When you think of Wilderness Inquiry, it’s hard not to draw a connecting path to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) — as that’s where it all started. Our organization’s history is tightly coupled with that of Minnesota’s iconic natural wonder, where our first and founding trip took place in 1977. In the years since, more than 7,500 people have explored the lakes and portages of this premier wilderness with us.
Decades later, not only is the BWCAW the most-visited federal wilderness area in the United States, but it remains — alongside the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore — the most-frequented trip location for our organization. From youth to families to adults, neurodiverse to LGBTQ+ to disabled populations, generations of people have adventured with us to this uniquely precious place.
Growing Together with Military Families Outdoors
As we continue to bring people to the BWCAW, growing inclusive outdoor opportunities remains core to our mission. That’s why, starting in 2024, we were proud to add a new ripple to this long history of adventure in the Boundary Waters with our Military Families Outdoors (MFO) partnership. The MFO program is administered by the Defense Health Agency and the National Park Service, and was launched with resounding success in close collaboration with nonprofit partners including Blue Star Families, Wilderness Inquiry, Armed Services YMCA, and The Center for Health & Nature. MFO seeks to create stronger and more connected military families through low-cost, high-impact, nature-based experiences that foster community and encourage healthy lifestyles.
Perhaps no place is better suited for this than the Boundary Waters. The beautiful, quiet, and pristine nature of the BWCAW offers military families the perfect setting to reconnect and de-stress. Since the launch of MFO, we have led eight dedicated MFO trips to the BWCAW, and have brought 150 military family members to experience the magic of a canoe adventure in this truly special environment.
Most recently, in early August, seven individuals from three different military families came together for five days of paddling, camping, swimming, and exploring. According to Wilderness Inquiry Outdoor Leader Gabe Mianulli — the Primary Leader of the trip — many of the adventure’s most memorable moments did not come from the activities themselves, but from the bonding that arises from that time spent in community.
“A highlight for everyone was watching the two kiddos on our trip, who were 3 and 4, and had never met before, become instant pals,” he said. “It was also a joy to see both moms bonding with their kids. We heard a lot of heartwarming exclamations of “I love you, Mommy!” throughout the week. And there was lots of great laughter shared by the group too.”
A Mutually Multiplying Impact
In many ways, the partnership between our organization, Military Families Outdoors, and the BWCAW is a symbiotic one. MFO does the vital work of coordinating and connecting military families from across the country to engaging outdoor wellness experiences. Wilderness Inquiry then takes the baton, spearheading the many pre-trip logistics — such as securing permits, organizing itineraries, prepping a menu and packing food, providing equipment, and more. Each strengthens the other, mutually benefitting their missions and multiplying their impact. And the end result, of course, is greater visitation to the BWCAW — inspiring knowledge of and lifelong lived connection to the wilderness area.
As Gabe put it: “There’s so much planning and so many logistics involved with outdoor adventure, and the time and know-how it takes to do all that creates a barrier for a lot of people, especially busy military parents juggling both a career and raising a family.”
In the first two years of the MFO initiative, 963 members of military families joined Wilderness Inquiry for overnight adventures — in the BWCAW and to national parks, national forests, and public lands across the country. That’s part of the overall scope of 18,000+ military-connected families who have participated in MFO-wide programming thus far. And this impact is felt, as one recent MFO participant spoke to following her family’s experience in Voyageurs National Park:
“Even though I grew up in Minnesota, Northern Minnesota was a place I never experienced. Thanks to a collaborative partnership between Wilderness Inquiry, National Park Service, and Blue Star Families, our family, along with two other military families, was able to connect, reconnect, and recharge with an indescribable canoe trip. The days are short but the memories will last a lifetime.” — Andie Coakley, MFO Family Trip Participant
So we hope that this is only the beginning, in the Boundary Waters, its neighboring Voyageurs National Park, as well as many other locations around the country. The continued goal will be to reach greater numbers of military families, encouraging their communal participation in shared outdoor experiences.
Because in the end, it all comes down to relationships. With the land. With the water. With ourselves. With each other. Canoes aren’t paddled alone, and that’s perhaps what a place like the BWCAW does best — it brings people, space, and place together. Alongside our partner organizations, our goal is to simply allow that magic to happen.
“Going to the BWCAW is a way to find serenity, connection to nature and the folks we share that adventure with, and it inspires a view of ourselves and our lives from a new perspective,” Gabe reflected.
And even though the end of the adventure can be emotional, that new perspective often lingers, in ways we may never initially expect.
As he summed up, “We leave the Boundary Waters feeling refreshed, capable, and more aware of the beauty that’s out there in the world for us to explore and enjoy together.”
Text by Jake Marble, Outdoor Leader Coordinator – External Relations; Header image by Ryan Brady; Slider images by Aurora Tallent and Gabe Mianulli
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