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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.
What How
In the spring of 2010 the Wilderness Classroom will
launch the first in a series of six online adventures Presentations: We will give over 100 presentations at
highlighting North America’s wildest places. Between schools, colleges, outdoor conferences, and businesses
April 2010 and March 2013, Dave Freeman and Amy along our route, and after the North American Odyssey.
Voytilla will traverse over 11,700 miles of North America’s
lakes, rivers, and coastlines by canoe, kayak, and dogsled. Press: We will be constantly working with media along
www.NorthAmericanO dyssey.com
our route, from radio stations in the Canadian bush to
Why newspapers in New York, Seattle, and Miami.
Our goal is to educate students, teachers, and the
general public about protecting our waterways and Blogs and e-magazines: We plan to publish articles
encourage lifestyle changes that positively impact the and photos on a variety of outdoor web sites. In the past
environment. 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
t to us on
e photos you sent ou live chats. These interactive features give students the
“Thank you for th will be sure to let power to help make day-to-day decisions for the team
a disc. The y are great and I ll in and foster unparalleled learning opportunities.
em . . . I really fe
you kn ow when we use th letter
at was in the cover Book: We will publish a book about the journey that
lov e with the photo th boat. That was my highlights the dozens of waterways we explore.
of all of yo u jumping out the
absolute favorite.” keting Manager
- Carin Yates, Mar
tories Inc.
Dermatone Labora
Contact: Amy Voytilla, Director of Development 773-
314-3104 • amy@wildernessclassroom.com

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Meet the team
Dave Freeman Amy Voytilla
The Wilderness Classroom Amy is the Wilderness
began in 2001 when Dave Classroom’s sponsorship
used a laptop computer and coordinator and PR
satellite phone to connect person. Her previous
with classrooms across the Wilderness Classroom
country during a 6-week, online adventures include
240-mile, solo winter trek the Superior Waters Project,
along the Minnesota/Ontario the Trans-Amazon Expedition,
border. Over the last eight and Project Polar Bear.
years he has played a vital
role in the development of 10 Amy received her BA in Art and
www.NorthAmericanO dyssey.com
more online expeditions with the Psychology from Macalester College and MA in Art
Wilderness Classroom. Therapy from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
Dave conducts over 50 school assemblies each year, When Amy is not out paddling or adventuring in the
introducing students to the wilderness locations we woods, you can find her in the ceramics studio at the
explore. He graduated from the University of Colorado Grand Marais Art Colony. She has also been a sea kayak
at Boulder with BA in Biology and Anthropology. Dave and dogsled guide in northern Minnesota for the past six
is also a photographer, author, and wilderness guide. He years.
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
tured
Magazine, Canoe and Kayak Magazine,
Adventure Kayak Magazine, and the You r eally cap o use
Chicago Tribune.
lly ta lented. e would like t
! You are rea igned for. W show (Outdoor
say wow lothing is des trade ser
“Let me just at our c ducin g for a the real end u
nce of wh we are pro highlighting
the esse s in a banner ust. We are
oto ug s.”
your ph happening in A tter and photo
) le ger
Retailer to include your - Shann on Mayo, ng Project Mana
want eti
and Ex Offi cio Mark

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Route Description
The 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 Kayak
www.NorthAmericanO dyssey.com
follow the annual whale migration
past the salt marshes and sea
turtles of the Atlantic Coast,
finishing in the mangroves and
Dogsled
coral reefs of the Florida Keys.
ur
mpleting yo
grats on co
Canoe
“Con n. It was a
io r expeditio .
Lake Super part of your project
ing
pleasure be reat example and
ag
You provide ose kids (y
oung
role-mode l for all th ce to see
ot the chan April, 2010 - March, 2013
& old!) that g e dreams co
me
that peo ple can mak Kayak: 6,300 miles
true.”
- Lili Colby A Canoe: 3,524 miles
& Palm US
MTI Adve nturewear
Manager Dogsled: 1,800 miles
Sales and Marketing
Backpack: 123 miles
Total: 11,747 miles

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Kayak
Dogsled Kayak
Kayak Canoe Dogsled
1. Pacific Northwest 2. Gold Rush 3. Canadian North
April 22nd - July 6th • 2010 July 9th - October 1st • 2010 November 7th - April 7th • 2010
Canoe
Seattle,Dogsled
Washington Skagway, Alaska Inuvik, Northwest Territories
to to to
Skagway, Alaska Inuvik, Northwest Territories Fort McMurray, Alberta
The Pacific Northwest consists of In Skagway, the Wilderness The changing environment of
the largest temperate rainforest eco- Classroom expedition team will the Inuit and the Polar Bear will be
Canoe
zone in the world. Imagine silently trade in their kayaks for hiking boots a launch pad for climate change
www.NorthAmericanO dyssey.com
Kayak
gliding among pods of whales and and a canoe. This area is rich in discussion and observations. The
frolicking sea otters, surrounded history, ranging from that of the team will travel south on the
by towering mountains. Animals of Tlingit people who have lived in Mackenzie River into Boreal Forest
the area include black bear, orca, Southeast Alaska and the Pacific following traditional travel and trade
sitka deer, sockeye salmon, bald Northwest for thousands of years to routes.
eagle, sea otter, and spotted owl.
Dogsled the drama of the Klondike Goldrush.
Canoe Kayak Kayak
4. Voyageur’s Highway 5. Great Lakes 6. East Coast
May 15th - October 31st • 2011 April 15th - July 1st • 2012 July 2nd - March 1st • 2013
Fort McMurray, Alberta Grand Portage, Minnesota
Dogsled
Montreal, Quebec
Dogsled
to to to
Grand Portage, Minnesota Montreal, Quebec Key West, Florida
Paddling on the waterways of Kayaks will be the mode of The finale for the expedition is
Western/Central Canada allows transportation through the a paddle along the Atlantic coast,
Canoe Canoe
for further study of Boreal Forest Great Lakes as the educational studying sea turtles, whales, salt
animals in addition to the Athabasca focus turns toward freshwater marshes, coral reefs, and mangroves.
Oil Sands, hydropower, green house conservation, water pollution,
gas emissions, and commercial and the Great Lakes watershed.
fishing.

at a glance.
Previous Expeditions
Jiime Adventu Project Polar Bear, 2009: Dogsledding from
2002 re 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.
Project
Superior Waters Boreal Forest Project, 2004: Two months
2006 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
w w w.W i l d e r n e s s C l a s s r o o m . c o m
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.
Trans-Amazon Expedition
ts
uick Sta month
2008
Q r
itors pe
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• 60 ,000 st s tudents ge
29,000 covera
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• 154 p ssions
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consum program Project Peru
million t online - 2005
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* Num bers fro s-Amazon Ex
the Tran