries, etc.

Local Guides - We believe strongly in the concept that only a local guide can truly open the doors of understanding to a local culture and place. Our trips are led by local guides with an intimate knowledge and passion for the Rogue River and surrounding region.

Giving Back - We actively support a number of charities and conservation groups as we believe "giving back" is critical. Each year we donate to various charities in Oregon such as Homeplate Youth Services. We support other good causes in all the areas where we operate including, Idaho, eastern Washington and western Montana and annually give roughly $15,000 in goods and services. Since 2008 we've been running an annual "Raft for the Cure – Coeur d'Alene" which raised $5,000 for our local chapter of Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Starting in 2009 we began running an annual "Raft to Remember" to benefit the Alzheimer's Association. These trips have become annual fundraisers and been very successful as benefits for the organizations.

Supporting Conservation - We are also a huge supporter of a number of local conservation groups. In the Rogue River region this includes the Klamath-Siskiyou Wildlands Center that works to protect some 11 million acries of public lands in the Rogue River area. We also support the Save Our Salmon (SOS) organization that is working hard to keep healthy salmon runs in the Pacific Northwest. Another favourite Oregon conservation group is the Hells Canyon Preservation council. In addition to these we are also members and supporters of both national and international conservation groups, such as American Rivers, WaterKeepers and others. Often we run conservation-focused trips as fund-raisers for these groups. On every trip we provide information about these organizations and how guests can become involved.

Encouraging You to Give Back - Many of our trips also provide an opportunity for guests to contribute to a local cause. On our Rogue River trips we add a voluntary pass-through donation of $1 per person per day that we forward on to appropriate conservation groups such as the Klamath-Siskiyou Wildlands Center.

Environmental Responsibility - A basic premise in all we do at White Water Warehouse is to minimize our environmental impact in as many ways as possible. We are a company led by a member of the Aldo Leopold Society; who read Silent Spring as a youth and for whom John Muir, John Burroughs and Enos Mills are heroes. Throughout our organization, be it at our administrative headquarters, our local outposts or in the field, we practice the "Four R's" of sustainability – Reduce, Repurpose, Recyle, Reuse. In our office this means printing as little as possible and using electronic storage media as much as we can; recharging printer cartridges, using compact fluorescent bulbs, encouraging bicycling to work, keeping the heat low and lights off when not in use, directing people to our website rather than sending printed material and many other measures. We are also very select in our direct-marketing program to be sure that we do not send unwanted or undeliverable mail. Whenever possible, we print with soy inks and UV coatings on tree-free paper or high-quality recycled stock supplied by companies certified by the Forest Stewardship Council.

Leave No Trace – The principles of "Leave No Trace" practices apply on both our lodge trips and camping trips. We demonstrate our own practices such as using fire pans and carrying out all ashes; cooking over propane; using portable toilets and carrying out human waste; straining dish water for particles and in general "leaving only footprints and taking only pictures." In most settings, protecting wildlife and flora means staying on established trails. Our goal is to educate our guests in ways to minimize their own impact and take away skills and knowledge they can use on future journeys.

"Nothing so liberalizes a man and expands the kindly instincts that nature put in him as travel and contact with many kinds of people." – Mark Twain