The Stewardship Adventure: 52 Weeks to Leave It Better

The Stewardship Adventure is a 52-week card deck designed to help people build simple habits that leave shared spaces better than they found them.

Each card introduces a small, practical action — something you can do on a hike, in your neighborhood, or in your daily life.

The goal isn’t perfection. It’s consistency.

Because stewardship isn’t a one-time event — it’s a practice.

PROJECT STORY

Why This Exists

Many of us care deeply about the places we love — trails, rivers, parks, forests, and neighborhoods.

But caring doesn’t always translate into action.

We clean up once.
We volunteer occasionally.
We talk about the problems.

What’s missing is a simple way to practice stewardship consistently.

That’s the idea behind The Stewardship Adventure.

A structured, weekly practice that turns good intentions into real habits.

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What the Deck Is

The Stewardship Adventure contains 52 cards, each representing one week of practice.

Each card includes:

• A Weekly Practice — a simple action you can take
• A short Why It Matters explanation
• A Reflection Prompt
• A Share Prompt to encourage conversation

The actions start small and approachable, then gradually expand into community and environmental impact.

Examples include:

• Packing out litter
• Learning about the land you recreate on
• Supporting pollinators
• Reducing trail impact
• Sharing stewardship habits with others

The goal is simple:
Build habits that leave places better than we found them.

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How the Cards Work

You draw a card each week.

That card becomes your practice for the week.

Some weeks are simple. Some weeks ask more.
But each week builds on the last. Over time, the practices compound.

Stewardship becomes something you do, not just something you believe in.

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Why a Physical Deck?

We intentionally designed this as a physical tool.

Something you can:

• Keep on your desk
• Take on a trip
• Share with friends
• Use in classrooms or groups

Unlike a digital reminder, the deck becomes a visible invitation to practice stewardship.

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Why Kickstarter?

Kickstarter allows us to print the first edition of 1,000 decks.

Funding this campaign means we can:

• Produce the first run
• Deliver the deck to early supporters
• Begin seeding the project into communities and schools

If the campaign exceeds its goal, additional funds will support real-world stewardship initiatives through Adventure Acres Foundation.

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About the Creator

My name is Justin Whedon, and I’m the founder of Adventure Acres Foundation, a nonprofit based in Southern Colorado.

Our work focuses on:

• community cleanups
• pollinator habitat
• outdoor education
• citizen science projects

The Stewardship Adventure grew out of a simple question:

What if stewardship wasn’t occasional — but weekly?

This project is my attempt to turn that idea into a practical tool anyone can use.

STRETCH GOALS

If the campaign grows beyond the base goal, we’ll expand its impact.

$6,000 — Campaign Funded
Production of the first 1,000 decks.

$10,000 — Sustainable Production Upgrade
Upgrade printing to a solar-powered, zero-waste facility using vegetable and algae-based inks.

$12,500 — Community Cleanups
Fund two community cleanup events through Adventure Acres Foundation.

$15,000 — Pollinator Garden
Fund the creation of a new native pollinator garden project.

$20,000 — Citizen Science Grant
Launch a small grant program supporting student-led stewardship and citizen science projects.

ENVIRONMENTAL COMMITMENTS

This project is designed to align with the stewardship values it promotes.

Our production plan includes:

• FSC-certified paper stock
• Soy-based inks
• Plastic-free packaging whenever possible
• Sea freight shipping to reduce carbon impact

If the campaign reaches the $10,000 stretch goal, we will upgrade to solar-powered, zero-waste printing.