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The Wilderness Classroom presents

The North American Odyssey An 11,000 mile journey by kayak, canoe, and dogsled to gain support and protection for North America’s waterways, while promoting “green and simple” living.

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WhatIn the spring of 2010 the Wilderness Classroom will

launch the first in a series of six online adventures highlighting North America’s wildest places. Between April 2010 and March 2013, Dave Freeman and Amy Voytilla will traverse over 11,700 miles of North America’s lakes, rivers, and coastlines by canoe, kayak, and dogsled.

WhyOur goal is to educate students, teachers, and the

general public about protecting our waterways and encourage lifestyle changes that positively impact the environment.

How

Presentations: We will give over 100 presentations at schools, colleges, outdoor conferences, and businesses along our route, and after the North American Odyssey.

Press: We will be constantly working with media along our route, from radio stations in the Canadian bush to newspapers in New York, Seattle, and Miami.

Blogs and e-magazines: We plan to publish articles and photos on a variety of outdoor web sites. In the past we have published weekly articles on Paddling.net, Canoe and Kayak Magazine, and Mongabay.com.

Web: Students, teachers, and learners of all ages will participate daily in the live expedition as photos, videos, and text are posted to the Internet via satellite. Students communicate with us through e-mail, online polls, and live chats. These interactive features give students the power to help make day-to-day decisions for the team and foster unparalleled learning opportunities.

Book: We will publish a book about the journey that highlights the dozens of waterways we explore.

Contact: Amy Voytilla, Director of Development 773-314-3104 • amy@wildernessclassroom.com

“Thank you for the photos you sent out to us on

a disc. They are great and I will be sure to let

you know when we use them . . . I really fell in

love with the photo that was in th

e cover letter

of all of you jumping out the boat. That was my

absolute favorite.”

- Carin Yates, Marketing Manager

Dermatone Laboratories Inc.

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“Let me just s

ay wow! You a

re really tale

nted. You rea

lly captured

the essence of

what our clot

hing is designe

d for. We would

like to use

your photos in

a banner we a

re producing

for a tradesh

ow (Outdoor

Retailer) hap

pening in Augu

st. We are highlight

ing the real e

nd user

and want to in

clude your let

ter and photos

.”

Meet the team

Dave Freeman

The Wilderness Classroom began in 2001 when Dave

used a laptop computer and satellite phone to connect with classrooms across the country during a 6-week, 240-mile, solo winter trek along the Minnesota/Ontario

border. Over the last eight years he has played a vital

role in the development of 10 more online expeditions with the

Wilderness Classroom.

Dave conducts over 50 school assemblies each year, introducing students to the wilderness locations we explore. He graduated from the University of Colorado at Boulder with BA in Biology and Anthropology. Dave is also a photographer, author, and wilderness guide. He has worked as a dogsledding, sea kayaking, and canoeing instructor for 15 years, and his photos and articles have been published in a variety of books, magazines, newspapers, and online publications including, Paddler Magazine, Canoe and Kayak Magazine, Adventure Kayak Magazine, and the Chicago Tribune.

Amy Voytilla

Amy is the Wilderness Classroom’s sponsorship coordinator and PR person. Her previous Wilderness Classroom online adventures include the Superior Waters Project, the Trans-Amazon Expedition, and Project Polar Bear.

Amy received her BA in Art and Psychology from Macalester College and MA in Art Therapy from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

When Amy is not out paddling or adventuring in the woods, you can find her in the ceramics studio at the Grand Marais Art Colony. She has also been a sea kayak and dogsled guide in northern Minnesota for the past six years.

- Shannon Mayo,

Ex Officio Marketing Proje

ct Manager

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Route DescriptionThe journey begins by kayak

on the Pacific Coast studying temperate rainforests and marine life of the Pacific Northwest, progressing over the history-studded mountains in the footsteps of the Klondike Gold Rush, to the home of Inuit along the Arctic Ocean where polar bears roam. From the Arctic Ocean we will dogsled and canoe south through central Canada, kayak across the Great Lakes, then follow the annual whale migration past the salt marshes and sea turtles of the Atlantic Coast, finishing in the mangroves and coral reefs of the Florida Keys. Dogsled

Kayak

Canoe

April, 2010 - March, 2013

Kayak: 6,300 miles

Canoe: 3,524 miles

Dogsled: 1,800 miles

Backpack: 123 miles

Total: 11,747 miles

“Congrats on completing you

r

Lake Superior expedition

. It was a

pleasure being part of your project.

You provide a great example and

role-model for all those kids (youn

g

& old!) that got the ch

ance to see

that people can make dreams come

true.”

- Lili Colby

MTI Adventurewear & Palm USA

Sales and Marketing Manager

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Dogsled

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1. Pacific Northwest

April 22nd - July 6th • 2010

Seattle, Washington to

Skagway, Alaska

The Pacific Northwest consists of the largest temperate rainforest eco-zone in the world. Imagine silently gliding among pods of whales and frolicking sea otters, surrounded by towering mountains. Animals of the area include black bear, orca, sitka deer, sockeye salmon, bald eagle, sea otter, and spotted owl.

Dogsled

Kayak

Canoe

2. Gold Rush

July 9th - October 1st • 2010

Skagway, Alaska to

Inuvik, Northwest Territories

In Skagway, the Wilderness Classroom expedition team will trade in their kayaks for hiking boots and a canoe. This area is rich in history, ranging from that of the Tlingit people who have lived in Southeast Alaska and the Pacific Northwest for thousands of years to the drama of the Klondike Goldrush.

Dogsled

Kayak

Canoe

3. Canadian North

November 7th - April 7th • 2010

Inuvik, Northwest Territoriesto

Fort McMurray, Alberta

The changing environment of the Inuit and the Polar Bear will be a launch pad for climate change discussion and observations. The team will travel south on the Mackenzie River into Boreal Forest following traditional travel and trade routes.

Dogsled

Kayak

Canoe

4. Voyageur’s Highway

May 15th - October 31st • 2011

Fort McMurray, Alberta to

Grand Portage, Minnesota

Paddling on the waterways of Western/Central Canada allows for further study of Boreal Forest animals in addition to the Athabasca Oil Sands, hydropower, green house gas emissions, and commercial fishing.

Dogsled

Kayak

Canoe

5. Great Lakes

April 15th - July 1st • 2012

Grand Portage, Minnesota to

Montreal, Quebec

Kayaks will be the mode of transportation through the Great Lakes as the educational focus turns toward freshwater conservation, water pollution, and the Great Lakes watershed.

Dogsled

Kayak

Canoe

6. East Coast

July 2nd - March 1st • 2013

Montreal, Quebec to

Key West, Florida

The finale for the expedition is a paddle along the Atlantic coast, studying sea turtles, whales, salt marshes, coral reefs, and mangroves.

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Previous Expeditions Project Polar Bear, 2009: Dogsledding from

Chesnaye to Churchill, Manitoba in search of vacated polar bear dens after their annual migration out onto the sea ice of Hudson Bay.

Trans-Amazon Expedition, 2007-2008: A 3-stage, 3,300-mile expedition across South America by canoe and bicycle.

Superior Waters Project, 2006: A 7-week, 1,200-mile kayak circumnavigation of Lake Superior.

Project Peru I and II 2005, 2006: Two 6-week projects, paddling dugout canoes in the Pacaya Samiria National Reserve in Peru.

Boreal Forest Project, 2004: Two months dogsledding in northern Manitoba’s forests, lakes and rivers.

Bimaadagaako Adventure, 2003: 550 miles by dogsled between Cumberland House, Saskatchewan and Pine Falls, Manitoba.

Jiime Adventure, 2002: 700 miles by canoe from Lake Superior to Lake Winnipeg, Canada.

Big Muddy Adventure, 2001: 2,340 miles by canoe down the length of the Mississippi River.

Border Country Adventure 2001: A solo, 240-mile, midwinter trip by snowshoe across the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness of Minnesota.

at a glance.

Jiime Adventure2002

Superior Waters Project

2006

Quick Stats

• 94,800 average web site visitors per month

• 420,400 pages of information served each month

• 60,000 students and 1,600 teachers participating online

• 154 presentations to 29,000 students and teachers

• 4 million consumer impressions through media coverage

* Numbers from most recent online program,

the Trans-Amazon Expedition

Trans-Amazon Expedition2008

Project Peru - 2005