b'In their second year, participants honed their skills inways that challenged, inspired, and expanded theirWilderness comfort zones. They were excited to go on the firstTofino surfing trip since the pandemic, as well as ahiking trip to Bamfield, and a sea kayaking trip to theBroughton Archipelago. In Bamfield, the group hikedSchool to Keeha and Tapaltos beaches and visited the CapeBeale Lighthouseone of the last staffed lighthouseson the Canadian coast. They met the lighthouseGraduation keeper, saw whales, and learned from the rain.The sea kayaking expedition was the last trip that thegroup didand it was incredible, explains lead guideMike Milner, we just had a stellar time. We saw all ofthe charismatic megafauna you would want to see upthere, it was absolutely beautiful. Whales, sea otters,bears - it was pretty special. Our 15th Wilderness School cohort graduated in One of the great things about the Wilderness SchoolSeptember 2024, beginning their outdoor program is that while the trips are highly planned, andadventures with us in the spring of 2022. This was the structure is beautifully laid out, its all built withthe first group to complete the full Wilderness the flexibility to tune the program to the specificSchool program since the pandemic.cohort, says Mike. One group might be a little moreadventurous; another might be more focused on theFor the first year, participants stayed close to home, social side of things. went on lots of hikes, practiced wilderness skills likeshelter building, knots, and fire building, and learned Program guides, Mike, Tess Horner Bourassa, Kylaabout our natural world and their place in it. Schenk, and Myah Rach-Sharpe, noted the amazingParticipants also learned about relationship resiliency and growth of this particular cohort. Whenmanagement, group dynamics, and how to be with we met these kids, they were 12 and they had justand work with one another in the best ways possible. spent the last two years isolated at a time in their lifewhen human beings need to socialize to learn how toFor this groups week-long spring adventure, they be human beings, Mike says. On top of thedid the Juan de Fuca, and ended up going back to impressive technical skills learned, the program sawdo another part of it for their summer trip, hiking these participants make enormous strides innearly the entire trail throughout the program. In socialization, confidence, and connection, andearly 2023, they took their first big trip up to Mount develop the ability to laugh it off when things gotWashington. For many participants, this was their tough. What an incredible last couple of years forfirst experience snowshoeing, and being immersed these youtha huge congratulations to the 15thin such a magical, snow-filled environment. Wilderness School cohort!'