Natalie believes that wilderness adventures help young females reach their full physical and emotional potential. After a year of presenting on her Hudson Bay Bound adventure, she wanted to provide something tangible for her audiences...Hello, Wild River Academy! Natalie loves to dress up as a dog, play music, and manage your hunger level on trail. She has too many finger puppets, if there is such a thing.

Nick Ryan was born in Stevens Point, WI. Nick lived in Poway,  California for 3 years and then spent the rest of his young life in Naperville, IL before attending Western Illinois University. At WIU, Nick obtained a bachelors degree in Law Enforcement with minors in sociology and SCUBA diving.

Some of Nick's many passions include: SCUBA diving of any kind, anywhere. He loves camping especially when tied to canoeing, hiking, or any other outdoor activity, and is an avid ultimate frisbee player who likes to run for fun.

Nick's favorite memory of the outdoors would have to be when he went on a two day, 60 mile canoe trip, with two friends, down the Missouri River in South Dakota bordering Nebraska.

Anna Johnson is extremely knowledgeable about the outdoors, plays the banjo, and is the newest member of the Wild River Academy family. She grew up in Evanston, IL, but spent her summers at Camp Bil-O-Wood in northern Ontario, where she canoed extensively. It was on these trips that she developed a passion for the environment, a love of canoeing, and formed incredible relationships, all of which define who she is today.

Anna ditched her home in the flatlands of Chicago to attend Colorado College and earn a degree in Political Science and a minor in Environmental Issues. She moved to Washington, D.C. to gain experience in environmental policy. After working with an environmental non-profit, spending the summer on an educational organic farm, and interning with the White House Council on Environmental Quality, she is excited to be joining Wild River Academy.