Rivers to Ridges
Rivers to Ridges designs, supports and delivers outdoor and land-based programs for young people year-round. We are a nationally award-winning social entreprise with an environmental and social mission at the heart of what we do. Our aim is to empower a diverse range of Northerners to spend more time connecting meaningfully to the land, and developing a deeper sense of empathy, awareness and community.
We invite local Elders and knowledge holders to be a part of our programs, so that cultural knowledge and teachings are shared with the young people we serve. We also offer trainings for educators to help adults working with children to become more comfortable mentoring children in the outdoors. In 2018, Rivers to Ridges was nationally recognized as a Laureate of the Arctic Inspiration Prize and awarded $100,000 to continue supporting their work toward a Yukon-based Forest School.
Company History
An early fall multi-day backpacking trip in with a local experiential high school program is where Emily found Erin in 2014. At the time, Erin was fresh to the territory and woefully unprepared for her first backcountry hiking trip. With the help of a shared tent, warm tea and lots of duct tape, Emily supported Erin on the adventure.
A couple months later, Erin had the chance to repay the love by heading out with a friend to support Emily who was stuck in Watson Lake with a broken down vehicle. A surprise snowstorm closed the roads, and they were forced to stay the night at the Cozy Nest. Conversation eventually turned to life passions, and it turned out that Erin and Emily both had the same (not-so) secret dream of building a program that guides young people towards a meaningful connection with the land.
Rooted in mutual support for one another and a deep love of mentoring children in wild spaces, Rivers to Ridges was born! Now, in 2019, Rivers to Ridges and are celebrating four years in operation.
Company Facts
Rivers to Ridges was nationally-recognized and became a Laureate of the Arctic Inspiration Prize in 2018, receiving a prize of $100,000 towards supporting connecting children with land.
We have reached over 700 young people across the Yukon, in Northern Canada through our programs.
Yukoners young & old have experienced over 75,000 hours of outdoor & nature-based programs & trainings with Rivers to Ridges.
Over twenty Elders, trappers, knowledge keepers and specialists have enhanced our programs and shared First Nations cultural stories and land-based perspectives.
We have been in operation for four years, and excited to be opening our newest, biggest program yet — the Nest Forest School in January 2020.
