The Institute is not a place, but an adventure. It was born and developed in the city of Tukwila; in the year 2000, when executive director and founder, Hunter Hendrickson, began organizing free outdoor education trips for disabled, low-income and ELL (English language learner) students. As these kids traveled to the Skagit River to learn about spawning salmon and wintering bald eagles, it became apparent that they were learning even more about themselves. Children with cerebral palsy rowing a raft downstream were moving with a speed, agility, and freedom they had never known before. Recent refugees from Bosnia and Africa experienced for the first time our wilderness and instantly felt part of something larger. Without experiencing nature these children will never develop the passion to preserve it. And without engaging diverse groups of students in powerful learning we will never end social prejudice and racism. Being one of the most impoverished and ethnically diverse districts in Washington, it is vitally important that Tukwila and communities like it continue to embrace progressive education and inclusive social services.

The Wild and Scenic Institute has since grown slowly from its modest grassroots beginning and has now received it tax-exempt 501 (c) (3) status from the IRS. We are now offering 5 programs year round, in and around 3 rivers protected by the Wild and Scenic Act of 1968. With the shared vision that children are the future, the WSI continues to take children into the rivers and mountains of the North Cascades to develop the skills and instill the passion that will create a generation of advocates for preservation.