Wildsight invites local youth to Go Wild

By Carolyn Grant
Kimberley Daily Bulletin
July 20, 2009

As Bulletin readers will recall from a few weeks ago, Selkirk Grade 9 students enjoyed a wonderful adventure in Akamina Kishenena Provincial Park, thanks to Wildsight's Go Wild program.

This August another Go Wild summer backpacking adventure is being offered, and it is available to all Columbia Basin youth ages 14 to 19.

Program coordinator and adventure guide Liz Hardwick says that the week long adventure - this trip will take youth into the Purcell backcountry - is a way for youth to find camaraderie, adventure and confidence.

"The Go Wild Summer Adventure is a week-long, guided backpacking expedition into the Purcell Mountains," said Hardwick. "It gives young people a chance to connect with wild places during a life-changing journey. And it inspires the next generation of environmental leaders."

"No previous camping experience is required," Hardwick said, "just enthusiasm and a willingness to learn."

The six-day hike is scheduled for August 23 to 28 at a cost of $350. Costs include food, and all camping equipment is supplied by Wildsight. (Participants supply their own outdoor-appropriate clothing.) Help is available to meet costs. Wildsight does have some subsidies available for students who wish to take part but can't afford it.

Wildsight is able to offer this kind of help because of continued support from organizations like Columbia Basin Trust.

"We are proud to support the Go Wild Summer Adventure trips," said Dana Welsh, Columbia Basin Trust Youth Liaison. "Not only will it allow youth to connect with the outdoors, but the skills they will be learning in how to work together on challenges or how to support one another during the week, those will enable them to grow and will help them learn how to become better stewards of not only the environment, but of each other and the people they may work with in the future."

Hardwick says a week in the backcountry away from the world of iPods and Facebook is an intense experience for young people and they learn a lot about themselves.

"They gain confidence in their abilities, learn to function as part of a team, and get to know the mountains. They develop a sense of responsibility for the place they live in," she said.

More information about the Go Wild program is available at www.wildsight.ca/summeradventure or by calling (250) 427-9325.