Between chili-cook
offs, musical jam sessions, meetings with interesting people, and general
exploration of the city, my first week in Minneapolis sold me on the area and
was an affirmation for the decision to move Wild River Academy to Minneapolis. Upon
arrival I was whisked from the bus station and headed straight to a chili cook-off.
The four different chilis were delicious and later that night we all ventured
into the basement for a jam session. So far so good, Minneapolis was wooing me
right out of the gate. Throughout the week I hit it off with new found family
members through various dinner and coffee shop meet-ups. My second uncle offered
me a place to live for the summer, at his house in Long Lake, MN. I am
constantly surprised by the hospitality exhibited by family members, friends,
and strangers alike. On Monday, Anna flew in and we commenced meeting with
potential partners and advice givers. Paul Thompson from MN 350 over viewed the
mission of the 350 organization. They are working towards cleaner energy and
fighting against global warming skeptics with facts and examples of the effects.
The town of Granite Falls is in the process of removing an unused damn which
will allow for easier recreation access to that part of the river and return
the river to a more natural state. We got a chance to observe the progress of
the removal and take pictures. CURE Minnesota instilled their confidence in us
and offered support for our coming first year; they have offices in Montevideo,
MN and Granite Falls, MN. Getting to know the area and finding support for our
ideas gets me excited about bringing this unique outdoor experience to high
school students. February 9th is CURE Minnesota’s annual convention,
Wild River Academy will have a table there and I expect to meet many more
amazing individuals.
-Nick Ryan
Partner and Director of Operations
