Episode #19: Dave Puig, Justys Grenier - Outward Bound and Expeditionary Learning

Dave, Justys, and Jacob trade tales of transformational wilderness experiences, and describe the origins and importance of expeditionary learning as a field.Dave Puig has been a wilderness instructor for fourteen years, leading expeditions in the desert, the Arctic, the wondrous Northwoods, and into the minds of authors, social critics, and high school students. He developed the expedition-based Land Ethics Curriculum at Youth Initiative High School which challenges students to see their own growth in reciprocity with their peers, those they see as different from themselves, and the earth. He also builds houses and lives on his wife’s family farm where they are embarking on the incredible journey of parenthood!Justys Grenier is a Viroqua native, alumni of Youth Initiative High School, experiential educator and outdoor enthusiast. I grew up in the Driftless area and enjoyed a community supported upbringing while exploring the creeks and hills of our unique landscape. After a few years of traveling overseas, learning and growing into myself, I found a calling in outdoor education. For the last three years I have been working as an instructor at Voyageur Outward Bound School, leading trips with small groups of young people through the wilderness of the Boundary Waters, and through the Chihuahua desert of Big Bend, Texas. My desire for a change of pace and time to explore other interests has led me back to the Driftless area for the foreseeable future. Here I am learning carpentry and finding ways to engage with my community and give back with the knowledge and experience I have gained over the past few years.Outward Bound: https://www.outwardbound.org/National Outdoor Leadership School: https://www.nols.edu/en/Voyageur Outward Bound School: https://www.vobs.org/Learn more about Thoreau College and the microcollege movement: http://thoreaucollege.org/Driftless Folk School: https://www.driftlessfolkschool.org/