Adventure Summit | Photo provided by Erin Sherrets
Wright State University (WSU) hosted their annual Adventure Summit event last weekend to acknowledge a lifestyle in the great outdoors.
What is the Adventure Summit?
The Adventure Summit is a joint program by Five River MetroParks and WSU. This event began in 2011 and now is an annual event. Each year, multiple outdoor adventure groups and organizations gather together and share their stories in the outdoors, educating guests on survival tactics, places to travel and ways to have a safe but fun time adventuring.
Who is Involved?
The Adventure Summit had multiple interactive events this year including rock climbing, fitness sessions, a bouldering competition, beer tasting and more. They also had featured presentations presented by JeanMarie Gossard, Andy “River Weasel” Gallatin and Grandma Joy and Brad Ryan.
Some of the organizations that decided to join this year were Beavercreek Wetlands Association (BCWA), Ohio’s Explorer Chicks, Five Rivers Metroparks who, according to The Adventure Summit website, “focuses on three areas – conservation, recreation and education – as part of its role as steward of Greater Dayton’s public lands.”
BCWA started in 1988 and this year was their first year attending The Adventure Summit event. They are a nonprofit volunteer organization and are dedicated to preserving the Beaver Creek Wetlands that are located in western Greene County.
The organization is completely funded by memberships, donations and state and local grants. One of the organizations who attended, The Dayton Hikers, hosted a used gear sale with all proceeds going to BCWA to fund their newest wetland trail.
In April of 2020, BCWA started the idea of a 15-mile Spotted Turtle Trail through the Beaver Creek Wetland Corridor. They host multiple tours of the wetlands and have different educational hikes and programs.
“Spotted turtles are the emblem of the company and are a threatened species,” BCWA administrative coordinator, Lynn Slowden, said.
Explorer Chicks, officially started in 2014, is an organization that is completely dedicated to teaching women about traveling and hiking. They take trips such as national road trips, backpacking trips, winter adventures, hiking trips and more.
“It’s all about helping women feel confident in hiking,” Ray Neal, an ambassador for Explorer Chicks, said.
If students would like to get involved, The Adventure Summit is welcoming all volunteers who want to help spread the joy of adventuring.
