Outdoor Odyssey is a year-long program for youth to deeply experience and engage in place-based nature connection to receive the plethora of gifts all of our seasons have to offer, while being away from the city and immersed in a magical landscape. Each month the group will retreat (capped at 16) to the Saint Croix River Valley at Wilderness Awakening’s rural campus, Samsara Ridge, just north of St. Croix Falls, WI. For eight of the twelve months, we will camp out together. During the coldest months of November - March, we will have a day-long retreat to experience the heart of winter in the woods at the Minnesota Wildlife Refuge Center.

Each month will feature a different focus, always relating back to naturalist studies, the healing arts, and team building. Naturalist topics include: prairie restoration, forest bathing, animal tracking and shelter building (see below)… This program uniquely provides a chance to know a place throughout the course of a full cycle around the sun. This timeline is proposed to ensure a holistic perspective, and newfound intimate knowing, of a magical nature-scape.

Outdoor Odyssey fosters connection to the natural world, and thus a newfound sense of belonging and self discovery. These retreats provide a gateway for your child to explore their strengths outside the home and classroom environment, to empower resiliency, critical thinking, community belonging, and care for the environment.

Outdoor Odyssey is committed to creating equitable outdoor education environments, ensuring equal access for all, and fostering a culture of inclusivity. This program uplifts and creates space for Queer, Non-Binary, and Trans folk. As a young organization, we are here to learn how to best support youth in their bodies and natural spaces.