Camping out on College Green, for a cause

Temperatures were expected to drop to 40 degrees at night, and there was a strong chance of rain.

But the spirits of Penn Outdoors members were not at all dampened as they stood amid their urban campground.

The club set up tents on College Green last Thursday and Friday for its 24-hour camp-out and fundraiser.

With the grill going, a didgeridoo wind instrument playing and a band on its way, members urged passers-by to donate money to the club's charity of choice: the World Wildlife Fund.

There was some trouble with the tents, though, which were not secured to the ground and occasionally blew away.

Penn Outdoors president Sebastian Tonkin said the group chose the World Wildlife Fund because of Penn Outdoors's appreciation for wildlife and desire to give to a politically neutral organization - and because the World Wildlife Fund makes contributions for wildlife protection on a large enough scale that it "makes a real difference."

Tonkin, an avid camper who has trekked terrains as distant as the Yukon in Canada, said that seeing wildlife is "always the best experience of any hiking trip."

Not everyone was sympathetic to the campers' efforts.

"I don't save animals - I wear them as jackets," one passerby said.

While stressing the importance of his cause, Tonkin, along with fellow Penn Outdoors members Seth Anspach and Travis Schlegel, noted the other activities Penn Outdoors offers.

"We go skiing, skydiving, paintballing, hiking, bouldering - you name it," Anspach said.

While there was no impending threat of bears or wolverines invading the campsite, the risk of camping in the heart of West Philadelphia didn't deter the campers, either.

When asked if the group was worried about an assault or robbery, Anspach said that he had no fear.

"I think campus security will do a good job of keeping us safe," Anspach said. "Besides, we are on College Green. If we were on 60th Street or someplace like that, then I might worry."

Rich Cooper, a member of the local Liberty Bell Chapter of the Tearjerker Trailers Group and an expert in "urban camping," wished the campers well.

"Had I known that they were having an urban camp-out, I would have called the gang up and got out the . trailers to add to the fun," Cooper said.

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.