The Team

As a lifelong Girl Scout, Helena has always felt a special connection to the outdoors. She has a bachelor's degree in Environmental Studies at Ohio University with certificates in Appalachian studies among others. She completed her undergraduate thesis on food security in Appalachia in May 2025, then a few days later embarked on an 80 day canoe journey to the Hudson Bay.  Helena’s passion is outdoor education and sharing her love for the natural world with others. Her passion was sparked in college when she got a job at Ohio University Outdoor Pursuits and eventually became the Trip Supervisor. While leading a 2 week expedition in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area, she found herself as a leader and a new love for canoeing. She has since spent over 300 days in the backcountry leading backpacking, climbing, and canoeing trips. After graduating and completing her 1300 mile trip to the Arctic Ocean, She decided to continue her work outdoors at North Carolina Outward Bound as an instructor. In her personal time, Helena enjoys spending time in the backcountry climbing, canoeing, fly fishing, and trail running. 

Olivia fell in love with the wilderness and canoeing during a seven day trip with the Girl Scout’s Northern Lakes Canoe Base when she was 14. Since then, Olivia has spent nearly a decade canoeing over 2,700 miles throughout North America. In 2023, she completed a 55-day Outward Bound leadership course in Utah, going 48-days without a shower and travelling through remote canyons by backpacking, canyoneering, canoeing, and rafting. In 2025, Olivia paddled a 1,300 mile expedition to the Arctic with the Hudson Bay Girls—paddling on all types of water, from the vast expanse of Lake Winnipeg to segments of the Echamamish River that were barely wide enough for her canoe. Olivia is currently a Senior at Virginia Tech, and will be graduating with a degree in Wildlife Conservation in May. When she's not on a personal adventure, she works as an Instructor with the Hurricane Island Outward Bound school or leads trips with her University's outdoor program, Venture Out.