Wilderness Inquiry is able to fulfill its mission of inclusive outdoor experiences because of the tireless work of our Outdoor Leaders. Allie Dart has been leading trips with WI for two years and is a true servant leader.
We caught up with Allie to find out a little bit more about what it means to lead trips with WI and she shared some great anecdotes! Allie would be the first to say – you should apply to be a WI Outdoor Leader to provide life-changing experiences for people of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities.
What drew you to being an Outdoor Leader?
I was drawn to WI because of the Canoemobile program. For several years before coming to WI, I’d been working with urban youth in the outdoors, but those programs involved bringing youth from their cities out to the mountains. I loved being part of those transformative experiences, but I wanted to see if we could create similar experiences in the kids’ own cities. Canoemobile is about introducing youth to the wilderness in their own backyards, showing them that you don’t have to get on a plane or drive for 4 hours to find wildlife and paddle a canoe.
What is your favorite thing about being on trail?
It’s cliché, but the best thing about being on trail is being outside. And it’s not just about me being outside; it’s about giving others the opportunity to be outside. Being outdoors gives us space – to be active, to be refreshed, to explore, to breathe, to be inspired, to take our time, to be together, to be alone, to be challenged.
Do you have a favorite story from the field?
While I love being in the Northwoods, I spend a lot of time on urban waterways, facilitating many first-time canoeing experiences.
One of my favorite stories is from a Canoemobile event with middle school students paddling on the Bronx River. We were paddling a section of the river where a lot of trash and debris gets stuck between an upstream weir and a trash boom that stops it from flowing out into the East River. The kids in my boat were pretty shocked by how much trash was in the river, and were especially confused about the number of sports balls we saw floating around us.
They asked, “How did these end up here? Why would someone throw their basketball into the river?!
When I challenged them to think about how the balls got there, they didn’t come up with many answers. They asked if we could collect a few of them to take home, so we paddled around and fished out three or four. When we got back onto dry land the kids started kicking around one of the soccer balls, and within ten seconds the ball went rolling down the steep bank back into the river. The kids erupted in a chorus of “Ohhhhhhhh.” I couldn’t ask for a more perfect experiential education moment.
What’s your favorite childhood memory of being outdoors?
I grew up in Sarasota, FL, so I have lots of fond memories of building sandcastles, going snorkeling, and being out on the boat with my family. Some of my favorite memories are of being outside all day, every day in the summer – swimming, sailing, playing tennis, climbing trees, biking, boating, and exploring.
Favorite guiding locations: Boundary Waters; anywhere we go with Canoemobile!
Favorite outdoor activities: Canoeing, rafting, canyoning, berry picking
Describe your job in 3 words: Always an adventure!
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