Summary:

Hometown: Sherman, CT
Background: BA in Biology from Bowdoin College; 4 summers raft guiding; Led 2 outdoor college orientation trips; First summer with Bold Earth.
Certifications: Wilderness First Responder

 

Hello! My name is Drew, and I grew up wandering the wooded hills and streams of northwestern Connecticut. In high school, I volunteered on 3 trail maintenance crews around the eastern US with the Student Conservation Association (SCA). While pursuing a bachelor’s degree in biology at Bowdoin College, I used the summers to work on trail maintenance crews, raft guide in Connecticut, lead freshman orientation trips in Maine, and one summer I even did a little research on sea star locomotion. This past summer, I worked my favorite job ever, which was raft guiding on the Chattooga River, “the crown jewel of the Southeast,” which runs through a protected and undeveloped corridor on the border of South Carolina and Georgia. My most recent adventure was dogsled tour guiding in northwestern Colorado, which was quite the ride! I’m about to begin a thru-hike of the Continental Divide Trail in April, which I will hopefully complete after my adventure with Bold Earth!

 

The Deeper Dive:

What drew you to the Bold Earth community?

My summers volunteering with the SCA were the best experiences of my high school years. I think that outdoor activities, travel, and adventure with other teens, immersed in nature, away from civilization, without digital technology, curates some of the best relationships and experiences we can have. I’ve also been told that there is a certain ineffable “magic” about the Bold Earth community, which drew me in.

What is your Bold Earth superpower?

I love philosophical conversations about life, religion, history, culture, outer space, and any other of those engaging topics that tend to emerge a few days into the sticks. Also, the less I have and the dirtier I get, the happier I am.

 

What is your adventure must-have?

A small pocket notebook and a pen for writing down ideas that surface while on an adventure. I brainstorm things to write about later, and places to go, things to try, things to do in the future, or impromptu poems. My best thoughts come while hiking and trail running. That headspace is too valuable to waste.

 

What song would you add to the van playlist?

‘Nightingale’ by the Eagles. It’s super positive and hopeful and has a timeless groove to it.