Wild Society

Mission

Wild Society's mission is to cultivate wonder and belonging in the nature world.

Description

Wild Society is a wilderness education nonprofit based in western WA that provides youth and adult backpacking trips, and community events centered around love for the natural world. We work to reconnect human hearts with the everyday wild through adventure, scientific inquiry, storytelling, and hands-on skills.

By cultivating wonder and belonging in the natural world, we are expanding the community of people in all walks of life who advocate for the well-being of our planet.

Wild Society's Core Values:

Gratitude: We practice giving thanks by appreciating others, the natural world, and the relationships that connect us all.

Respect: We show respect through our words and actions by acknowledging and celebrating what makes us different.

Wonder: We wonder at the world around us through curiosity and discovery.

Belonging: We know that everyone has a basic human right to explore and enjoy natural spaces.

Our Work

Every summer we guide youth ages 12-18 years old deep into the wilderness of the Olympic Mountains on backpacking trips ranging from 3-7 days long. Our campers walk away from these trips with a solid set of skills, strong sense of self, and a lifetime of memories. Our adult trips offer a range from Intro to Women's Backpacking trips to an Educator Excursion trip to a Sea Otter field study weekend. Each invites a deep level of observation and connect interested individuals to professional scientists and naturalists who are itching to share their knowledge. We partner with community groups, organizations, and schools to provide opportunities for people to get outside and engage with the natural world.

Commitment to Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion 

Wild Society recognizes the intersection of social and environmental justice and we see our organization as a platform to serve both. We are a growing community committed to including people regardless of age, race, cultural background, ethnicity, faith, gender, gender identity/expression, ideology, (dis)ability, sexual orientation, or financial capacity. 

We have long understood community development to be inextricable from our work as environmental educators, and we have long known that in ecosystems and human societies alike, diversity makes communities stronger. As we name the social and racial inequities embedded in our work, we recognize we have a lot to learn.

In 2021, our board and staff formed two new partnerships with BIPOC led organizations Mentoring is a M.U.S.T. and African Community Housing & Development. We are continuously seeking partnerships with organizations that serve communities underrepresented in the outdoor industry. We are actively adapting and updating our practices for hiring, marketing, board recruitment, program development, and training. Our staff is attending anti-racist training with the Adaway Group and is developing a justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion policy. We are incorporating the Washington State Since Time in Memorial Curriculum, gender inclusive biology, and culturally responsive teaching practices.