The Green Canoe

In my formative years, I embarked on canoe expeditions to the remote Canadian Algonquin wilderness. The centerpiece of the “Going Alone” experience was camping alone on an island for a night. There was no internet or cell phones so once you were out there, you were in there. We paddled the maze of lakes and swamps and streams for days on end and portaged our food, gear and canoes over land bridges countless times each day from campsite to campsite.

Among our mini fleet of heavy aluminum canoes was one ultralight green Kevlar canoe. The coveted days when it was your turn to take the helm of the “Green Canoe” were a much welcomed respite from hauling a hundred pounds of aluminum on your shoulders through swamps and swarms of hungry black flies.

Learning how to survive, thrive and enjoy the wilderness alone and alongside my fellow adventurers was one of the most humbling, expansive and inspiring experiences of my life. It sparked my ever-evolving passion to protect and preserve our beautiful planet and care for its people.

After decades of hard work, calculated risks and a couple good decisions, I earned the good fortune to create a charitable foundation to give back. Its namesake honors the unforgettable people, the immense beauty and the life lessons I learned during those summers in Algonquin dreaming and paddling in the Green Canoe.

We alone carry ourselves through the expedition of life. The Green Canoe Foundation can help lighten the load.

Return to Algonquin 2007

Over a decade later in 2007, I returned to Algonquin with my best friend Jason and the original founder and leader of the “Going Alone” expeditions, Gary McEnry. Gary is a dear family friend and lifelong caregiver, creator and conservationist. He lives in my hometown, Erie, PA and works with the Sisters of St. Joseph Neighborhood Network to teach inner city kids the benefits of gardening, growing your own food and getting out into nature.