Your seasonal report from Adventure Borealis |
A flower in Denali National Park and Preserve. Photo by Ryan Arash Marsh |
*{{Informal Name}}*, thank you for your support and interest in Adventure Borealis!
A year into our journey, the 2024 season began with several free local excursions including a snowshoe walk and spring birding outings, as well as the first summer wildflower outing at Eagle Summit, which turned out to be a wonderful trip. We have also experienced an outpouring of support for our program from companies and individuals. To those that have provided sponsorships, donations, and your time — THANK YOU!
This has shaped up to be a busy summer for us. Last month, a group of people focused on inclusion in the outdoors participated in a retreat hosted by Camp Denali. You can read more about the experience there below. Next month will be the first student leadership retreat hosted by Adventure Borealis at the Macomb Plateau. See our upcoming outings schedule below for berry picking and mycology outings next month.
The BIPOC bird club started up this summer, and provided a no-commitment opportunity for people of color to learn more about birds in Interior Alaska and spend some quality time making intentional relationships with each other and the environment. It will pick up again in August when fall migration begins.
As we continue to expand our programming and partnerships, we encourage you to reach out with suggestions for excursions you might be interested in. Learn more about our team and what we do here. Thank you for supporting our mission of making the outdoors more inclusive and accessible.
- Ryan Arash Marsh, Director and Head Guide for Adventure Borealis
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Last month, Adventure Borealis had the opportunity to support a group of leaders and advocates within the diversity-in-the-outdoors space in Alaska to get together in Denali National Park at Camp Denali for a retreat. This was all made possible by the generosity of Camp Denali and their owners, in inviting our group to spend an entire Monday to Friday session with them.
The week started off with intention setting as we pondered together how best to use our time together on the land and learn from each other and build community. Every day, the 11 of us had opportunities to go on guided outings with Camp Denali‘s incredible naturalist guides. They also created space for individual activities which included resting and recovering, reading, biking along the Park Road and foraging for overwintered berries and other summer foods provided by the tundra. |
Retreat participants on an evening "Pride" canoe. Photo by Joan Ryan Estay |
I was constantly inspired by the group. Many have previously worked together on a project to better understand ways of being on the land, including learning about barriers to the outdoors that BIPOC communities face in Alaska. Others in the group have worked on creating safe and inclusive spaces for LGBTQ+ Alaskans to learn winter sports — including creating opportunities for first generation and low-income college students to explore and learn about Alaskan cultural and natural history through field courses and supporting their diverse communities in myriad ways. For me, this ended up being a week of deep listening; listening to myself as I grapple with personal challenges, listening to the land as I walked through it at a contemplative pace, and listening to this incredible community with their deep and varied experiences and insights.
Alex Wong, a physics professor and one of the participants, put it wonderfully when he reflected: “The diversity of ways in which participants in the retreat interact with and think about the natural world — as a source of food and meaning, and an object of fascination — had me wondering how I, as a person, can broaden my perspectives, and also how I, as an educator, can broaden my students' perspectives." |
Denali viewed from Camp Denali under the midnight sun. Photo by Alyssa Quintyne |
A somewhat stormy week culminated with a celebratory Pride canoe on Wonder Lake. As we paddled and swam in the frigid waters, the clouds slowly parted to give way to views of Denali, illuminated under rainbow light. Later, we were all treated to the spectacle of a fully visible Alaska Range, glowing pink with the midnight alpenglow of our subarctic July nights. I left that week filled with laughter, love, and deep reflections, as well as immense gratitude for Simon and Jenna Hamm, and Camp Denali and their staff for providing such a meaningful opportunity. - Ryan Arash Marsh |
Camp Denali viewed from Cranberry Ridge. Photo by Ryan Arash Marsh |
Part of our commitment at Adventure Borealis is to provide memorable adventures, ecological education, and natural history exploration excursions in Interior and Arctic Alaska for all people regardless of identity, age, ability or socio-economic status. We strongly believe in sharing the wonder and beauty of Alaska with everybody by trying to minimize financial barriers. As able, our programs are free or donation-based. These donations help us continue to provide and support programs focused on inclusivity and accessibility for members of our community traditionally marginalized in outdoor recreation and adventure spaces. Here is a list of our upcoming outings.
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People take in the view after hiking to a ridgeline. Photo by Ryan Arash Marsh |
* indicates the program is free and/or donation-based. |
To support diversity in the Fairbanks climbing community, Ascension Rock Club welcomes people of color to climb in the gym for free during their Wednesday night meet ups from 6:30-8 p.m. — beginners welcome and no equipment needed, shoes will be provided. Join their last remaining nights on July 17 and August 14!
For more information, click here. |
From Fairbanks Queer Collective: |
Fairbanks Queer Collective's 3rd Annual Camp Queer is just around the corner — get ready for an extraordinary weekend of fun, community, and adventure July 25-29. They offer sliding scale camping fees and scholarships to ensure accessibility for all, in addition to a range of all-ages activities for maximum fun and community bonding. Activities include arts and crafts, archery, ziplining, hiking, foraging, fishing, canoe races, games, and support circles. Learn more about the event here and register by clicking the button below! |
Sandhill crane. Photo by Ryan Arash Marsh |
Alex Wong uses a pair of Celestron binoculars while at Camp Denali. Photo by Ryan Arash Marsh |
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