The People Behind the Adventures Series: Katie Quirk
Behind every thriving Outdoor Club is a teacher who shows up - not because it's required, but because they believe in what happens when students get outside together. As Teens to Trails celebrates 20 years of connecting Maine youth with the outdoors, we're taking time this year to honor the advisors at the heart of that work.
This blog is part of our year-long series honoring the advisors behind Maine's Outdoor Clubs.
Katie Quirk is, by her own description, an adventurer at heart. She has taught in Tanzania, India, France, Northern Ireland, Costa Rica, and on both coasts of the United States -- and she dreams, quite literally, about taking teenagers on field trips. So when her son asked if she'd be willing to revive the Outing Club at Orono High School and serve as its advisor, the answer was never really in question.
The club is just one year old. And it is already anything but small.
What's your favorite piece of outdoor gear, and why? I love my backpacking pack. It's wondrous to be able to carry everything you need on your back into the wilderness.
What's your favorite outdoor space in Maine? Wassataquoik Lake in Baxter. My family and I have good memories backpacking there and canoe sailing with hammocks as sails.
What's one small moment with your outdoor club that's stayed with you? Ski jumping on Nordic skis -- or, in my case, helping to rebuild the jump while club members jumped -- along with the lovely staff at the AMC lodge Little Lyford.
How has your club evolved since you first started working with Teens to Trails? My son, who is a senior, and I revived our school's high school outing club last spring, so we're new but mighty. We have had great student interest in our trips so far, and many willing student contributors.
What does being outside offer students that the classroom often can't? Unstructured time with friends; play; opportunities to do meaningful, practical work like cook dinner for 30 people or set up a tent in the dark; time fully free from screens and social media; opportunities to push through physical hardship and to emerge successful on the other side; the mental reset that comes from being in nature.
In what ways has being part of the Teens to Trails community changed what's possible for your club? Teens to Trails has been game changing for my club, particularly as we get started. The fall Rendezvous conference provided me with lots of important ideas and resources -- it was the most productive conference I have attended as an educator ever, truly. Teens to Trails (TtT) gave our club a critical grant that has allowed us to provide scholarships for any kid who needs one for any trip, as well as a membership with Maine GearShare to provide camping gear for those who don't have it, which is the majority of our kids. Finally, TtT makes networking easy -- one example is that I learned about the AMC's wonderful Outdoor Journey Fund through TtT.
What do you hope students carry with them long after they've been involved with their outdoor club? I hope students discover and maintain a passion for recreating in the outdoors. I've witnessed many firsts for students this year -- first time camping, first time cooking outside, first time pushing through physical discomfort in the wilderness, first time skiing with a backpack, first time going on a sunrise hike.
Stay tuned -- every other month this year, we'll be introducing you to another advisor who is helping shape what's possible for Outdoor Clubs across Maine.