|
|
|
Greg's Journal
|
Greg Lais is the Founder and Executive Director of Wilderness Inquiry. |
| 02/14/2010 |
| The New Year is well upon us, and it’s shaping up to be a good one at Wilderness Inquiry. As I write this, we have trips out to the Boundary Waters, the Bahamas, Belize, Costa Rica and Florida’s 10,000 Islands of the Everglades. Fun stuff! Last week, I was in my office going over priorities with Megan Ihlenfeld when I noticed a white bump on the roof of the townhouse across the street. It took me a while to figure out that it was not just snow and ice—it was a Snowy Owl! That majestic bird sat up there in the sun all day, delighting everyone who had a chance to see it. We took that owl as a good omen for 2010. As I’ve said before, despite the rough economy, 2009 turned out to be our best year ever. This one seems to be on the same track. Happy Trails Greg |
| 12/20/2009 |
| Happy Holidays from Wilderness Inquiry This has been a year for the record books at Wilderness Inquiry. Personally, I was able to get out on 4 extended trips, as well as a dozen or so day trips and workshops. Despite tough economic times, we truly had one of our best years. Some of the highlights include: • Served 13,568 people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities on 321 events. • Launched Urban Wilderness Canoe Adventures (aka the UWCA), with our partners the National Park Service, the Mississippi River Fund, and more. We served 4,000 inner city youth this summer and we’re looking to double that next summer. • Opened our Apostle Islands base camp at Little Sand Bay, and started a new family program there that has been VERY successful. • Introduced over 8,000 people to the outdoors through our outdoor workshop programs. • In a few weeks we are sending Youth Leadership participant Ziggy Norberg to Washington, DC, to represent the Midwest at a new, inclusive youth leadership conference. • Various aspects of WI were featured in the New York Times, The Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Minnesota Public Radio, and other media outlets. Our staff and volunteers worked pretty hard to do this, but we also had fun doing it—getting people out IS our passion. I want you to know how important you are to our efforts. The one concern on an otherwise excellent year is that we are a little behind on our fundraising goal. If you are planning to make a contribution--thank you! You can donate now by clicking on the Support WI tab on the top of your screen. If you are still considering whether or not to give, I want you to know that we really need your continued support--at whatever level--to help us end the year strong. Each gift really is important to us. I also want to tell you about a special situation we are in this year. We have an $80,000 challenge grant from the Frey Foundation. In order to receive this grant, we have to raise $80,000 in new or increased gifts. Your support is vital to our efforts--we really couldn't do it without you. Call or email me if you have questions. Happy Holidays Greg |
| 11/19/2009 |
| I was just looking through trip evaluations from our 2009 trips. There were some great stories in there! Thought I would share a few of them here with you: Staff quality I found the WI trip leaders to be exceptionally competent, knowledgeable and possessing great communication skills. Julia O. Missouri River I wanted to let you know the group of WI staff that you sent on this trip were wonderful. It was because of their knowledge, and ability to make things so much fun, and also their level of energy that the trip went so great. I would definitely go with this staff again. Mary W. Voyageurs National Park I didn't have many expectations of the trip because I had no idea of what I was getting into, my camping and kayaking experiences having been minimal. There was great food, great company and beautiful sites. I'm really glad I went. I was VERY impressed by our group leaders--they were amazing. They were knowledgeable, professional, they took an interest in every camper, I felt very safe under their care and they were a lot of fun. It's great to see people work so hard and show such passion for what they do. I was impressed with the patience and inclusiveness of staff. Great leadership all the way around. They set a comfortable, friendly, and professional tone to the entire experience. Rise V., BWCA winter adventure Apostles I changed my view of Lake Superior. I felt that I discovered her in a whole new way. I didn't know how wonderful it is to be so close to the water, to be literally on the water. Kyoko K. Apostle Islands My first trip with Wilderness Inquiry was fabulous in every respect! But if there has to be one moment to write about, it would be Day 2, sitting in the kayak with one "new" friend and one "old" friend having paddled for an hour and looking up from under one of the sea caves. I saw a rock shelf above me that was covered in a varitey of green hues and shapes, different mosses and ferns...looking like a tapestry woven for the Goddess of Nature! It was stunning, and a lucky few ever get to see it. I felt held up by the safety of the kayak, the love of friends, the strength of Lake Superior, and the expertise of Courtney and Rebecca (our WI guides)! Thank you all. Laurel L., Apostle Islands Halfway back from Sand Island, in the middle of the calm lake, we saw a group of loons. Everyone spontaneously quit paddling and sat quietly while the loons paddled towards us, chattering to themselves, and then away. It was a magical moment. Linda W., Apostle Islands Itasca Family The great staff and well-organized preparations gave us the courage to try getting outdoors with our pre-schooler kids. You increased our confidence and we will definitely do it again. Wilderness Inquiry made a real family vacation possible for us! Peter L., Itasca Family It was wonderful to have such a diverse set of campers. The canoes were a hodge podge of skin colors, countries, ages, and abilities. But everyone bonded over fun challenges like tent assembly and campfire building. It made us want to find that kind of diversity in our own lives. Itasca Family Apostle's base I wanted to tell you about the wonderful experience Diana, Alex and I had on your most recent Apostle Islands family trip. Your new camp is terrific, its design and and camping accommodations are all very well thought out. I also wanted to say that your staff were expectional and represented WI very, very well. Lauren, Liz, and Gunnar handled our group, adults and kids alike, with just the right touch throughout. And then there's Lake Superior...we were able to paddle to the sea caves and the shipwrecks. What a wild experience. Nothing quite like it. Jerry G., Apostle Island Family WI's land is beautiful and well maintained. Beautiful location, and the camping sites were superior (pardon the pun). It's the "Hilton" of camping. I really didn't feel like I was camping. Good pace for children, guides were AWESOME. Nicole, C., Apostle Family trips My daughter ate a thimbleberry after another person in our group said they are safe to eat. It is memorable because the person who told us about this great berry has communication difficulties and it was hard for her to talk, but she is so worth listening to because she knows so much. Plus my daughter's face just lit up with delight at the unexpected, tangy sweet taste of the thimbleberry. I think my daughter will always remember both the berry and the woman who told us about it; I know I will. Elizabeth C. WI trip leaders are very, very good with kids. Mary F. Yellowstone Family Adventure Colorado Horsepack Because I am blind I make audio photos for myself. The horses were so amazing – healthy, happy and each with a character still intact. The care and respect Dave gave them was obvious. I finally got a good recording on my digital recorder of those galloping creatures returning to camp after a night of freedom. I could hear their hooves rumbling rhythmically as they came closer. They were coming directly towards me. I reminded myself that horses (almost always) do not run people over as they split in two groups to go around me. They were less than a yard away! Shirley M., Colorado Horsepack Being on horseback on the continental divide was breathtaking. It was an experience well worth every penny for the kids and myself. Mishele C., Colorado Horsepack BWCA Canoe Trip I remember portaging one of the canoes. The trip leader (Gunner)encouraged me, if I was comfortable with it, to try portaging a canoe and I'm glad he did. Overall the entire trip was a wonderful experience with everyone working cooperatively as a team to help each other set up our camp each day, prepare meals, encourage & support each other's efforts paddling & completing the portages, and having fun getting to know everyone. Sarah C., BWCA 5-day canoe Kenya Getting to know local Kenyans and getting off the touristy path was a great experience. Spending an extended period with the Maasai were some of the more memorable experiences, in large part because they allowed us to feel a bit more socially immersed in the place we were. Mickey K., Kenya We had seen all the animals I had dreamed of seeing except the male lion. We were in Masai Mara, our final game drive, and had only 1/2 hour to go before having to be out of the park. With such a short time to go, I was resolved that I wouldn't see the male lion and felt that my trip was complete anyway. Then a mad dash through the dirt roads, guinea fowl and wart hogs getting out of the way. We approached a large red mound of earth, and atop it was draped a young male lion. We was straight out the The Lion King. My love of cats, and missing my 10 cats at home, I was actually moved to tears. And believe me, I don't cry easily. You could cut my arm off and I wouldn't cry. But that lion. And then, we drove behind the mound, and 3 more bachelor boys were lounging around. What a great experience!!!! John E., Kenya Safari Costa Rica We saw up close hump back and pilot whales, sailfish flying in the air, green sea turtles and a huge fish ball being attacked by hundreds of sea birds and thousands of spinner dolphins. No nature program on TV will ever compare with that sight. Susan W., Costa Rica This was one of the greatest experiences of my life!! Dan T., Costa Rica Dogsled BWCA I accomplished much more than I set out to do. I had never cc skiied, snowshoed, jumped in a hole in the ice or mushed a dog sled - it was all wonderful. I came home empowered! Kim A., BWCA winter adventure |
| 10/26/2009 |
| I was so excited to hear that our friend Kevin Webb is now the Executive Director of the Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation that I had to post here... Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation names new Director posted October 26, 2009 The Board of Directors of the Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation (MEAF) is pleased to announce the appointment of Kevin R. Webb to the position of Director. Webb is responsible for guiding and implementing grant programs and company volunteer activities focused on MEAF’s mission of helping young people with disabilities maximize their potential and participation in society. Webb comes to the position after serving four years as the Foundation’s Program Officer. Previously he worked in the field of international educational exchange, including eight years as Executive Director of a nonprofit in Columbus, Ohio and three years teaching college courses on International Business and Global Cultures. Webb holds a BA in International Studies and MA in Public Administration from The Ohio State University. Webb succeeds Rayna Aylward, who helped found MEAF and served as its Executive Director for 19 years. Aylward recently resigned from MEAF to take a Presidential appointment as Special Assistant to the Secretary of Education. Established in 1991 by the Mitsubishi Electric Corporation of Japan and its US subsidiaries, MEAF has made nearly $10 million in grants to help organizations like the Boys & Girls Clubs of America and Girl Scouts of the USA more fully include youth with disabilities. The Foundation also supports Mitsubishi Electric employee volunteers, who have provided more than 25,000 hours of service to date in the communities where they live and work. |
| 10/10/2009 |
| Our 2009 program season is almost over—we have two more day trips on the Mississippi River, then a couple of sailing trips in the Channel Islands. Last January, when the recession was all that people talked about, we were concerned that we would have a slow year. Boy, were we wrong! This year has turned out to be our busiest ever. I attribute this success to our new Apostle Islands Base, the UWCA program on the Mississippi River, and the fact that WI trips in general deliver great value. Of course, fall means fundraising—it’s time for us to raise about half of our budget so we can continue to provide scholarships, program supports, and other things to keep WI as financially accessible as possible. We work really hard to do that as we strongly believe financial issues are usually the biggest barriers to access. But before we go there, I just want to say thanks to everyone who helped make 2009 a VERY successful year. Our trail staff, interns, full-time staff, volunteers and board members all pulled together to make this a success. It’s a great team of people. Thank you!!! Greg Lais |
| 09/18/2009 |
| Olympic National Park is AWESOME! Last week I had the pleasure of leading a trip to Olympic National Park with Bill Simpson. It was sort of strange to think that we’ve been doing trips together for over 35 years—Bill first took me as a trip assistant to the BWCA when I was 17. It was really a cool trip. Olympic National Park is special for several reasons, but one big one is that it spans several diverse eco-systems in the space of about 40 miles. Starting with the incredibly rugged alpine ecosystem of Mt. Olympus, descending into the Hoh Rainforest, and rolling up to the United State’s longest remaining undisturbed coast on the Pacific Ocean. As soon as you see Lake Crescent Lodge you will know that this place is magical. Two minutes away from the lodge you are walking through old growth Sitka Spruce, Western Red Cedars and Hemlock—towering trees that have been growing since before Columbus discovered America. Olympic National Park is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site, and though it is not as well known as some of its National Park cousins, it is easy to see why. I loved hiking in the Hoh rainforest, but my personal favorite was the hike from Lake Ozette to the Pacific. I’ve always loved walking along the ocean and this is a pristine stretch. Seals, birds, otters and much more live there, and they are abundant—at least they seemed so to me. If you go to this trip on our website in a week or so you will see my photos of our trip. One thing I was reminded of is that taking photos of HUGE trees is tough since there is nothing available to give one a perspective of their size. But let me tell you, the trees are impressive. You will love this trip! Greg Lais |
| 08/15/2009 |
| Wabakimi At the end of July I had the pleasure of doing the Wabakimi trip with my friend Paul Schurke, our boys Peter and Martin, and two wonderful families, the Nelson and the Schmoker clans. It was a great experience, and as usual, we formed our own tribal unit out there. We drove 3-4 hours north of Thunder Bay, Ontario, and started with our friends at Wabakimi Outfitters, Bruce and Margaret Hyer (and Brenda and Burt). I had not done a canoe trip like that in quite a while, so I as a touch apprehensive. But, like riding a bike, it all came back as soon as I unloaded the canoe from the trailer. The landscape was nothing short of fantastic--pristine boreal wilderness on a scale that is hard to imagine. Wabakimi is a 5,000,000 acre park, that's 5 times the size of Minnesota's BWCA. It's also very lightly visited. We did see one other group in the Walleye Kitchen on the Caribou River, but that was it. Caribou Lake was our start, and we went through Smoothrock Lake to the Boiling Sands River. From there, we hopped across lakes with names like Mastodon and Kanaskas and dropped down into the Kopka River Gorge. Stunning, and rugged. Campsites were abundant, and natural beauty everywhere. The walleye fishing was also out of this world--we had several great walleye meals, including Peter's spicy walleye and my dreamed up red curry walleye. I caught a 7-lb fish, but only Bill Schmoker, my paddle partner, saw it as we let it go. Bill will forever be my witness! We had four wonderful girls on our trip, Katie, Maggie, Abby and Lucy. They were 10-11 years old, and they were a delight! It did rain quite a bit, and there were some bugs--and long portages. On the longest portage I went back at the end to find Katie walking the trail through big black spruce trees. I half expected a whimper but instead, she was singing the Phantom of the Opera at the top of her lungs. It was really fun to travel with them, even Paul was impressed. Speaking of Paul, as you may know, he helped to start WI with me 30 years ago. The old trapper still has the magic, and it was fun to do the trip with him. I am looking forward to more. I am writing this from Seattle, and we are about to head out to do the WI Olympic National Park with Bill Simpson, another old trapper and great friend (I met Bill when I was 16, and it is his tripping style that WI emulates to this day). Can't wait!! Greg Lais Seattle |
| 06/01/2009 |
| Staff training started Sunday. It's really fun to meet all the new staff and focus on training, but it is also quite tiring. Today was all about leadership and risk management and our safety policies. Mostly dry stuff but essential to running a safe, high quality program. Our theme for staff training is: Get out of yourself and in to the people. Our staff really focuses on meeting the needs of others rather than buffing their own image or working on their tan. I think this crew gets it--very exciting! Tomorrow is "boat rescue" day at Lake Nokomis. We take every type of canoe or kayak we have, swamp every one of them, and have staff rescue them in cold water, waves, and stiff winds. It really helps to develop confidence, and humility. I sleep better because of it. I think you will really enjoy meeting this new group of staff, as well as many of the "old-timers." Great group of people. |
| 05/17/2009 |
| UWCA With our friends at the National Park Service and the Mississippi River Fund we hosted a canoe trip on the Mississippi River for 80 partner organizations last week. It was a "hands on" demonstration of a project that we are very excited about: Urban Wilderness Canoe Adventure or UWCA. Many people think you have to drive 100 miles to be in the environment. The UWCA is intended to demonstrate that you are "in" the environment the moment you step outdoors--regardless of where you are. With the NPS, the Mississippi River Fund, our goal is to get 10,000 urban youth canoeing the Mississippi River annually. You may have heard that youth participation in outdoor recreation and education activities has really dropped in the last 10 - 15 years. Through the UWCA we intend to introduce thousands of youth to the outdoors--the "wilderness" of the Mississippi River National Park that is literally just a couple miles from their house. Pulling this off requires MANY partners, and fortunately dozens of organizations are interested in doing this with us, including: Aggregate Industries Achieve Minneapolis Minnesota DNR Minneapolis Public Schools St. Paul Public Schools Three Rivers Park District Minneapolis Park District St. Paul Park District Girls Scouts Boy Scouts YMCA St. Paul Riverfront Corporation And many more... We think the UWCA will make a huge difference in the lives of urban youth. For example, we learned that 1/3rd (11,000) of the students attending Minneapolis Public Schools are attending summer school. We plan to get hundreds of these out on the river, and teach them through curricula developed cooperatively between the National Park Service and the Minneapolis Public Schools. You will hear more about this, and the Apostles, ALP, Gateway and other programs we're doing. Oh, yeah, of course we hope you'll join us o a trip to...maybe the BWCA, Kenya, or the UWCA...you have lots to choose from! Greg Lais In my home in Minneapolis 2 miles from the Mississippi River |
| 04/26/2009 |
| It seems like I just wrote in my journal and then when I check a month has gone by. Time goes by fast around WI. I am never bored--even after 30 years! Our new trip schedule is coming out soon, and I am very pleased that our trips have been filling even better than last year. Given the economy and all we had expected a little dip this year, but so far we well ahead of the last 5-years. Lately we've been working on a really cool project with the National Park Service, the Mississippi River Fund, and numerous other partners--the UWCA or Urban Wilderness Canoe Adventures. Our goal is to take 10,000 urban youth per year on canoe trips on the Mississippi River through the heart of the Twin Cities. You may have read that today's young people are not getting outdoors in the same way that we did as kids--as documented by Richard Louv in his ground breaking book, Last Child in the Woods. The UWCA is our answer to that. We want to do an introductory outdoor program right near tens of thousands of teens. If you are interested in this, please e-mail me at: greglais@wildernessinquiry.org Also, click on the link below to check out our Mississippi River Day trips. We do dozens of these each year for schools and groups and families. It's fun, and eye opening. If you do one of these you will never view the Mississippi River in the same way again. http://www.wildernessinquiry.org/destinations/index.php?itinerary=mississippiriverdaytrip Hope you will join us on the trail! Greg |
| 03/16/2009 |
| It's been a busy travel month. Yesterday we returned from "Canoecopia" in Madison, WI. It is a great paddlesports show put on by our friends at Rutabega in Madison. Let me tell you, it was PACKED and people were buying stuff like crazy. I took that as good news for theNow economy. Prior to that I was in Santa Barbara, CA, where we met with our friends Tony, Steve, Cynder, John, Amy and Chuck. We're looking at exporting ALP to California, and they are interested in helping. We all look forward to working with them! Today we met with many folks to talk about the Children's Nature Network and how we can work together to get more kids outdoors. You will here more about this soon. My daughter, Rosie, is home from college and I am going to take a little time off and catch up with her. We may go paddling... |
| 03/01/2009 |
| A sunny February... I took a couple trips in February, to the Everglades and to the Bahamas. It was great to get out and paddle, though it is also nice to be home (even if there is a foot of snow on the ground). The Everglades trip took place in the 10,000 Islands area. Our group consisted of a couple of families, including one of our board members, Tom Nelson, and his daughters. It was a great group of people and we had excellent weather. Trip leaders Robb Rossi and Courtney Van Sant did an excellent job all the way around. We swam, paddled and fished--I caught a 15lb Red Drum (fish) that we ended up letting go. It was quite a battle on my little spinning tackle. Apparently Red Drum are excellent eating. Tom caught a sea trout, which we filleted and ate. While we were fishing, we saw a big brown shape under our canoe. It turned out be a Manatee! That was something to see. After returning home for two days I left again to Great Exuma Island in the Bahamas to do our first sea kayak trip there. We stayed at a nice ocean-side hotel named Peace and Plenty, and did our shopping and such in Georgetown. The Bahamas group was also a great group of people. On the first day, we paddled into the wind to get to Boyse Cay. It was quite a struggle against the wind, but everyone pulled through. We got to camp and the place was strewn with conch shells. Dave Sanders saw a Bahaman Boa. We pent the next few days paddling from cay to cay, camping on huge white sand beaches. We saw no one else, except for an occasional boat. The food was great, the coffee strong and the company excellent. One day, Dave Sanders, Boye Simon and I went snorkeling off Brigantine Cay. Dave brought a homemade "spear" gun made from a wrist rocket. Everyone laughed and told him it would not work. Well, we saw some lobsters and got two of them with the spear gun. I got one. It was really fun! When we came back to camp people were thrilled. Once again, I am reminded of just how fun and rejuvenating it is to experience new things with new friends. I miss all the people I traveled with, having formed a unique bond with every one. I wish them all well. Back to the office on Monday; time to start planning the next new trip! Greg Lais Minneapolis, MN |
| 01/13/2009 |
| Here it is...Bill Simpson's book list from 2008. Many of you have seen Bill reading in his tent at night. These are the books he's read that he is recommending to you! This should be enough to get your book club started! Bill’s Picks - Current Books for 2008 (In no particular order) Nonfiction: 1. The Zookeeper’s Wife Diane Ackerman (2007, 300p.) 2. When You are Engulfed in Flames David Sedaris (2008, 325p.) 3. A Freewheeling Time Suze Rotolo (2008, 375p.) (Early days with Dylan) 4. Dear American Airlines Jonathan Miles (2008, 175p.) (An “open” letter to AA) 5. The Ghost Map Steven Johnson (2006, 250p.) (Cholera epidemic of 1854 in London) 6. Traffic- Why We Drive the Way We Do Tom Vanderbilt (2008, 300p.) 7. The Geography of Bliss Eric Weiner (2008, 325p.) (The happiness quotient by country) 8. Unpacking the Boxes Donald Hall (2008, 200 p.) (Memoir of later life by the great poet laureate) Fiction: 1. City of Thieves David Benioff (2008, 250p.) (My fave for the year) 2. Engleby Sebastian Faulks (2007, 325p.) 3. Tree of Smoke Denis Johnson (2007, 600p.) 4. Cheating at Canasta William Trevor (2007, 225p.) (Short stories) 5. The Right Mistake Walter Mosley (2008, 275p.) (Socrates Fortlaw returns- truly cool) 6. Liberty Garrison Keillor (2008, 250p.) 7. Child 44 Tom Robb Smith (2008, 425p.) (Stalin-era thriller) 8. The Farther Shore Matthew Eck (2007, 175p.) (Milkweed National Fiction Prize) 9. Indignation Philip Roth (2008, 200p.) 10. The Leper Steve Thayer (2008, 400p.) (WWI, on the east side of St. Paul) Crime/Mystery/Spies: 1. A Pale Horse Charles Todd (2008, 350p.) (Inspector Ian Rutledge, WWI British Isles) 2. Stalked Brian Freeman (2008, 350p.) (Duluth setting, third in series) 3. Dark of the Moon John Sanford (2007, 375p.) (Virgil Flowers in SW MN) 4. The Spies of Warsaw Alan Furst (2008, 250p.) 5. Devil May Care Sebastian Faulks (2008, 300p.) (Best Ian Fleming’s James Bond stylist) 6. Swan Peak James Lee Burke (2008, 400p.) (The usual New Orleans characters in a western setting) 7. Phantom Prey John Sanford (2008, 350p.) (Lucas Davenport returns) 8. The Turnaround George Pellacanos (2008, 300p.) (My crime story of the year) 9. A Most Wanted Man John Le Carre’ (2008, 325p.) (His best since the days of George Smiley) 10. Exit Music Ian Rankin (2008, 425p.) (John Rebus heads into retirement, Sioban Clark steps up) Audio Favorites: 1. Lush Life Richard Price (2008) 2. North River Pete Hamill (2007) 3. The Brass Verdict Michael Connelly (2008) 4. Christine Falls John Banville writing as Benjamin Block (2006) 5. The Soul Thief Charles Baxter (2008) 6. City of Thieves David Benioff (2008) 7. Swan Peak James Lee Burke (2008) |
| 12/26/2008 |
| Happy Holidays! Despite tough economic times we have plenty to be thankful for this holiday season. For one thing, with your support, Wilderness Inquiry served 10,007 people in 2008. We are very proud of that as serving people is what we are here to do. If you are one of the people who helped support our mission with a financial contribution, we want you to know how thankful we are for your generosity. Every donation makes a difference. We are also very thankful for our crew of volunteers, board members and staff—the folks who really help us deliver. Sarah Milligan-Toffler, our Associate ED, recently told me that in her 19 years on staff she has never seen a better, more dedicated crew. I couldn’t agree more. We just put the finishing touches to our 2009-2010 trip schedule. If you are on our mailing list you should be getting it by mid-January. We hope you will join us on an adventure in 2009. Best wishes Greg Lais Madison, WI |
| 10/30/2008 |
| A tribute to Mark Murphy! Our dear friend Mark Murphy passed away on Friday, October 24, 2008, after a long and difficult battle with cancer. Though expected, Marks passing leaves all of us a bit stunned. He was a fine man and we are deeply honored that he believed so strongly in Wilderness Inquiry. Mark and his wife, Francine, first got involved with Wilderness Inquiry in 1987 when their son Andrew, then age 17, went on an 8-day wilderness trip to Ontario with us. This canoe trip was a very meaningful part of Andrew’s life. In 1988 Mark and Francine started an endowment fund in Andrew’s honor to make it possible for others to experience the power of a Wilderness Inquiry trip. Mark served on our board of directors from 1999 to 2005. It is hard to overstate the importance of the many contributions of time, talent, and resources that Mark and Francine have made to Wilderness Inquiry over the years. They have helped make it possible for literally hundreds of people with disabilities to have a wilderness experience who otherwise would not have had the chance. Personally, Mark was a great friend and a mentor to me. Within 30 minutes of meeting Mark I learned to trust him completely. I am honored to have known him. Mark’s obituary from the Toronto Globe and Mail is reprinted below: * * * MARK JAMES MURPHY MAY 19, 1941 OCTOBER 24, 2008 Following a long and difficult battle with cancer, Mark passed away peacefully with his loving family by his side at his home in Clearwater, Florida. Beloved husband and constant companion of Francine (nee Lauzon) for 43 years. Devoted father of Andrew (1968 - 1994), Mark, Jeffrey and his wife Andrea and Erin and her husband Jeffrey Barton. Treasured grandfather of Emma, Lauren and James Murphy and Patrick Barton. Dear brother of Neil Murphy and his wife Susan, and Barbara Murphy. Born in Montreal, PQ to the late Walter and Rita (nee Robitaille) Murphy, Mark was sixteen years old when he graduated from high school. He was a proud student of Loyola University (now Concordia). Following his graduation from Loyola, Mark obtained his master's degree in chemistry from Holy Cross University in Worcester, MA, and began a fulfilling career at Johnson and Johnson. Mark and his family lived in Montreal, Toronto, Clearwater, Florida and Skillman, New Jersey before his retirement at the age of 54. Above all else, Mark lived for his family. He enjoyed nothing more than having his children and grandchildren together at the family cottage in Muskoka, or at the beach in Clearwater, and our memories of this time spent together are precious to us. Ever generous and concerned with providing for others, Mark and Francine supported many charities, the most significant being Wilderness Inquiry, an organization which arranges outdoor experiences for both able-bodied and disabled people. Andrew gained so much from Wilderness, and Mark was dedicated to this organization in Andrew's name. In 2001, Mark and Francine established The Bliss House in Bala, ON, which welcomes disabled, non-verbal adults from all over the province and provides a 'northern' experience for those who would otherwise never be able to set foot in a canoe, or witness the beauty of the autumn leaves. We will remember Mark for his generosity, sound guidance, wisdom, beautiful prayers, kindness and strength. We know that our lives will go on without him, but they will not be quite as blessed. We love you, Mark. Cremation has taken place. The family will receive friends at the HUMPHREY FUNERAL HOMEA.W. MILES CHAPEL, 1403 Bayview Avenue (south of Eglinton Avenue East) with details to follow, or please phone 416-487-4523. Funeral mass to be held at BLESSED SACRAMENT CHURCH, 24 Cheritan Avenue (Yonge St. and Lawrence Ave.) on Saturday, November 1 at 12:30 p.m. Interment immediately following the ceremony at Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery, 8361 Yonge Street, Thornhill. Flowers respectfully declined. If desired, donations would be most appreciated to Wilderness Inquiry: The Andrew Murphy Endowment Fund.808 14th Ave. S.E. Minneapolis, MN, 55414-1516 or www.wildernessinquiry.org/murphy. |
| 10/07/2008 |
| We recently discovered that some people are having trouble registering for trips on our website--they enter their state or date of birth and the website does not recognize it. This problem appears to be related to what software you are using as a web browser. Some older versions of Internet Explorer seem to be incompatible with our site. We are working to fix this, but, in the meantime, you might try using a different web browser. We use Firefox by Mozilla--it is free and one of the best web browsers available. It works with any computer and any operating system. To download a free version of Firefox, go to: www.mozilla.com Sorry if you have experienced difficulties. As always, you can call us at 612-676-9400. We would be happy to help you! |
| 08/17/2008 |
| New Ground On our Big Island of Hawaii trip we walked out to see lava spilling into the ocean from the flanks of the volcano, Kilauea. It’s been erupting for a several months now, forcing the closure of several roads and trails due to dangerous levels of sulfur dioxide gases. We drove for a quite a ways on a deserted road through the Puna province on the Big Island. For a while, I thought we might have the place all to ourselves. NOT! When we arrived people were streaming along the road looking for parking spaces. Cars mingled with people walking along the narrow road. There was no shoulder, just darkness, flashlights, and jagged edges of lava from a previous flow. As we approached the trailhead, we were treated to several vendors’ stalls, selling shirts, photographs and the usual assortment. But, what struck me the most was all of the people – hundreds if not thousands – walking the trail at night with little flashlights bobbing along. It was a river of light heading out toward the overlook where the red hot lava meets the sea. Walking the trail by flashlight was a bit treacherous—it required your attention as you were walking over the frozen pools and ridges of a previous lava flow. While walking along, it was impossible not to overhear 200 different conversations. Two men were talking about a business deal, a young couple said that the Wilson’s bought their house for $100,000 more than they did, and some girls were complaining that the lava will ruin their toe nail polish. Oddly, no one seemed to be talking about the lava flow. The river of lava really started high above—you could see it flowing down the mountainside for some time. The cone is called Pu’ u’ O’o, but we could not see it in the darkness. We could see a stream of lava flickering bright red. As we came around we could see where the lava flowed into the ocean, creating a huge cloud of steam. The lava seemed to explode as it came into contact with the sea, shooting bright red jets of lava into the air. It was as impressive as any 4th of July display—more so because we were witnessing a process that is as ancient as the continents themselves—the creation of land. Once at the observation place, everyone stood in silence and watched the display. The full moon rose to cast a new light on to the huge billowing plume of steam. Occasionally, we could see lightning arc across jets of lava above the red glow. Not sure what really causes that phenomena, but it was very impressive. Witnessing the creation of new land left quite an impression on me. Walking back to the car, my thoughts were focused on erosion, tectonic plates and the “hot” spots of Hawaii and Yellowstone. A new island is rising to the east of the Big Island. Perhaps we’ll do trips there in 30,000 years or so. For more info on the volcanoes go to the Hawaii trip on our website. While your at it, sign up for Hawaii—it’s a great trip and a great value. |
| 07/17/2008 |
| Big Island, Hawaii I’ve been in Hawaii for over a week now, checking out new trip options and having a gas with family and friends. Today we hiked to a place called “Mud Lane” near the Waipaio Valley. Despite the unglamorous name it was a very scenic place—and no mud. It was a long down-hill hike through a beautiful forest of huge trees—very impressive. The only thing is, there are many trails and options there so it will take a bit to sort it all out. Tough duty. Yesterday I cut my foot while snorkeling off Makahuna. Some kids were jumping in too close to me and I scrambled to get away. It’s not too serious but a good reminder as to why we have a “wear your shoes” policy! Nothing like a cut foot to slow you down when you are active in the outdoors. It’s been great to be able to leave in the middle of the summer season. Thanks to all of our talented and dedicated office team! Mahalo! Greg |
| 06/09/2008 |
| Staff training just concluded, and we are all thrilled at the caliber and commitment of the trail staff who will be joining our ranks. This is the best group of new leaders I have seen in my entire 30 years at WI! Our staff training is a bit like boot camp. We drilled them pretty good, in the classroom, in the field, and in the warehouse. I was very impressed with the skills they already have and what they learned. I was also quite impressed with their attitude--both individually and collectively. I can\'t wait for them to meet you! |
| 05/26/2008 |
| Last week we held our first ever board of directors retreat at our new property near the Apostle Islands. It\'s hard to believe but this is the first time in 30 years that our board has sat around a campfire together. We hiked and paddled and did all of the usual things. It was really fun. We also hosted a little bar-be-que for friends in the area. Many folks came, including Bob Krumenaker, Superintendant of the Apostle Islands National Seashore, Cindy Dillenschneider from Northland College, and John Nousaine, the Director of the Center for Independent Living in Superior, WI. We also had a little celebration for Myron Lohman from the Town of Russell. Myron has been a friend of WI for many years, and we decided to have a little birthday cake for him. Special thanks to Sally Hedges for making that delicious cake! |
| 04/16/2008 |
| Tomorrow I am giving a slide show on our Belize trip at Wilderness Inquiry headquarters in Dinkytown. It’s been fun to see all the photos again. Hope we have a good crowd. You may notice a new feature on our home page—Trips by Leader. As we get staff members scheduled for trips we plan to put them out there so people can see who is doing what. As you might guess, many people want to go with the same staff member again and again. While this is understandable, and fine, we still want to encourage you to go with new staff members—they are all good! Spring appears to finally be here…need to put the boat in the water soon. |
| 03/04/2008 |
| Irene’s Place Last night we ate at a place in Hopkins, Belize, named Irene’s Place. Like many of the restaurants in this little village by the Caribbean, Irene’s Place consists of a blue room in the front of her house, illuminated by a couple of fluorescent strip bulbs. There are three tables, and we were the only patrons in the place, at least at first. The menu had fish, chicken, and Gibnut, a local small animal that is said to be good to eat, sort of like an overgrown guinea pig. It also had a hamburger and fries, complete with a picture from McDonald’s, as if that would entice us to buy one. We went for the Gibnut. Irene came in, a middle-aged woman of African descent, poised and calm. This place, Hopkins, is a center for Garifuna culture, an interesting mix of diverse cultures brought together by circumstances of previous centuries. Like Irene, the village is serene. It is not a wealthy place, it is a coastal village in a third world country, but people seem very happy here. Irene took our order. Unfortunately, there was no Gibnut available, not in season. We had fish and chicken, which were delicious. While waiting for our meal, out came Amanda, Irene’s 6 year-old daughter. Amanda was not shy, in fact she launched herself among us, singing songs, telling us about her school and, since we were from Minnesota, she drew us pictures of snowmen. Amanda charmed us all and brought us ever closer to this wonderful little village. We had just come in from a day of fantastic snorkeling, hiking to see Macaws and, the day before, Jaguars, but Amanda stole the show. She reminded us all of someone we loved, and in the brief time we were with her we came to love her as well. This is why we travel, to connect to with people and places. I need to do it more often. |
| 02/22/2008 |
| I've been neglecting my journal lately--lots of things going on! Tomorrow I am going up to the Apostle Islands to meet with folks from Northland College. Wilderness Inquiry purchased a 20-acre site near Little Sand Bay, and we are meeting new partners and kindred spirits. Tom Nelson and John Scanlan from our board are coming with Sarah Milligan-Toffler and me. It will be a fun trip. On Saturday I am going to Belize with my daughter, Rosie, to check out a new itinerary for WI. Tough work but someone has to do it! The last few weeks went by really fast. Dogsled trips, Florida's 10,000 Islands, and a bunch of work on databases and websites seemed to occupy our time. Today we had a luncheon for folks who helped with our annual fund appeal. It was really nice--and very cold outside. |
| 02/01/2008 |
| January has come and gone—it went by FAST! We’ve had a couple of dogsled trips go out the door, including one at a bone-chilling -30! No matter, people still took saunas and jumped in the ice hole! We also have a couple of trips touring Costa Rica, where it is a little warmer on the Osa Peninsula. If you are on our mailing list you should have received our 2008 trip schedule by now. It's been really fun to see so many people signing up for trips using our new website. Last but certainly not least, we are very happy that we met our goal of raising $315,000 for our annual scholarship campaign. Special thanks to everyone who helped out with that. It is really a very significant undertaking, and one that truly helps us meet our mission of “Sharing the Adventure” with everyone. |
| 12/21/2007 |
| It has been a great year at Wilderness Inquiry! - We served nearly 10,000 people, exceeding our service goals for the year. We are very proud of the fact that we have touched so many people this year. - Our inclusive youth leadership program continues to grow. We doubled the size, and results from a study conducted by the U of M show that our youth programs are effectively integrating youth with and without disabilities, teaching leadership skills, and instilling social competence. - We increased partnerships with a number of organizations to better reach under served populations. Partners include Dakota Woodlands, Neighborhood House, Groves Academy, Center for Victims of Torture, the City of St. Paul, and many others. If you haven't already, I hope you will consider making a tax-deductible contribution to support our annual fund. We are 70% toward our goal of raising $315,000 by year end. Go to the support WI tab on our website and help us reach this important goal! Best wishes for a happy and healthy new year, Greg Lais |
| 12/15/2007 |
| New Trips! Our 2008 trip catalog will be sent out soon to people on our mailing list. We are really excited about some new trips we’ve lined up for 2008. Check out: Bahamas Sea Kayaking http://www.wildernessinquiry.org/bahamas Alaska’s Prince William Sound Sea Kayaking http://www.wildernessinquiry.org/princewilliamsound Boundary Waters Canoe 7-day http://www.wildernessinquiry.org/bwcacanoe7 If you are not yet on our mailing list you can join for free by going to: http://www.wildernessinquiry.org/contact_us/mailinglist.php We still have a couple of openings on our 2nd Costa Rica trip, our 4th Hawaii trip, and our BWCA Women’s winter trip. You can get to those trips by clicking on our maps. Hope you join us! Greg |
| 12/10/2007 |
| It’s cold and snowy—finally! This morning I took an early walk around Lake Nokomis with my friend Rolf Thompson. It was a treat to see the winter landscape. We stopped to look at three huge willow trees—all of their branches, wasp nests, and squirrel roosts exposed. Without any leaves, it seemed like their secrets were laid bare for all to see. Transparency is an interesting thing. At Wilderness Inquiry, we strive for it. Whether it’s the mechanics of a trip or the details of how we use a donation, we prefer to have you to know exactly what’s going on. In that vein, we have been working for some time to improve the “back-end” of our website—the database driven portion. We’ve upgraded the software to a more robust and up-to-date version that will result in fewer crashes and more flexibility in maintaining content. Of course, our financial transactions have always been secure but we’ve enhanced that portion as well, doing things like auto-deleting sensitive information when we no longer need it. All good stuff that, if we are successful, you should hardly notice! That said, there may be some quirks and blips that you may notice—especially if you are used to our site and how it functioned before October. If you spot any, or if you have any suggestions for our website, please e-mail us and let us know—your feedback on our site is VERY helpful. Send your e-mail directly to: andywalz@wildernessinquiry.org One of the issues of our updating is that I’ve not been able to easily update my journal, which is why my last entry was in October. So, I hope you don’t mind if this one is a little long because there are many, many other things going on at WI these days. Briefly, they include: • Our 2008-09 Trip Catalog is at the printer. If you are on our mailing list, you should receive it just before January 1st. You can join our mailing list by going to: http://www.wildernessinquiry.org/contact_us/mailinglist.php • We’ll be adding more trips to our website soon—great trips, including Prince William Sound, a Bahamas kayaking trip, and a longer BWCA canoe trip. • Our annual fundraising campaign for scholarships and support is in full swing. Many people have been very generous, but we still have to raise $140,000 more before year-end. If you wish to make a donation you can on-line by going to: http://www.wildernessinquiry.org/support_wi/donate.php • This week we surpassed our goal of serving 9,600 people in 2007—so far we’ve serve 9,628 folks with a few more to come before year-end. We are very proud of that!! That’s a short re-cap of things. I’ll fill you in on more over the next few weeks. Overall, 2007 has been a very good year, and we are looking forward to 2008. Please stay in touch and have a happy holiday season. Hope to see you on he trail! Greg |
| 10/07/2007 |
| Several new staff started this week--Greta Arnquist, Molly Gottsacker and Clif McIntosh. Actually, they are not new--they have been trail staff for some time and have a wealth of experience with our trips. What is new is that they are joining our full-time team--we are very excited to have them all. One of the benefits of being involved with WI is that you get to know wonderful people like Greta, Molly and Clif. For me, it's a little odd now as I am the same age as their parents. Still, it's a joy to work with such talented, committed, positive people who care so much about what they do. I hope you'll stop in and meet them! |
| 09/15/2007 |
| Today is the 17th Anniversary of Sarah Milligan-Toffler’s start date at Wilderness Inquiry, and I want to publicly thank her for all that she has done. Sarah is our Associate Executive Director, and yesterday she sent me a note thanking me for taking a chance on her when she was just 25 years old. I have to say, “Sarah, THANK YOU for taking a chance on WI, and for all you have done to build this organization into what it is today.” I will never be able to do justice to all that Sarah has done—from raising millions of dollars to developing our wonderful database system; Sarah has been vital to our success. I am continually amazed at how much she gets done in a day. As Craig Peterson, our board chair said to me this past Tuesday, Sarah makes me look really good—thank you Sarah! In addition to her many talents and incredible work ethic, Sarah has contributed something that goes above and beyond the collected list of her many accomplishments. Over the last 17 years Sarah has always been there to boost our spirits in times of difficulty, and to keep us focused on the things that matter most. Simply put, her belief in us has made a huge difference over time. That’s worth more than gold. Thank you Sarah, for making Wilderness Inquiry and the world a better place! Best wishes to you, Jeff, Jacob and Honey! We can’t wait to start the next 17 years on Monday. |
| 08/31/2007 |
| It's the last day of August, and as I write this our staff is packing in the biggest trip we've ever done--over a hundred people on a 5-day trip. Of course, we split the groups into smaller sub-groups. Still, it is a significant logistical undertaking. Kudos to our crew--they did an outstanding job. I've received many GREAT notes and letters of late--full of wonderful stories and important life lessons. I especially liked the one from a father named Steve. He wrote: “A few days into our Wilderness Inquiry Yellowstone trip my ten year old daughter turned to me and said, ‘Daddy, our group members with disabilities are having so much fun. They must feel like they are the same as us on these trips.’ I was a very proud father to hear her articulate that!” As a father myself I can relate. One of the things I am very proud of is that my own children--both teenagers now--are completely accepting of others regardless of disability, race, religious beliefs or all the other things that sometimes hold us apart. I do credit Wilderness Inquiry experience for much of that attitude. My kids have been fortunate to meet people from all walks of life. They've learned that superficial things like disability or skin color are really rather meaningless in determining one's character. It's good to hear that Steve's daughter is getting that same lesson. |
| 08/17/2007 |
| I am writing this from Anchorage, Alaska. We just completed our first "pilot" trip to Prince William Sound. What a place! The scenery is fantastic and the wild life abundant. Salmon were literally jumping everywhere. We paddled to the Chenega Glacier and navigated through icebergs that had calved from the face of the glacier. The glacier is huge--the face of it is at least 100 feet high. This trip was a joint effort between WI and the USDA Forest Service, which manages the Chugach National Forest. We're excited to work with them to work with them to do more trips to Prince William Sound. |
| 08/02/2007 |
| We've received many calls and e-mails from people who know how close we are to the I-35 W bridge that collapsed--the bridge is only a few feet from the freeway exit to Wilderness Inquiry. So far, all WI staff, volunteers and interns have checked in OK. We've heard several stories of people who had just passed over the bridge or who were about too, but amazingly no one here was involved nor do we know of anyone who was. Of course, the names of the victims have not been released yet, and we fear that more cars were thrown into the river or crushed by concrete. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families. Thank you all very much for your concern! |
| 08/01/2007 |
| The bridge over Interstate 35W collapsed into the Mississippi River a few hours ago--a bridge I usually cross twice a day. Today, just by chance, I decided to ride my bike to Wilderness Inquiry with fellow staffer Amy Sandeen. I rode my bike over to the area, about a mile from WI headquarters. It was unbelievable--massive destruction. The smell of burn and pulverized concrete was pretty thick. Thousands of people were flooding into the area so I took off and rode home. Watching it on the news was strange--it looked a lot smaller, almost unrecognizable. We are worried for all the people who fell--commuters, construction workers, and the people down below (a train was crushed, as well as cars and commuters on West River Road. I know this entry has little to do with the joys of wilderness tripping, but that disaster struck very close to home. If you are traveling to Wilderness Inquiry from the south, you will need to take an alternate route. Check the contact us section and we will give you directions. In the meantime, ride your bike more often, and think of the unfortunate people who were caught in that sudden tragedy. |
| 07/27/2007 |
| It's been hot in Minneapolis--great time to head out into the Wilderness! Yesterday our Wabikimi trips left. We have about a dozen trips out today--it's quiet in the warehouse. Malena and Aaron are here packing out for the Big Salmon River trip. Should be a great trip. |
| 07/13/2007 |
| Hard to believe a month has gone by since my last entry--time does fly when you are having fun. Many trips have come and gone in the last few weeks and we are very happy with our season thus far. Tomorrow is a big day--probably one of the biggest service days ever in the history of Wilderness Inquiry. In addition to trips taking place from Montana to Kenya, we have two big paddling events at the Minneapolis Aquatennial and the St. Paul Dragon Boat festival. In addition to organizing trips I've been planning a sea kayak trip to Prince William Sound in Alaska--leaving in August. It is a spectacular place, and we hope to do more trips there. I've been looking at pictures of the glaciers and, while still impressive, it is distressing to see how much they have retreated in the last 50 years. There are still a few trip openings left. We hope you will join us! Greg |
| 06/12/2007 |
| Staff training is over, and we are really excited about some of the new folks who have joined our team--best group in years. Our trail staff are the people who deliver memorable wilderness experiences. We are excited to have you meet them. On Sunday night we had a great benefit concert by Martha Scanlan, Trevor and Travis Stuart, and Amy Helm (daughter of Levon Helm from The Band). They were excellent. Really great people and extremely talented musicians. Thank you so much Martha, Amy, Travis and Trevor! As for me, I've been working pretty hard myself but now that our summer is pretty well set I am going fishing! Each year for the past 7 years Paul Schurke, WI's co-founder, and I have taken our sons fishing in Ontario. It's a great tradition and I can't wait. Even our 15 year old sons are excited, and that's saying something. See you in a week! |
| 05/28/2007 |
| Our office is a buzz with preparations for the summer season. Staff training starts in a week. It's really fun to see our new staff meet our returning staff and watch new friendships grow and develop. We have a really great group of people. I know you will be impressed with them on your trip! I just received an e-mail from a friend, Bonnie, about her Mother, Bernice. Bernice went on many of our trips and her spirit of adventure was contagious. Since it is Memorial Day I wanted to share Bonnie's comments with you. _________________ Hi Greg, Mom passed away last week and she was vital to the end. Want to thank you for all the wonderful trips with Wilderness Inquiry. There is not one thing that could have enriched her life as much as those adventures. There were 18 of them, and she kept the rosters to prove it. As I will say at her celebration, Wilderness Inquiry offered Mom experiences to match her lifelong love of adventure, nature and meeting and getting to know other people. Our deep gratitude. Here is what I am going to say at her service: "Mother enjoyed her 17 years at Northern Lights where she received assistance from many, many wonderful caregivers. She began a new passion. Camping, canoeing, kayaking and dogsledding through Wilderness Inquiry. Wilderness Inquiry is an organization that takes able bodied and persons with other abilities to wilderness areas. All in all she took 18 trips, from 1988 to 2002. It was hard to believe she did that many, beginning when she was already 68 years old, and her last one at 82 where she was joined by Jason and Sherri on the St. Croix River. Wilderness Inquiry offered Mom experiences to match her lifelong love of adventure, nature and meeting and getting to know other people." Warm regards, Bonne |
| 05/17/2007 |
| Some folks have called about the Ham Lake fire off the Gunflint Trail in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. We are watching the fire closely and we are concerned for our many friends who are in the area. However, we do not anticipate having to cancel any Boundary Waters trips conducted by Wilderness Inquiry. Despite its size, the Ham Lake fire did not burn any of the areas where Wilderness Inquiry travels. We do have some trips in June leaving from Sagagnaga Lake at the end of the Gunflint, but the fire was south of that area. You can safely go ahead and register for a trip in the Boundary Waters. If you are already registered, do not worry. Our trips leave from areas that are far removed from the Ham Lake fire. If we have any concerns about our ability to operate we will be the first to let you know! Many of you know about Camp Menogyn on West Bearskin Lake. Fortunately, the fire did not touch Menogyn. We'll keep you posted! Greg |
| 05/01/2007 |
| May first is already here! Time does fly when you are having fun. I'm about to head out for a walk around the lake with one of our board members, Jim Langdon. Jim is a partner with the law firm of Dorsey and Whitney. We really appreciate his help and support. Our trip schedule was mailed out last week--if you are on our mailing list you should receive it any day now. If you are not on our mailing list, click on contact us and join it--there is no cost to you. It's just too beautiful outside...time to go. Greg |
| 04/09/2007 |
| It's fun to launch our new website--we put a lot of work into it. Hopefully you will find it easy to use. We've done a lot of "behind the scenes" work to make things easier. For example, now, if you are registering your family or spouse, the website will automatically pump in contact info and allow you to pay for everyone at once. In coming weeks we will add more functionality, like confirmation packets and equipment lists on-line. Of course, there are always typos and glitches when you launch a new system. If you find any, please let us know--we'll send you a WI cap for the trouble. Hope to see you on the trail! Greg |
| 04/02/2007 |
| I have many things to be thankful for, and I want to share one of them with you. I love the crew of people I work with at Wilderness Inquiry! I've said it many times, but I need to say it again--WI staff are among the best, brightest, most compassionate people on Earth. It is an honor and a pleasure to work with every one of them. A few weeks ago a wonderful man named Lee Friedman joined our team as the Director of Operations and Business. Prior to joining Wilderness Inquiry he was a partner in the law firm of Briggs and Morgan, where he practiced employment law. Lee and his wife, Amy, and their two boys live in Golden Valley. Lee is quick, precise, and after working with him for a few weeks I can tell you he has a great work ethic--whatever it takes. He's also a great writer and editor--if you find fewer typos on our website it's largely because of him. Lee is one of the reasons why I am excited to go to Wilderness Inquiry every day! |
| 03/24/2007 |
| Finally, after a lot of work we've re-launched our website. It just went live a few moments ago. Our hope is that you will find this site much easier to navigate. Over the next couple of weeks we will continue to develop the site, adding features and making things even more convenient for you. One new feature I hope you'll like is Tales from the Trail in the news section. You'll be able to read stories from our trip participants--and upload your own. Our goal is to build in much more of this sort of thing. Many people worked hard to re-launch this site but three people in particular stand out. Dave Schelter is a gifted web tech. He does wonders with code--we love him! Jocelyn Goldaide is our graphic artist. The look and feel of the home page is all her. Last but certainly not least, our Andy Walz proved to be the lynchpin of this effort. His vision, hard work, innovation and attention to detail are without equal. I hope you enjoy the fruits of their labor! |
| 03/09/2007 |
| We're busy preparing to launch our new and revised website--in a few days you'll find a fresh look and an easier interface to get to the many levels and layers of our site. Stay tuned... |
| 02/21/2007 |
| Hola! Our Costa Rica trips for 2007 just finished up. It's been GREAT to hear all the rave reviews from the folks who went. Below is a letter from Richard R. from Union City, California. ________________________________________________________________________ To Greg Lais and staff of Wilderness Inquiry, I want to thank Wilderness Inquiry for offering such an exciting hiking and exploration adventure to Costa Rica. The people, food, culture and active outdoor activities provided me the opportunity to learn and engage in a meaningful vacation in a place that I have never ventured to. This trip offered me the opportunity to snorkel for the first time, hike rugged terrain and at the same time be told of the plants, animals and insects roaming the part of the country. Costa Rica also provided me with a taste of a new culture that I had not previously known much about. Tom and Amy Gode, our trip guides were by far some of the best group leaders I’ve ever known to facilitate a trip. They were patient, kind and offered assistance to me and others when we needed it. As a person who has limited vision, they offered detailed descriptions of the scenery while in transit for location to location, while in the boat traveling to Poor Man’s Paradise and while on those long and exciting hikes. Both Amy and Tom worked to make this trip a meaningful experience. They worked tirelessly each day providing options for the days events and guidance on many aspects of the culture. I can not see a better husband and wife team taking Wilderness Inquiry travelers around their new home country and introducing people to the country’s simple and yet generous culture. Although it isn’t the most exciting thing to write and brag about, two of the things that stick out the most on my trip with Wilderness Inquiry included resting at the end of the day in a hammock watching the sunset Oceanside. The other was being among our group and challenging ourselves to speak in the native tongue to order food and engage in basic conversation with the locals. I consider myself an avid traveler who will try just about anything once. As a matter of safety, I prefer to travel with groups of people with like minder enthusiasm and organizational philosophy of the environment, yet wishing to put myself to the challenge in experiencing the outdoors in many different ways. This has been my sixth trip with Wilderness Inquiry and there is no doubt in my mind that I’ll be back some day. Perhaps New Zealand is next? Thank you Greg and thank you for bringing on Tom and Amy to lead this trip. Because I would like others to have the positive and meaningful experiences that I had on such trips, I am enclosing a donation in the amount of $75.00. I would like to ear mark this donation to go to support scholarship and or events for youth and or youth with disabilities as supported by Wilderness Inquiry and its own mission. I trust that it will go to good use. Respectfully. Richard R. |
| 01/25/2007 |
| In addition to our trips, we do many other community based programs, for youth, students, new immigrants, seniors--you name it. Our goal is open hearts and minds through outdoor adventures. Just today we received the message below from a charter school we work with. We love getting these sorts of messages! _____________________ Brian - another great success! Andrea and I and the staff here are so appreciative of the opportunities you have prepared for our community. Each event allows different settings for the teachers/students to work together and has had such a positive impact on school success afterwards. We have been trying since Septemeber to fill the 15 person slot and for each event have reached only 9 or 10 kids and today we were still anticipating 15 at the absolute best, but they all came in with such excitment and motivation - it was great to see. I appreciete your flexibility in allowing the group to get so big and operating on last minute information. Our campers were happy to see Lollie and it was nice having a familiar face there and the two new women I met today were really helpful and positive and really good with our students. Everyone is exhausted and totally fatigued from climbing. I can always tell a true success when the students don't swear, don't ask to use their headphones/cell phones or complain about how much longer until we leave. None of that happened today! They were all engaged and great behavior! So - thanks again for everything and have a great weekend........ -Jennifer |
| 01/18/2007 |
| Here is an e-mail I just received from a couple that went on our most recent Kenya trip. It speaks for itself! _____________ Jambo Mr. Lais: I want to thank you and your staff for offering one of the best travel adventures that I’ve ever had the good fortune to experience. My husband and I consider ourselves seasoned travelers who enjoy learning about new cultures and countries. WI’s trip to Kenya was well planned, well rounded with both challenging and relaxing encounters, and consistently full of new, exciting experiences. We learned so much about the Kenyan people, their ways of living, their beliefs, their exceptional fauna and flora, and their incredible drive to improve the economy while maintaining the “soul” of Kenya. Rarely have we felt such an honest connection with a country and its people. You can be assured that we will tout our WI experience to many friends and colleagues. We will also continue to monitor the WI web site for new adventures (particularly those organized by Andy Walz) and future trips to Kenya, a country that we’d like to return to again and again. Thank you again for offering real-life adventures that I believe, in their own poignant way, help to bring our world together. Sincerely, Sam & Greg |
| 01/13/2007 |
| Our trip schedule is out and we’re thrilled to see so many people signing up for trips! It looks like 2007 is off to a great start. In early February we are planning to re-launch our website. We are all very excited about this as it should make it much easier for you to navigate. One thing we’ve discovered is that many folks are not able to find all of the goodies on our site, in part because they have to click several layers deep. Our new site should be easier to navigate. I am also very happy to announce that we raised $319,387 for our Annual Campaign, surpassing our goal of $315,000! Our Annual Campaign raises funds for scholarships and supports so that people who need financial assistance to go can get it. A special thanks to everyone who made a contribution. It really helps. |
| 01/01/2007 |
| Happy New Year! Morning came today with a blanket of fresh white snow and bright sunshine—a welcome relief after weeks of grey and rain. I’ll take it as a good omen for the upcoming year. One of the brighter spots of 2006 is that Megan Bartell joined our full-time office staff a couple of weeks ago. Megan started with us as a trip leader last summer. After an internship with our friends at Youth Frontiers, Megan is back answering phones, correcting addresses on our database, and generally keeping our office going. In addition to being a delightful, upbeat person, Megan is very responsible—follow-through is her forte. Say hello to her next time you call! We’ve made a number of important changes to our website over the last few weeks. Most recently, we added transportation options for getting to the starting point for our trips. You can also see how many openings we have left on each trip. These changes should help you as you decide which trips to go on—please let us know. Everyone at Wilderness Inquiry is excited about the upcoming year. Please contact us if we can answer any of your questions. Hope to see you on the trail Greg |
| 12/21/2006 |
| Winter Solstice It’s the shortest day of the year, and the holidays are right around the corner. Our new 2007 – 2008 trip schedule is now ready for distribution. If you are on our mailing list you will receive a copy around the first of the year. If you are not on our mailing list I encourage you to sign up by going to the “Contact Us” section of our website. This has been a good year for Wilderness Inquiry. Most importantly, we served over 9,222 people on 316 events. All of us at WI are proud of that. We also launched a youth leadership initiative, called the Adventure Leadership Program (ALP), which surpassed our expectations in every way. This fall we began a strategic planning process to chart the course for the next 5-years. These are a few of the things we’ve been doing this year. This time of year we are fortunate to get many contributions and letters from people who have been touched in some way by Wilderness Inquiry. The quote below came in the other day from a person who went on a trip this year: "I have a greater understanding of others with differences--not disabilities. We are all fabulous, talented souls and we each have an 'exterior' that needs to be looked through to see the great, interesting person that we actually are." I couldn’t agree more. As you celebrate the holidays I hope that you will better appreciate all of the fabulous, talented souls sitting around your table. Talk to them about Sharing the Adventure together in 2007! Greg |
| 11/29/2006 |
| On our recent Channel Island trip I had the pleasure of traveling with a wonderful woman named Kris. She traveled to California with her mother, Lana. It was truly a treat to be with both of them. After her trip Kris sent a letter to one of her colleagues—she happens to work at REI. The letter was so good and so right on that I wanted to share it with you. Thanks Kris! Letter from Kris G: Prior to sustaining a spinal cord injury in 1998, I was a police officer and a competitive triathlete in Alexandria, Virginia. I became a member of REI in the early 1990’s, and bought much of my gear for triathlons, work, and other outdoor pursuits at REI. After my injury I retired from the police department, and started working at the Fairfax REI when it opened in the summer of 2003. Last year I went on a three - day sea kayaking and camping trip in the Apostle Islands with Wilderness Inquiry. I was apprehensive about being in the wilderness for three days. I wasn’t sure how I would get my wheelchair into and out of a tent, I wasn’t sure how, or where, I would go to the bathroom, and I wasn’t sure how much I would be able to participate in a trip that was cooperative in nature. I knew I wouldn’t be able to help load and unload kayaks, I knew that limited function in my left hand would make it difficult for me to help with food preparation, and I knew that limited torso strength and balance would make me a weak paddler. In short, I felt like I would be more of a liability than an asset to the group, yet I wanted to go. What an experience it was! The Wilderness Inquiry trip leaders were so skilled. They were respectful of my needs without doting on me. They found jobs for me to do and used my abilities in a way that made me feel a part of the group. Their level of preparation, and the coordination and logistics that went into the trip were impressive. Everything turned out right – the scenery, the food, the weather, the cohesion of the group. I could not have asked for a better experience. With fond memories of the Apostle Islands trip, I searched the Wilderness Inquiry web site a month ago and learned about an upcoming sailing and sea kayaking trip to the Channel Islands. When I called to ask if there was room for a paraplegic on the trip, and if it would be possible for me to live aboard the sailboat for thee days, there was no hesitation in the answer. I was welcome to come along. From my perspective, Wilderness Inquiry’s maiden voyage to the Channel Islands was an overwhelming success. We sailed out of Santa Barbara on Friday, October 27, and returned on Sunday, the 29th. We kayaked with sea lions and pelicans, saw starfish resting on rocks, and explored sea caves. We hiked a portion of Santa Cruz island, and again, the teamwork that identified my first Wilderness Inquiry trip was evident. The terrain would not have been possible for me to cross in my wheelchair, so the group created a rickshaw by attaching a single rope to the frame of my chair. People took turns pulling me up the twisting, rocky, singletrack, so that I, too, could enjoy the view of Santa Cruz’s coastline, and neighboring Anacapa island. I know that I am part of a group whose circumstances are often overlooked when it comes to participating in recreational activities, particularly those that take place outdoors. That is why I am so thrilled to be a part of this, and also that REI supports Wilderness Inquiry, an organization that means so much to me. Sincerely, Kris G. |
Privacy Policy | Site Map | Intranet Login