As a single Mom & a youth worker, I noticed a community need for giving youth safe, inclusive, and accessible outdoor programming all year round. Through this process, I realized that it is not just youth who face various barriers to getting outside.
Together with my youth worker co-workers & friends, we started Wild Outfits. Our goal is to address a lack of connection, capacity, resources, mental/physical health, cultural awareness, environmental education & too much waste!
Collaborating with local towns & organizations, we put together a series of outdoor skill-building/gear-gathering events in 3 towns, over 1 weekend. The events were fully inclusive, accessible, and open to all ages & abilities. Taking place in Edgewater, at Valley Appreciation Days in Invermere, and Canal Flats. We really appreciate the local support and donations from each town, Palliser Printing & Signs (posters, cards, etc), Jay Whitlow & Sierra Franklin (graphic design), Wildsight Invermere (donations/promotion), Canadian Tire (tarps, paracord, tent pegs & nalgenes for door prizes), Rona (wood for demos), Invermere Events (Valley Appreciation Day), KORE Outdoors ReHub (gear repair/promotion) & all of the people/businesses who helped to promote us.
The funding from Columbia Valley Community Foundation & Neighbourhood Small Grants, combined with the outdoor education and donations from Adventures Free You Outdoor Guides & WildSafe BC, made all of this possible.
Through wildlife & outdoor safety, knot-tying & shelter building activities, we experienced listening, learning, sharing & laughter. We planted seeds in people to grow curiosity, community connections, knowledge, personal abilities, & leadership. As well as a shift in mindset and motivation toward more environmentally sustainable outdoor adventures.
Highlights included watching a parent open up to their child about their own childhood experiences outdoors and how impactful they were. They picked up a piece of paracord and demonstrated a favourite knot to everyone standing around them, and talked about how and why they use it.
