Volunteering to be outdoors is just what some retirees need!
Are you longing for your “nature connection”? There’s still time for you, a retiree, to check this off your bucket list! Volunteer coordinator, Samuel Bowman, is one of the all-star, behind-the-scene team of administrators who make sure all of Wilderness Awareness programs run smoothly and effectively with lots of volunteer helpers.
Sam joined the Wilderness Awareness School (WAS) staff in 2012 after completing the Anake Outdoor School and Anake Leadership Program. He grew up in the Blue Ridge Mountains of South Western Virginia on his family's dairy farm. From solo wanderings on the farm's 600 acres to working on the farm with the family, Sam discovered a connection and respect for the land and all that it supports. He spent many summers participating in, leading and directing summer camps, including his home church camp in Virginia and a disability camp in Iowa.
Along the way Sam learned while having a blast camping, rock climbing, canoeing, horseback riding, white water rafting and whatever else campers were interested in doing. Sam graduated from Bridgewater College with a degree in philosophy and religion. While there, he continued his exploration of the world by spending a semester in India and also visiting Europe, the Middle East, Nigeria, and the Caribbean. With these adventures Sam added to his understanding of how others live and view the world.
Sam loves working with his hands. He enjoys woodworking and teaching classes of wheel-thrown pottery and animal butchering. He feels blessed to now be in a community where all of his passions and interests can be fed, used, and valued.
For additional information: wildernessawareness.org. Or search for camps in your area.
To explore the “great outdoors” of the retirement landscape, sign up for Ed’s Retire-To newsletter: retire-to.com/ed-s-newsletter. Be sure and visit retiretovolunteering.com.