National Get Outdoors Day

6/17/08

June 14 was National Get Outdoors Day, an outgrowth of the Get Outdoors USA! campaign, which encourages Americans, especially our youth, to seek out healthy, active outdoor lives and embrace our parks, forests, refuges and other public lands and waters.

For this event, Wilderness Inquiry took 130 Girl Scouts, parents, and National Park Service staff canoeing on the Mississippi. Lindi Harvey, Deputy Director of the National Park Service, flew out from Washington to participate in this event. Also in attendance was Paul Labovitz, Superintendent of the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area.

Staff Training 2008

6/13/08

Amy Buesker recieves high fives from fellow trail staff during this year's staff training, which concluded on June 7th. The week included a three day canoe trip down the Mississippi River, testing out a new route for future Wilderness Inquiry trips.

See more pictures from staff training!

Board Retreat in the Apostle Islands

The Wilderness Inquiry Board of Directors and their families recently spent the weekend at our new property near Little Sand Bay. They met with local partners from the National Park Service, Northland College, and friends who are helping with development of the new campground that will service our Apostle Islands trips.

Kayaking is for Everyone!

On Saturday April 5th, WI hosted a kayak event in Santa Barbara. Over 100 people tried out kayaks on beautiful West Beach. Special thanks to our friends and volunteers who helped out. Thanks also to Santa Barbara Yacht Club and Alpha Resource Center for providing gear to make the day a huge success!

We love Madison!

Wilderness Inquiry participated in Canoecopia in Madison, WI, March 7th through 9th. Canoecopia is one of the largest outdoor camping trade shows in the United States. This year, the theme was inclusion and sharing the adventure with everyone - so Wilderness Inquiry was naturally involved. This photo shows WI staffers Katie Black and Clif McIntosh demonstrating the rickshaw. It was a great way to get people's attention! Special thanks to Nancy Saulsbury and the Rutabaga team for organizing the event.

WI's 2007 Annual Fund was a Success!

Thanks to the entire WI community for helping us teach our 2007 fundraising goal. Through the efforts our annual fund campaign in the fall, we raised $327,000 to help provide life-changing wilderness experiences for more than 9,900 people in 2007. Special thanks to the 90 volunteers who helped write letters and cards to donors during this campaign!

ALP Applications Now Available

Wilderness Inquiry's Adventure Leadership Program (ALP) is a year-round program for youth ages 13-18. Activities include training, community events, and multi-day wilderness trips. Youth of all backgrounds, interests and abilities, including those with disabilities, are encouraged to apply.
Yearly enrollment fee is $1,200. Financial aid and payment plans are available.

Come to an Open House at WI on April 10th or 12th. For more info and to apply, CLICK HERE!

Official Partnership with Girl Scouts

We are pleased to announce that WI has formed an official three-year cooperative alliance with Girl Scouts of the United States of America. Girl Scouts have been a strong partner for several years already and are currently working on nation-wide inclusion programs. Our alliance between WI and GSUSA includes trip opportunities, training, and resource sharing for participants.

The photo at right shows Amy pulling a WI-designed rickshaw at a Girl Scout training. This easy adaptation helped Erin enjoy her first hike through the woods ever!

WI Helps Build Kenya Classroom

This past summer Wilderness Inquiry helped a small group of students from California arrange a trip to Naro Moru where they helped construct a much needed classroom at the local Secondary School. The students raised their own funds for the trip and the classroom project through a non-profit organization they founded called One Dollar for Life (ODFL). ODFL was founded to address third world poverty by collecting just one dollar from each of millions of US high school students and then channeling those funds into small-scale infrastructure projects in developing countries. Both WI and ODFL are currently discussing plans for future projects in Kenya and other places around the world! Video of the Naro Moru Secondary School project and more info on ODFL can be found on their website at:www.odfl.org

New Apostle Islands Base Camp

Over the last 20 years, the Apostle Islands has become Wilderness Inquiry’s most popular tripping area, allowing us to serve thousands of people with disabilities and low-income individuals and families.

Wilderness Inquiry has now purchased 20 acres of land near Lake Superior and is beginning to develop it into a fully accessible base for our Apostle Islands programs. This property is ideally located, adjacent to National Park Service land at Little Sand Bay and within easy hiking distance (2000 ft) of the lake.

The diagram at right shows the existing cabin at the top, and plans for roads and campsites on the property. We will use the site beginning in summer 2008!

Martha Scanlan Benefit Concert

Martha Scanlan, formerly lead singer with Reeltime Travelers, performed at a benefit concert for WI on June 10th, 2007 at the Cedar Cultural Center. The event was a great success, with over 200 people in attendance. It was an evening of wonderful music, personal connections and fun.

The First Mississippi River Trip of 2007

We took 120 Roseville Middle School students for a trip on the Mississipi in May. This photo shows Greg Lais talking with the students at lock and dam #1 on the Mississippi River.  Lee Friedman, WI’s director of business operations, looks on.  The Ford Avenue bridge is in the background.

Adventure Leadership Program Launches 2007 Season

Participants in the Adventure Leadership Program spent a beautiful afternoon on Lake Phalen on April 28th, launching the 2007 season of program activities. This group of outstanding teenagers worked together to pack gear and load boats at WI headquarters, then honed their paddling skills on the water. We saw lots of wildlife, including an eagle in its nest. Everyone worked hard and a had a good time. Visit the ALP web page for more information about this new youth program.

Puppets and Paddling at the May Day Festival

Wilderness Inquiry had a great day at Powderhorn Park in South Minneapolis at the 2007 May Day Festival on May 6th. Over 600 people joined us to paddle in our 24-foot Voyageur canoes on Powderhorn Lake. Lots of people mentioned that they had never been in a canoe before, and everyone came off the water wearing huge smiles! Wilderness Inquiry loaned some of our canoes for the ceremony flotilla - check out the whimsical decorations in the photo.
This is the first of many community celebrations where you can join WI for canoe rides. Take a look at our Community Event Calendar for more information.

A Thirst for Adventure
REI Supports Outdoor Recreation for All

Like most REI employees, Kris Gulden has a thirst for adventure and an upbeat approach to new challenges. What makes her even more remarkable: the wheelchair she's used to get around since a cycling accident damaged her spinal cord in 1998. A sales specialist at REI Fairfax since 2003, the former triathlete and police officer reflects that "working here has inspired me to try new and different things."

...Read More

Thank you to the generous Vescio Family for a great donation and for great food!

On Friday we took our office staff out to lunch at Vescio’s in Dinkytown. It was a fun way to celebrate the holidays and to say thanks to the Vescio family. They donated $500 to Wilderness Inquiry. We plan to have an annual appeal signers thank you lunch there in January. We highly recommend their fried ravioli and big boy Italiano sandwich...just ask Brian Steines if you're not convinced.

2006 Autumn Blaze Party

The lure of reconnecting with friends, meeting new people and a festive, fall atmosphere was a big draw as more than 100 Wilderness Inquiry supporters gathered for the 2006 Autumn Blaze Party. Held in the Wilderness Inquiry warehouse the crowd found lots to talk about as they mixed and mingled, danced to the country vibrations of Pig's Eye Landing and enjoyed chili and other catered delicacies. The evening highlight was a humorous, thoughtful storytelling session given by Minnesota playwright, Kevin Kling. It was great to see all the familiar faces of trip participants, trail staff and new folks sharing in the Wilderness Inquiry community.

Teeing It Up for Wilderness Inquiriy
- The Great Wide Open -

On Aug 15, 2006, 104 golfers showed their support for the Neil DuBois Fund of Wilderness Inquiry by coming out to the First Annual Great Wide Open at StoneRidge Golf Course. We had a picture perfect day and spirits were high as we raised $21,000 to be used for scholarships to allow more people to experience a Wilderness Inquiry adventure.

Pictured are event organizers John DuBois and Sandy Ives.

Staff Training is underway!

Our 2006 staff training started with a celebration at "Martha's Place", the Wilderness Inquiry staff house. The new staff were welcomed by many, including Catherine Finch, Larissa Sigurdson, and Marilyn Kingman. Mrs. Finch is the Mother of Martha Finch--the woman we named the staff house after. Martha went on many, many trips with Wilderness Inquiry before she passed away. Larissa Sigurdson is our staff house manager and kitchen guru. Marilyn Kingman is a life-long friend of Mrs. Finch as well as the Mother of Wilderness Inquiry Board Member Dave Kingman.

New and returning Wilderness Inquiry staff came together for a great social event at Martha's Place, the Wilderness Inquiry staff house.

Powderhorn Park Mayday Celebration

Wilderness Inquiry offered free canoe rides to the general public as part of the annual Mayday celebration held at Powderhorn Park in Minneapolis.

The beautiful weather drew a large crowd as over 300 people enjoyed a paddle around the lake in Wilderness Inquiry's Voyageur canoes.

Canoe Season off to a strong start.

Wilderness Inquiry's first major event of the season got off to a great start on April 26, 2006.

Over 150 9th grade students participated in a day trip on the Mississippi River. The students paddled 24 foot cedar strip Voyageur canoes designed and built by Al Gustaveson, a Wilderness Inquiry trail guide who is truly an artisan.

Click the link below to download a slideshow of the day's events.

Mississippi River Day-Trip

Wilderness Inquiry featured on
National Public Radio.

Humorist, playwright and Minnesota native Kevin Kling recently participated in a Boundary Waters winter adventure with Wilderness Inquiry.

Click the link below for the National Public Radio Website and a link to listen to Kevin describe his adventure on NPR's "All Things Considered" radio show.

*National Public Radio: Dog Sledding in Rare Company

This broadcast originally aired April 10th, 2006
*Requires Windows Media Player
Click here to download the latest version of Windows Media Player

Ben Whitney named United States Ambassador to Norway

Former Wilderness Inquiry board chair Ben Whitney was recently confirmed as the U.S. Ambassador to Norway. Ben and his family have moved to Oslo where he will work to further relations between the United States and Norway. In addition to his official duties, we're hoping Ben will join us as a trail guide on some of our Norwegian adventures. We are very proud of Ben as he enters this new chapter of his life.

"Feast of the New Year" Party

Wilderness Inquiry staff, volunteers and friends welcomed 2006 with a "Feast of the New Year" party featuring Jaques the Voyageur. Jaques brought his bundles of furs, beads, trade axes and other useful items from the fur trade and gave a wonderful presentation in the WI meeting room. WI staffer Annie Young went wild preparing food and treats for the event. Everyone enjoyed this wonderful evening and we all look forward to an adventurous 2006. We are especially thankful to Jack and Kirsten Driscoll for bringing Jaques and Pierre to Wilderness Inquiry. Look for more in 2006!

On Friday, September 16th The Wilderness Society presented a special "Environmental Heroes" award to Wilderness Inquiry and its executive director, Greg Lais, for his exceptional efforts to protect wilderness in Minnesota. Others recognized for their environmental work were: Janet Green (Duluth, MN), Bill Hansen (Tofte, MN), Martin Kellogg (St. Paul, MN), Darrel Knuffke (Nageezi, NM), Steve Piragis (Ely, MN), Paul Schurke (Ely, MN), and Barbara West (Nageezi, NM),

Other Awards Wilderness Inquiry has received this year include:

• American Network of Community Options and Resources (ANCOR) Community Building Award - This award recognizes Wilderness Inquiry’s leadership in helping to initiate change in communities and organizations that result in persons with disabilities being increasingly valued and included as community members. Based in Alexandria, VA, ANCOR is the national trade organization for service providers for people with developmental disabilities.

• American Association on Mental Retardation (AAMR) Full Community Inclusion Award - This award recognizes Wilderness Inquiry as a model and inspiration for other community integration efforts at the local, state, regional, national, and international levels. Based in Washington DC, AAMR promotes progressive policies, sound research, effective practices, and universal human rights for people with intellectual disabilities.

On July 26th in Washington DC, Wilderness Inquiry and all federal land management agencies renewed a Memorandum of Understanding to promote use of federal recreation lands by persons of all ages, backgrounds and abilities.

Pictured above from left are: Gerald Barnes, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Greg Lais, Wilderness Inquiry, Matthew Hogan, Acting Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Steve Martin, Deputy Director, National Park Service, Ed Shepard, Assistant Director, Bureau of Land Management, John Keys, Commissioner, Bureau of Reclamation, Congressman Steven Pearce, Dale Bosworth, Chief, USDA Forest Service, Congressman Martin Sabo.  Not pictured: Congresswoman Betty McCollum.

Wilderness Inquiry hosted the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the USDA Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the Bureau of Reclamation, the National Park Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the US Army Corps of Engineers. Three years in the making, the MOU reaffirms WI’s partnership with federal land management agencies in making outdoor recreational activities available to all people, including those with disabilities. Honorary hosts for the event included Congressman Martin Sabo, Congressman James Ramstad and Congresswoman Betty McCollum. Congressman Steve Pearce from New Mexico also joined the event. The signing took place on the 15-year anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Special thanks to Janet Zeller, USDA Forest Service, Dave Park, National Park Service, Kay Ellis, Bureau of Land Management, Connie Lanahan, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bruce Brown, Bureau of Reclamation, Judy Rice, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and special guest Kit Callahan, a WI trip participant representing the Northern Virginia Brain Injury Assn.

Signing the Memorandum of Understanding.

Beyond Special Populations in Action

Wilderness Inquiry spent the day at Camp Tanadoona teaching the Boy Scouts how to paddle a 24-foot Voyageur Canoe on dry land!  Foul weather and cold temperatures kept us from hitting the water, but in true Boy Scout fashion, we made the best of the situation and dove into learning the history of the canoes, how cedar strip canoes are made, and paddling basics.  Overall WI staff served 117 Boy Scouts at the Camporee event.  The Boy Scout Camporee is an annual event that joins Boy Scouts with and without disabilities for a weekend of activities. Everyone had a good time, and when those spring clouds part we’ll all be ready to put the paddle to the water!
 
WI’s involvement at the Camporee was a part of Beyond Special Populations (BSP), a collaborative project between Wilderness Inquiry and the Scout programs.  BSP’s mission is to improve the integration of youth with disabilities in Boy Scouting and Girl Scouting organizations and is funded by the Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation.

Thank You McKesson Medical Volunteers

Employees of McKesson Medical joined WI staff to clean the warehouse and prepare boats for the summer season. More than 400 volunteers contribute their time and talents to WI annually. To all our volunteers - thank you! We couldn't do it without you.

Wilderness Inquiry Shares a Meal with Ronald McDonald House

 
Ann-Marie serves hot lasagna, left, while Matt and Lisa scoop ice cream sundaes, right.

Giving back to the community as well-rounded stewards is a long tradition at WI. WI staff and interns recently donated their time and talents to cook and serve a meal for families at the Ronald McDonald House in Minneapolis. RMH provides a home-away-from-home for families with children who have
life-threatening illnesses. The Minneapolis house offers living quarters for up to 48 families.

EUREKA FREEDOM TENT

Over the past few years, Wilderness Inquiry assisted in developing and field testing the new accessible Eureka! Freedom Tent made by Blue Sky Designs. One of the participants who used it had this to say:   "I loved it! It was easy to set up and provided more freedom and privacy than a tent alone could ever provide.

"Eureka's Freedom tent will be available in March 2005 through REI and Campmor.  This tent and other variations were developed with the support of a Small Business Innovation Research grant from the US Department of Agriculture.

The Freedom tent debuted at the Outdoor Retailer show in August, and here's what the Salt Lake Tribune had to say about it: 

"This may have been the top product at the show. It is designed for campers with physical disabilities but would be wonderful for anyone, especially aging people who want to continue tent camping but have trouble getting up off the ground. It has a vestibule for a wheelchair and a separate sleeping area designed with wide windows to ease the transfer from wheelchair to cot. One door has no zippers, but is more like a curtain (a great idea for Utah's desert sand conditions). Others can be zipped from the middle with large loop pulls designed for people with vision problems (or all of us who fumble for a flashlight in the dark). The tent, expected to retail for $399, can be set up by a person in a wheelchair."

Links:
You can find more information about this tent and other designs developed by Blue Sky at http://www.blueskydesigns.us

Wilderness Inquiry Receives Awards for its Work Serving People With Disabilities

We are pleased to announce that Wilderness Inquiry has been selected to receive two national awards in 2005 in recognition of its work serving people with disabilities:

*American Network of Community Options and Resources (ANCOR) Community Building Award - This award recognizes Wilderness Inquiry’s leadership in helping to initiate change in communities and organizations that result in persons with disabilities being increasingly valued and included as community members. Based in Alexandria, VA, ANCOR is the national trade organization for service providers for people with developmental disabilities.

*American Association on Mental Retardation (AAMR) Full Community Inclusion Award - This award recognizes Wilderness Inquiry as a model and inspiration for other community integration efforts at the local, state, regional, national, and international levels. Based in Washington DC, AAMR promotes progressive policies, sound research, effective practices, and universal human rights for people with intellectual disabilities.

Ann and Liv Take on the Arctic

After an intense pack-out right here in the WI kitchen and a grand send-off in St. Paul's Rice Park, WI trail staff Ann Bancroft and Liv Arnesen are well on their way to achieve their most challenging goal yet... crossing the Arctic Ocean on foot.  Yes, they are going to break records again, becoming the first women to ski (and swim!) from Russia to Canada via the North Pole. 

For more information check out their new website: http://www.bancroftarnesenexplore.com.   Bancroft Arnesen Explore (BAE) will bring students (and you too!) along on the Arctic expedition through Ann and Liv's education programs, web updates from the expedition via satellite phone,  and their Journeys Toward Peace Curriculum.

Rice Park send-off
St. Paul Winter Carnival

mmm....BAE crew mixes oatmeal for Ann and Liv's journey...with popcorn butter!

Wilderness Inquiry Fundraiser Nights a Success (And fun, too!)

On three festive nights in October, nearly 100 Wilderness Inquiry volunteers gathered at the WI office and wrote notes to potential donors. WI board members, trip participants, trail staff, and others dedicated four hours each night in our letter-writing campaign in an effort to help us reach our year-end goal of $250,000. WI’s annual year-end fund drive is aimed at raising funds for our integrated outdoor adventures and scholarship program. Contributions allow a diverse group of people—those with disabilities, families, disadvantaged youth—to participate in life-changing experiences. If you’d like to donate and help change more lives, click here.

A special thanks to all our board members, trip participants, trail and office staff, and other volunteers who dedicated their time in making our evenings fun and successful. We couldn't do it without you!

Pacific NW Advisory Board Hosts
Kayak Events.

Last March WI reached out to friends in the Seattle area to promote WI activities in the Pacific Northwest. Both long-time and new WI supporters came together and formed an Advisory Board to conduct events, spread the word and help raise funds in the greater Seattle area.

On September 18th the Wilderness Inquiry was the featured non-profit at the West Coast Sea Kayak Symposium held at Fort Worden State Park in Port Townsend, WA. This event brought together kayak manufacturers and kayak officianados from all over North America to check out the latest gear and attend kayak related classroom courses. Wilderness Inquiry had a booth and hosted a beach event for persons with disabilities and others to try out kayaking. Really neat event--special thanks to Rodger Schmitt, Erica Lewis, several WI trail and office staff, Chris Mitchell and Tom Emrich from TAPS, and Joe Dryden from Eddyline for getting us there.

The next day, on September 19th, Seattle Parks and Recreation and REI hosted a Wilderness Inquiry introductory sea kayak event at Green Lake in Seattle. Dozens of volunteers and well over a hundred folks came out to try their hand at sea kayaking. This was WI's first real outdoor community event in Seattle and it was a great success--largely due to the efforts of our Pacific Northwest crew and other volunteers. Special thanks to Nick Bicknell and friends at Seattle Park and Recreation, as well as Mara and Matt Lynaugh and Marcie Spahi.

These events are just the beginning of our efforts to serve more folks from Washington, Oregon, and British Columbia. As with all WI efforts, the key is committed people who like to have fun outdoors and who want to share that with everyone, regardless of ability or experience.

For more information about the Wilderness Inquiry Pacific Northwest Advisory Board contact:

Marcie Spahi: marciespahi@aol.com
Rodger Schmitt: reschmitt@yahoo.com

Very special thanks to:
Don and Janet Groschel
John Nelson
Sandy Braun
Sally Martin
Jill Schmitt
Amy Carlson
Mara and Matt Lynaugh
Julie Duncan
Jessica Li
Todd Harrison
Christina Lane
Gary Hill
Tamara Olsen
Jen Goree
Kathleen Speers
Tim Rozycki
Nadim Spahi
Mara Listonn
Matt and Mara Lynaugh
Melissa Coffey
Kelder Jacobson
Christine Buck
Anna Sonnerup
Allison Fee
Karen Haas
Thom Hubert
Kaia Tomokiyo
Steven Hudson
Brittany Ng
Tien Vu
Deb Glazer

Board Member Update

Wilderness Inquiry is proud to announce the election of three new members to its board of directors. Kate Hartfiel (left) brings a wealth of experience in the non-profit sector, as well as a long standing history with WI. Dag Von Ruden (right) is Vice-President for AGIA agency. He, too, has a long association with WI through his sister, Sue Grady of Nashville, TN. Bob Ditmore (not pictured) is a Vice president for Specialty Underwriting Services at the St. Paul Travelers insurance Company. In addition to his experience in the insurance industry, Bob has extensive volunteer experience with the Boy Scouts of America. We are also proud to announce that Dave Kingman (not pictured) was re-elected to the board after a brief hiatus from service. Everyone at Wilderness Inquiry is thrilled to have these folks on board!

Biking across America for WI

Trail staff Jenni Mead and Amy Wyman are riding their bikes across America to encourage people of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds to be active in the outdoors. They are building awareness and raising money for Wilderness Inquiry’s scholarship fund. On September 4th they will start in San Francisco and plan to reach Virginia by early November. Click on the following link for journals and picture updates during their adventure!

Beneficial Designs Tests New Canoe Seat with Wilderness Inquiry

Beneficial Designs, a Nevada-based company that develops assistive and adaptive technology, is working with Wilderness Inquiry to design a new universal canoe seat for our fleet of boats. Two Beneficial Designs representatives recently spent three days in our warehouse with WI trail staff testing the seat’s installation process. Later this summer WI will set up day events on area waterways dedicated to testing the seats in a real-world setting. We look forward to a continuing partnership with Beneficial Designs in developing a canoe seat that will make it easier for people of all abilities to participate on our canoe trips!

REI Names WI Volunteer Bob Gregory "Steward for the Environment"

As part of its ongoing commitment to promote outdoor stewardship, Recreational Equipment, Inc. (REI) announced seven recipients of the outdoor recreation co-op’s inaugural REI Stewards for the Environment awards. Making the list of unsung environmental heroes who have made a lifestyle out of protecting some of the country’s most cherished outdoor spaces is WI volunteer Bob Gregory.

Gregory was honored recently at the REI store in Bloomington where he received his Steward for the Environment award from REI staff members.

“Not only is Bob Gregory living proof that wilderness need not be compromised to be accessible to people with disabilities, but he also serves as an inspiration to people of all abilities who dream of experiencing the outdoors,” said Barb Eytinge, manager of REI’s Bloomington store. “He’s a daily reminder that it is not a person’s ability that dictates their enjoyment of life, but their attitude.”

Despite being born with cerebral palsy, Gregory’s extensive track—or trail—record includes places like Isle Royale National Park and Ontario’s White Otter Wilderness. In all, he has embarked on over 35 Wilderness Inquiry adventures throughout North America. In addition, Gregory’s tireless efforts range from wilderness preservation letter-writing campaigns to cleaning tents and stuffing envelopes.

Gregory and six other recipients from across the country will be prominently recognized in REI retail stores nationally with program brochures and in-store posters heralding their volunteer contributions.

Families Integrating Together

Wilderness Inquiry's family program continues to expand year after year. Now with eight different regularly offered family trips, WI has the perfect vacation for you and your family. No matter the age of your family, there's something there for everyone! WI is able to offer scholarships to families with a member with a disability.