At the forefront of every Wilderness Inquiry adventure is a team of talented and dedicated Outdoor Leaders. These hard-working professionals make the magic of our programs happen for the thousands of participants who paddle, camp, hike, explore, and learn with us each year. Beyond simply hired guides, they equally serve as skilled mentors and educators — helping youth and adults alike build confidence and connection in the outdoors.
Being a successful Outdoor Leader both teaches and requires a broad skillset: flexibility, resilience, patience, problem-solving, curiosity, open-mindedness, and communication are just a few of the traits inherent to the job. This makes life as a Wilderness Inquiry Outdoor Leader fun, exciting, and incredibly rewarding, but also a challenge lending itself to continual growth. The leaders best able to strike that balance of enthusiasm and growth tend to be those who return season after season.
This year, we’re proud to highlight a major milestone of one of those longtime leaders — Emily Casper — who recently completed her 10th national Canoemobile tour! She and her rig wrapped up a marathon eight weeks on the road from September to November — traversing to and from the East Coast to program in six states, including Illinois, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Maryland/Washington DC, Virginia, and Georgia.
When reflecting on what stood out about this fall’s tour, Emily was quick to highlight her “really solid crew” who struck their own perfect balance: efficient but knowing how to keep things light and fun. “From aerial yoga to wrestling matches to silent discos and everything in between, we kept ourselves entertained. We loved to paddle together as staff, and you could often find us out on a sunrise or sunset paddle,” she said.
Emily’s Canoemobile milestone follows a similar achievement reached by fellow Outdoor Leader Cory Maria Dack in 2023, and is a testament to her hard work, dedication, and passion over the past few years. Canoemobile tours are a great microcosm of the Outdoor Leader experience. They present a unique set of challenges and opportunities — traveling and working all around the country for weeks at a time is an incredible experience, but can be physically, mentally, and emotionally demanding. As Emily described, cultivating an equilibrium of work and play makes for the best and most successful tours.
“It can be scary to leave behind your comforts, friends, and family and join 6 or 7 strangers on the road for multiple weeks,” she said. “However, if you can push through the discomfort, the reward is so worth it… The connections made to the communities we serve, the spaces we’re in, and the people we work with are what make Canoemobile so worthwhile.”
She — like many Outdoor Leaders — continues to find purpose in bringing our mission to life, and shares a deep passion for introducing people of all backgrounds to opportunities in the outdoors they may otherwise not have access to. “Canoemobile is such a unique opportunity to connect thousands of people to the outdoors,” she said. “Being on the water can be terrifying for folks, so it’s meaningful to help them overcome their fears and find tranquility on a canoe.”
Congratulations to Emily! If her story resonates with you — and you feel a similar pull to lead a diverse mix of people and programs — we highly encourage you to get involved. See our careers page for current employment opportunities. Volunteer your time in a variety of fashions. Come out to a community event to see what we’re all about. Join us! No matter your age or background, you can make a difference and be an integral part of a purposeful and passionate community.
And if you heed the call to become an Outdoor Leader, expect a journey that may impact your life — and those of many others — in both expected and unexpected ways. As Emily put it, when reflecting on how Canoemobile has changed her both personally and professionally, from her first tour to her 10th:
“I feel like I grow as a person on each rig I’ve been on. I’d say from my first tour to now, I’m a more confident and well-rounded individual. I’ve been able to work with so many wonderful people and explore places that I would have never seen before. It’s the people and experiences that keep me coming back.”
Text by Jake Marble, Outdoor Leader Coordinator – External Relations; Images provided by Emily Casper
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