For nearly a decade, Wilderness Inquiry has worked alongside Alpha Resource Center in Santa Barbara, CA, to connect adults who have intellectual and developmental disabilities to canoeing and camping experiences in the Santa Barbara area. A key partner and supporter for this work has been Toad&Co, who joins each year with volunteers, financial support, and promotion to magnify the impact of this inclusive outdoor program.
Our annual canoe with Wilderness Inquiry and Alpha is a highlight of the year for our team. Sharing an experience out on the water is lifechanging not only for the members of Alpha, but for our volunteers. Wilderness Inquiry truly provides accessibility to the outdoors for everyone.”
– Sarah Palladino, Toad&Co
Building community in the outdoors is at the heart of our mission, and our partnership with Alpha Resource Center and Toad&Co brings this mission to life – as staff, participants, and volunteers paddle together in 24-foot canoes along the shores of the Pacific Ocean or camp in the wild areas adjacent to the coast.
Truly unique, our trio of partners has demonstrated the positive impact of deepened connections to nature and to one another. Since our partnership began, more than 500 individuals have engaged in outdoor exploration and recreation through this shared commitment to outdoor equity.
Here’s what Amy Buesker of Alpha Resource Center has to say of the special partnership,
A HUGE thank you to all of you for making the canoeing and camping adventures possible for our group this year! Our participants were in and out of my office nonstop for WEEKS leading up to these adventures asking about them. This is such an amazing opportunity that we are able to offer to these participants. Many of them have never had the opportunity to canoe or camp before this and this opens up a whole new world to them. It is pretty incredible to watch them learn new skills, challenge themselves, and overcome fears and uncertainty. Thank you for all of your work to support us and take them on such memorable adventures.”
The best part? There’s no stopping us. This year, 60 participants and volunteers enjoyed a day of paddling against the backdrop of sunny blue skies and capped off the experience with an overnight camping adventure in a nearby park. After Wilderness Inquiry’s visit each year, Alpha participants ask Amy, “When are we going canoeing and camping again?” It doesn’t get any better than that.
Leave a Reply