Intro to SUP with the girls from The Community Youth Program (CYP)! “This is scary!” We hear that a lot. And we like to hear it…not because we want to scare little girls, but because it means they are being BRAVE and pushing themselves.

The Wild Way and Roanoke Star Cycling took a group of girls out to Carvin's Cove for an Introduction to Mountain Biking day. RSC is our local youth mountain biking team, and their coaches know exactly how to get girls up and feeling comfortable on the trails.

Earlier this week, we took a group of Afghan girls from Commonwealth Catholic Charities out for an Introduction to Paddleboarding. These girls were absolutely thrilled that they had the opportunity to swim in the river and paddle a SUP.

Yesterday, we took our West End Center For Youth, Inc. girls to Spring Valley Farm for a horseback trail ride.

If you hang with The Wild Way this summer, you will meet our Field Intern Emily Cook. Emily is AWESOME. She is an outdoor enthusiast who loves to climb, paddle, and explore.

How summer has been going so far…we’d say it’s been pretty darn good.

We had the incredibly good fortune to run into The Roanoke Times reporter Jeff Reid at Smith Mountain Lake on the first day of Paddleboard Camp last week.

Last day of Paddleboard Camp, and it’s always bittersweet. These girls learned SO much this week.

Springwood to Buchanan on the James River. Blue skies, clear water, and good vibes with our SUP crew, who has really gotten the hang of navigating the river.

A beautiful day to be outside. This was the girls’ first day on the river and going through rapids. Yes, there were nerves in the morning, but we all took some deep breaths and worked through it.

Today was day one of our first week-long Paddleboard Camp of the season, and we have some very exciting news. We are honored to be an HDR Foundation grant recipient!

Is there anyone who isn’t in love with alpacas? We visited Teaberry Alpaca Farms and learned all about what’s involved in caring for these cuddly creatures.

Yesterday, we visited Lark and Sky Farms, a women-owned and operated 💐 FLOWER 🌺 farm! Owner Laura Stump talked to the girls about day-to-day life as a farmer, which involves everything from manual labor to biology to business skills.

Summer is here, and it’s PADDLEBOARD SEASON! We hit up Smith Mountain Lake for a relaxed “Intro to SUP” day.

It is a busy time of year and it’s important to stay grounded and practice a little mindfulness. And did you know one of the coolest things about mindfulness is that you can do it anytime, anywhere, with anything?!

Our first Intro to Paddleboarding session of the season is coming up on June 9th and there's still time to sign up!

Check out the next episode of our youth-led Wild Way Podcast series! Program participants Caroline Welfare and Avery Godfrey talk stereotypes, anxiety, and expectations.

Last night, Wild Way participant Asher took the stage at Grandin Theatre for Hoot and Holler: Our Stories. Out Loud. In collaboration with Roanoke Prevention Alliance, this Hoot & Holler session focused on stories of resilience and overcoming adversity.

This week, we were fortunate to participate in the Champions for Youth Summit, a conference that supports healthy lifestyles and futures for young people.

Send it, girls! We went to Raven’s Roost this weekend, where we scaled a 110 ft rock face with one of the most beautiful views in the Shenandoah Valley.