Meet Lee Vue

Hi! Hello! Hey!

My name is Lee Vue and I previously paddled the Mississippi River last year with Paddle Forward. I can’t wait for another amazing time on the river!

Who is Lee?

I grew up in Saint Paul, Minnesota and currently work as a freelance photographer and consultant. I obtained my BA in Political Science from the University of Minnesota- Twin Cities.  These past few years, I have been traveling and volunteering my time in other countries. I recently just returned from the Philippines after spending a month helping with the earthquake disaster relief efforts on the island of Bohol. My first experience into the great outdoors was at the age of thirteen and since then I have continued to spend time among lakes, tall trees, rising mountains, and rolling rivers. My love for the wilderness and rivers is ever growing with an insatiable need to find new adventures every year.

Why did she join Paddle Forward: Illinois River?

It was a great learning experience to be part of building the overall vision of Paddle Forward’s pilot year last year. It was fascinating to learn about the role rivers play into the development and sustainability of towns and cities along the route and implementing an adventure-learning curriculum. This year, we’ve finessed the curriculum and made it the primary focus so I’m looking forward to connecting with K-12 students and sharing discoveries on the trip. I’m excited for all the students to get excited about rivers and nature beyond the means of textbooks and classroom walls.  I hope they get inspired to go on their own adventure one day and continue learning about water and nature conservation.

What will she gain from this trip?

I strive to do what I love and measure life on a happiness scale. Paddling rivers, participating in Paddle Forward, and supporting Wild River Academy are among my list of “Things I Love To Do.” I’m looking forward to those unexpected moments and chance meetings with people along the river that will make the experience more than just an outdoors adventure. It’s about making connections (new friends), living in a micro-community, mobility by canoeing, and finding the simple joys at moving in a slow pace under the open skies.

Canoecopia 2014!

On March 7th and 8th the Wild River Academy team crossed the Mississippi and headed east to Madison, Wisconsin.  Several members of the Paddle Forward Crew accompanied the team on an adventure to Canoecopia!

Canoecopia is the largest paddlesports consumer event in the world, with over 250,000 square feet of kayaks, canoes, Stand Up Paddleboards, outdoor equipment and clothing.

Beyond the paddle gear, Canoecopia hosts organizations and speakers from all over the world to share their knowledge and stories related to paddling.  This past weekend six paddle forward members (Erika, Liz, Nick, Natalie, Anna, and Sarah) presented on Saturday and Sunday about the trip.

The presentation on Saturday was filled with a variety of people who were interested in hearing more about the trip.  Natalie opened up the presentation with a brief introduction to the trip.  It was exciting to remember where we came from and how much we've accomplished since last year.  The rest of the presentation included stories and descriptions of the river to the eager audience.  The highlight of the presentation was sharing stories about the people we met and radical hospitality we experienced on the trip.

Facebook Pic & Quote from the day: "Reminiscing about the Poché family and friends at mile 149 at our Canoecopia presentation"

After our presentations we enjoyed walking around and talking with vendors and other outdoor organizations. Many people were excited to hear about Wild River Academy's programs and give to our Sponsor a Student to Paddle Campaign! We ran into friends at Bending Branches, Teva, Stone Harbor, Granite Gear, Bunjee Dealy Bobs, Slat Grill, Canoe&Kayak, and MTI.  



One of the highlights of the weekend was meeting Jordan and Justin from OAR Northwest.  Jordan will be rowing the Mississippi River this fall with a team of people.  They will be visiting at least three schools in every state along the River from Minnesota all the way to Louisiana!  Beyond the schools they visit, they will be reaching students across the nation through adventure learning.  Justin and his partner facilitate the off water education using many different technology tools to deliver their message.  You can learn more about OAR Northwest or sign up to follow the adventure online.   We're excited to continue conversation and follow the trip!  

  

Overall the weekend was a huge success and we thank everyone who came out to listen to our presentation!