Outdoor adventures for teens of all abilities.

Mission Statement

Wilderness Inquiry’s mission is to facilitate community integration, promote healthy lifestyles, and encourage stewardship of the environment for people of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities. Wilderness Inquiry achieves its mission through inclusive outdoor education and adventure programs.

Brief History

Wilderness Inquiry was founded on the idea that shared outdoor experiences have the power to transform individuals and communities. In 1977, Congress proposed allowing motorboats in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, proclaiming that the "wilderness discriminates against the handicapped, the elderly, and women.” Greg Lais and Paul Schurke, then college students, thought this notion was nonsense. They set out to prove that wilderness experiences were already accessible to people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities, as long as you’ve got teamwork and ingenuity.

Greg and Paul organized a trip to the Boundary Waters for 12 people with and without disabilities, including two people who used wheelchairs and two people who were deaf. Wilderness Inquiry (WI) was born. Although that first eight-day trip did prove that motors were not required to access wilderness areas, it also illuminated something much more powerful and meaningful. “We discovered,” says Greg, “that shared wilderness adventures with mixed groups of people brought out the very best in all of us. We were no longer ‘disabled’ or ‘able-bodied,’ old or young, black or white. We were human beings.”

Since 1978, WI has pioneered integrated outdoor programs, setting best practice standards and serving more than 275,000 people with and without disabilities. In 2010, WI will serve 14,500 people on more than 300 events, with a budget of $1.9 million.