Kirk Rasmussen
Spend part of your summer doing service and exploring the Adirondacks. Feel the grip of a shovel in your hands as you make a new trail. Climb high peaks and cross chilly rivers. Spot wildlife you’d never see in the city. Surprise yourself with how far you can go.
On this course, you’ll combine backpacking with rewarding service work. Part of the course will be spent at a base camp and working on a service project under the guidance of a Forest Ranger. You’ll get a behind-the-scenes look at what it’s like to have a job in land management in one of the oldest protected lands in the U.S. Other days, you’ll pack up your backpack and move to a new campsite. On the way, you’ll learn foundational outdoor skills like reading a map and decision making. You’ll test out your growing leadership skills with the help of your instructors and peers. You’ll grow close with your group as you tackle the challenges of backpacking in the woods and your service projects together.
Doing trail work and backpacking are tough, but it’s worth it. By the end of this trip, you’ll contribute to a service project you can feel proud of, form new friendships, and bring home experiences and memories you’ll always have. So go ahead and do something big this summer with this service trip in the Adirondacks.
“I have always viewed NY as a giant city. It was awesome to experience the wilderness. I loved learning about and actually seeing the alpine zone. I had known that the plants and other species needed to be protected, but it was so cool to actually see for my self the beauty of it.”