Wilderness Inquiry

05/30/2026

Kayak. Read. Connect. 📚

Join Diane Wilson, acclaimed author of The Seed Keeper, for an intergeneration women's reader retreat on the shores of Lake Superior. Paddle sea caves and quiet shorelines together by day, then circle up back at base camp for shared stories and reflection by the fire each evening.

No paddling or writing experience needed—just a love of stories, time outside, and women’s community.

Diane Wilson is a Dakota writer, educator, and bog steward, enrolled on the Rosebud Reservation. She has published six award-winning books as well as essays in numerous publications. Wilson’s work explores seed sovereignty, cultural recovery, and environmental stewardship.

Learn more and book your spot for July 16-19 at the link below!
https://wildernessinquiry.org/trip/apostle-islands-kayak-and-create-series-reading-retreat-with-diane-wilson/



📸- Diane Wilson and Ryan Brady

05/28/2026

As part of our weekly Outdoor Leader Spotlight series, we’re featuring Kelsy O’Morrow (she/her), who will enter her fourth season with Wilderness Inquiry this summer. Kelsy was drawn to our mission of accessibility and began by leading sea kayak trips along the Apostle Islands of Lake Superior. She fell so in love with the region that she eventually relocated to Minnesota. 💙

Since then, Kelsy has led a wide range of programs—from day trips and our Credit Recovery program to extended adventures in the BWCA and Glacier National Park. This season, she’s also stepping into a new role on our Day & Youth team as a seasonal trip director, supporting even more participants and leaders.

One moment she’ll never forget: helping an adult participant learn how to swim in the Boundary Waters during an evening sunset. For Kelsy, that memory captures what she loves most about this work—slowing down, connecting with others, and helping people feel safe and confident in new experiences. "I am grateful to have shared so many growth experiences with the participants in this work," she reflects. ✨

Trip leading comes with its share of surprises, big and small. Through her time with Wilderness Inquiry, Kelsy has grown her sense of organization, positivity, and readiness to adapt—and she credits having a great team alongside her. You can’t always predict what will happen on trail or in life, but the support around you is what matters most. 💚



📸 - Kelsy O'Morrow

05/27/2026

This year, more than 30,000 youth will step into our canoes. Many will be on the water for the very first time, and they will end their day with Wilderness Inquiry feeling braver, more confident, and more connected to nature.

Your generosity makes a big impact, but don’t just take it from us. Read what two 6th graders tell us that they are grateful for, which your gift makes possible:
"Thank you for helping me overcome my fear of canoeing. I learned how to light a fire on the cotton, and how to paddle a canoe, and how to properly hold a paddle."

"Thank you for teaching us many different things. I had fun there, so I might recommend it to my other family members. I think they will like it here. Thank you for looking after us and giving advice to all of us."

Give today to help every student feel that the outdoors is a place where they belong: https://secure.wildernessinquiry.org/forms/sba26_1

05/25/2026

On Memorial Day, we pause to honor those who served and sacrificed—and to stand with the families who carry that legacy every day.

Military Families Outdoors offers veterans, service members, and their loved ones fully supported trips to paddle, hike, and camp together. No experience or gear required—just a readiness to be outside, be together, and breathe a little easier.

If your family is part of the military community, we’d be honored to welcome you on trail or on the water.
👉 Explore upcoming trips: https://wildernessinquiry.org/trip-finder/

Blue Star Families


📸- Ashley Stevens, Roo Way, Corrina Stadler, Aaron Hommerding

05/24/2026

Kayak. Weave. Slow down. 🧺

Spend a long weekend on the shores of Lake Superior paddling to the iconic Apostle Island sea caves in the morning, then learning traditional basket weaving back at base camp with artist Maddy Boler. You’ll work with natural materials, try your hand at simple techniques, learn about local ash tree conservation, and head home with your own hand‑woven basket to use for a lifetime.

No paddling or crafting experience needed, just curiosity and a willingness to try something new.

Your host Maddy Boler operates a basket willow farm and runs basket camps where weaving is central to the experience. Maddy believes that working with materials found in our own neighborhoods helps us practice living in relationship with the earth and deepens our understanding of why these vibrant ecosystems must be protected.

Learn more and book your spot for July 9-12 at the link below!
https://wildernessinquiry.org/trip/apostle-islands-kayak-and-create-series-basket-weaving-with-maddy-boler/



📸- Maddy Boler, Fintan Lethert, and Ryan Brady

05/23/2026

Kayak. Forage. Feast. 🍄‍🟫

Join local forager and skilled outdoorsman Chris Gavin at the Wilderness Inquiry Base Camp in the Apostle Islands for a one‑of‑a‑kind weekend. Spend your mornings paddling to Lake Superior’s sea caves. In the afternoons, hike through the forest to learn to safely and sustainably forage wild foods—such as thimbleberries, serviceberries, and chanterelle mushrooms—and help turn your harvest into shared camp meals.

No paddling or foraging experience needed—just an appetite for adventure.

Your host Chris Gavin is an outdoor skills instructor living near Cross Plains, WI. He has been a serious forager gathering a significant portion of his diet from wild foods for over 20 years.

Learn more and book your spot for July 9-12 at the link below!
https://wildernessinquiry.org/trip/apostle-islands-kayak-and-create-series-wild-foraging-with-chris-gavin/



📸- Chris Gavin, Fintan Lethert, and Ryan Brady

05/22/2026

Feeling stretched thin, wired, or just…off?

In our latest blog, Wilderness Inquiry’s Executive Director, Erika Rivers, shares how a simple 30‑minute walk looking for monarch caterpillars dropped her blood pressure and changed how she thinks about time outside.

Today, scientists call this “nature dosing” — small, steady doses of time outdoors that support our mental health, physical health, and sense of connection.

In the post, you’ll find:
🌱 What “nature dosing” means (in real‑life language)
🧠 Why even 10–20 minutes outside can shift your mood
🏕️ How Wilderness Inquiry’s Pyramid of Outdoor Engagement helps people move from quick backyard moments to deeper adventures
📆 An invitation to join Erika’s challenge leading up to the Great River Race on the Mississippi

Take a few minutes to read it, then step outside for your own dose.
👉 Head to the link below to read the full blog.



📸- Allison Zacardi and Jake Marble

Spending time outdoors can boost your mental health. Learn how “nature dosing," the amount of time we spend outdoors, impacts our health and wellbeing.

05/21/2026

For the next few weeks, we’re spotlighting the people who make Wilderness Inquiry come alive: our Outdoor Leaders (OLs). From national forest expeditions to neighborhood day trips, these are the guides and mentors who keep our trips safe, welcoming, and full of joy. 🌲🚣‍♀️

This week, meet Larry Raineri (he/him), now in his 10th season with Wilderness Inquiry. Over the years he’s done it all—extended trips in National Forests, Minnesota state parks, countless day trips, and four national Canoemobile tours. 💚

One of Larry’s favorite memories: paddling the Mississippi with The Okee Dokee Brothers as they played bluegrass standing in the river, hoisting their instruments as boats sent waves their way. For a self-described “big kid who likes to have fun with games and music,” seeing children’s music and the outdoors so intertwined was pure magic. 🎻🌊

He’s also navigated his share of surprises—late buses, shifting weather, and even a one‑footed goose that kids were convinced was part of the program. Those moments taught him that successful trips depend on adaptability: accepting conditions as they are and making the best decision with the tools and information you have, while still creating a safe, positive experience full of smiles. 😊

And in his daypack? A tiny pirate finger puppet with a beard, bicorn hat, and hook. 🏴‍☠️ A simple toy can become a campfire storyteller, a helper explaining instructions, or a last‑minute character when the bus is late and the schedule’s out the window. For Larry, it’s a reminder that sometimes one playful “something” is all it takes to keep a group engaged and connected.



📸- Larry Raineri

05/20/2026

Spring at Wilderness Inquiry is a season of joyful chaos and boundless possibility. Our Canoemobile tours are launching, welcoming more than 30,000 youth to the water—often for the very first time.

Your support this spring fuels that work. It ensures every student, regardless of ability, background, or comfort level, has a meaningful experience on the water. Right now, you can help provide these life-changing, accessible adventures for thousands. Click here to give: https://secure.wildernessinquiry.org/forms/sba26_1

05/18/2026

Ready to ease into backpacking with a welcoming crew and expert leaders?

Spend four crisp September days in Michigan’s Porcupine Mountains—where waterfalls echo through old growth forest, Lake Superior pounds the wild shoreline, and the night sky still fills with stars. The “Porkies” are a North Woods dreamscape of rugged forest, winding rivers, hidden lakes, and abundant wildlife.

On this guided adventure, you’ll discover backpacking from the comfort of a front country campsite: learn to pack, pitch a tent, dial in trail nutrition, then head out light each day for rewarding hikes that build real skills for future trips.

🥾 Warm up on the Lake of the Clouds trail and take in one of the park’s most iconic vistas.
⛰️ Tackle the Escarpment Trail and Big Carp River Trail for full day hikes with sweeping views of peaks, valleys, and lakes.
🌊 Paddle quiet waters, swim in Lake Superior, and wander the wild shoreline.
🔥 Wind down with campfire conversations, shared meals, and that deep, contented tiredness only a full day outside can bring.

If you’ve been curious about backpacking—or craving a reset in a place that still feels wild—this trip is your invitation.

Tap the link below to start your backpacking journey in the Porkies this fall.
https://wildernessinquiry.org/trip/porcupine-mountains-hike-and-explore/



📸- Jake Marble and Christian Hedstrom