Freeman Explore

  • Buy our Book!
  • A Year in the Wilderness
    • Bear Witness (Short Film)
    • Read the Book!
  • About
    • Videos
    • Media Resources
    • Media Archives
  • Education
  • Speaking
    • Speaking Resume
    • Testimonials
  • Expeditions

A Year in the Wilderness

September 26, 2015 By Dave Freeman

Amy_Dave_FreemanOn September 23rd, 2015 my wife, Amy Freeman, and I embarked on a yearlong adventure in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness to protect the Boundary Waters from proposed sulfide-ore copper mining on the Wilderness edge, and to teach people about the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. During 366 in the Wilderness we travel more than 2,000 miles by canoe and dog team as we explore more than 500 lakes and streams throughout the year. We shared our adventure through regular blog posts on a variety of websites as well as social media.

Canoe and Kayak Magazine / National Geographic Adventure  / Save the Boundary Waters Blog / Wilderness Classroom / Instagram.com/freemanexplore / Facebook.com/FreemanExplore / twitter.com/freemanexplore

We are excited to share Bear Witness with you. We hope you enjoy this 12 minute short film about A Year in the Wilderness. We are also working on a book about A Year in the Wilderness with Milkweed Editions! We encourage you to sign up to be notified via email when the book is released! We would also love to come bring our Year in the Wilderness to your community through fun and engaging live presentation. If you know of a school, organization, or business that might be interested in hosting us for a speaking engagement let us know!

Bear Witness: A Year in the Wilderness from Save The BWCA on Vimeo.

For media inquiries please contact ellie@savetheboundarywaters.org for all other questions please contact us!

Filed Under: FreemansExplore, Wilderness Year

Dave and Amy Freeman

April 6, 2014 By Dave Freeman

 

Dave and Amy Freeman Photo by: Nate Ptacek

Dave and Amy Freeman
Photo by: Nate Ptacek

Since 2001 Dave and Amy Freeman have traveled over 30,000 miles by kayak, canoe and dogsled through some of the world’s wildest places, from the Amazon to the Arctic. National Geographic named Dave and Amy Adventurers of the Year in 2014 and their images, videos, and articles been published by a wide range of media sources from the CBC, NBC, and FOX to the Chicago Tribune, National Geographic, Outside, Backpacker, Canoe and Kayak, and Minnesota Public Radio.

The Freemans are memorable speakers and skilled educators who use their wilderness journeys to inspire, educate and entertain a diverse range of audiences, from armchair adventurers and k-12 students to business leaders and seasoned wilderness travelers. They use exploration to highlight life lessons, conservation, and backcountry skills that benefit a varied audience. When Dave and Amy aren’t on expeditions or speaking tours, they guide canoe, kayak and dogsled trips near their home on the edge of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in Northern Minnesota.

The Freemans also run the Wilderness Classroom, an educational nonprofit organization that introduces kids to wild places and unique cultures.  They actively engage thousands of elementary and middle school students in their expeditions using the internet and live school programs. The North American Odyssey, the latest of many such educational expeditions, actively engaged over 85,000 students through www.wildernessclassroom.org; Dave and Amy worked directly with over 25,000 students during school assemblies.

Watch this 3 minute National Geographic video to learn more about the Freemans. 

Filed Under: About, FreemansExplore

Engaging, Fun and Inspiring Presentations

April 2, 2014 By Dave Freeman

Dave and Amy Freeman present during a school assembly

Dave and Amy Freeman’s presentations captivate, inspire, and educate their audiences.

Dave and Amy Freeman are memorable speakers who have been delivering thoughtful, inspiring and impactful programs for more than a decade. They tailor their messages to resonate with a wide range of ages and interests from inspiring keynote presentations to hands-on programs with young children. The Freemans have given over 700 presentations  at a wide range of venues from conferences, trade shows, libraries, colleges, outdoor expos, festivals, retail stores, museums and k-12 schools to the New York Stock Exchange. Plus, they work with K-12 classrooms around the world through interactive presentations using Skype.

Dave and Amy Freeman have traveled over 30,000 miles by canoe, kayak, and dogsled over the last decade and use stunning images, videos, and stories from their expeditions to draw clear connections between their experiences in the field and the topics they present. Many schools, businesses, and institutions invite them back year after year to inspire, educate and entertain their audiences.

Presentation Topics

  • Inspiration and Motivation
  • Setting and Achieving Goals
  • Leadership
  • Conservation
  • Communication and Team Work
  • Canoeing/Kayaking/Dogsledding/Camping
  • Wilderness
  • Amazon Rainforest

Schedule a presentation!

Contact Dave and Amy to discuss their availability, rates, and how they can tailor a program to fit the interests and time frame of our event.

Filed Under: FreemansExplore, Presentations

Dave and Amy Freeman’s Major Wilderness Treks

March 18, 2014 By Dave Freeman

Our team tells us it is time to get going after a short break. -McKenzie River, North West Territories

Our team tells us it is time to get going after a short break. -McKenzie River, North West Territories

Since they met in 2005 Dave and Amy Freeman have traveled over 30,000 miles together by canoe, kayak, and dogsled. In a normal year they spend more nights sleeping in a tent or under the stars than they  spend with a roof over their heads. Below is a list of the major wilderness treks that they have successfully completed. The Freemans’ over arching goal is to use their human-powered treks to gain appreciation and protection for wild places, to encourage people to spend time outside, and inspire people to set audacious goals and work hard to achieving them.

A Year in the Wilderness (September 23rd, 2015 – September 23rd, 2016)

Dave and Amy Freeman embarked on a 365-day adventure in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in support of the Campaign to Save the Boundary Waters’ efforts to protect the Boundary Waters from proposed sulfide-ore copper mining on the Wilderness edge. The two will traveled approximately 3,000 miles by canoe and dog team as they explored more than 500 lakes and streams throughout the year. The journey will begin on September 23, 2015, the fall equinox, on the edge of the Boundary Waters in Ely, Minnesota, and concluded 366 days later when the Freemans paddled out of the wilderness after spending an entire year with out crossing a road, entering a building, or leaving the Wilderness.

Completed Expeditions

Paddle to DC (August-December 2014)

On August, 24 of 2014, Dave and Amy Freeman began a 101-day journey along the waterways of the United States and Canada from Ely, Minnesota to Washington D.C. in hopes of delivering their canoe to the White House in early December. The “petition” canoe was signed by thousands of people who are determined that no sulfide ore mining should be allowed in the Boundary Waters Watershed. The Freemans traveled over 2,000 miles by water, paddling the signature canoe on the smaller lakes, rivers, and sailing a 27 foot sailboat named “Yemaya” across the Great Lakes with the canoe on board.

Rio Roosevelt Centennial Expedition (May-June 2014)

Dave and a team of 8 Americans and Brazilians retraced President Theodore Roosevelt’s historic first descent of the Rio Roosevelt, or River if Doubt,  in 1914. They  spent over 6 weeks in Brazil and 35 days canoeing over 400 miles down the remote and challenging Rio Roosevelt.

North American Odyssey (2010-2013)

Amy and Dave spent 3 years traveling over 11,700 miles across North America by canoe, kayak, and dogsled through some of the wildest places and most unique ecosystems on the continent.

Trans-Amazon Expedition (2007-2008)

The Freemans led an international team of scientists, educators and explorers on a 3,000 mile traverse of South America. They cycled from the Pacific Ocean up and over the Andes Mountains and then spent nearly 6 months paddling across the Amazon Basin to the mouth of the Amazon River.

Superior Waters Project (2006)

In the Fall of 2006 Dave and Amy completed their first major wilderness trek together. They circumnavigated Lake Superior during the stormy months of September and October. After 54 days of which they were windbound for 16 they completed their 1,000 mile paddle just before Halloween.

Project Peru 2  (2006)

In the Spring of 2006 Dave led an international team on a 6 week exploratory canoe trip in the Peruvian Amazon. Their team completed the first known canoe descent of the Pacaya River in modern times.

Project Peru 1  (2005)

In the Spring of 2005 Dave Freeman led a team on a 6 week canoe trip in Amazon. They paddled dugout canoes and descended the Samiria River through the heart of the remote Pacaya Samiria National Reserve in the Peruvian Amazon.

 

Filed Under: Expeditions, FreemansExplore

Guided Adventures in the Boundary Waters and Beyond

February 19, 2014 By Dave Freeman

Canoeing and fishing in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area WildernessWhen we are not on expeditions Amy and I lead canoeing and dogsledding wilderness adventures in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and sea kayak trips along the North Shore of Lake Superior. We have over 20 years of combined experience leading wilderness trips and can organize and lead your family or group on an unforgettable wilderness journey.

Do you have your sights set on a location outside of the Boundary Waters? We have paddled and dogsledded over 30,000 miles, crisscrossing North and South America in the process. Let us know what type of wilderness experience you are looking for, we would love to help make it happen.

Please contact us to discuss how we can be apart of your next wilderness experience.

This business is operated under special use permit from the Superior National Forest.

Filed Under: FreemansExplore, Guided Adventures

Educational Programs

January 17, 2014 By Dave Freeman

Education plays a major role in all of the Freeman’s expeditions and there are a variety of ways that K-12 students and teachers can participate.

The Wilderness Classroom Organization

The Wilderness Classroom’s goal is to improve students’ core academic skills and appreciation for the environment by connecting classrooms with expeditions around the globe. Through the Wilderness Classroom students and teachers use lesson plans, photos, videos, online polls, and other interactive features of www.wildernessclassroom.org to participate in the Freeman’s adventures, as well as a wide range of other projects that connect scientists, explorers, and travelers with classrooms. For example, during the North American Odyssey over 85,000 students and 2,700 teachers from around the globe used the Wilderness Classroom to follow the Freeman’s 11,700 mile journey across North America by canoe, kayak, and dogsled and learn along with them. National Geographic named Dave and Amy Freeman “Adventurers of the Year” in 2014 for their educational efforts.

The Wilderness Classroom’s lesson plans and activities are aligned to Common Core Standards and designed with a 3th through 8th grade audience in mind, but educators working with students of all ages, from K-12 have successfully used Wilderness Classroom expeditions in their classrooms. All lesson plans and other education resources are made available to classrooms for free thanks to corporate sponsors, private donors, and grants.

We encourage teachers to register and start using the Wilderness Classroom today!

Skype in the Classroom

Through a partnership with Skype and the Wilderness Classroom the Freeman’s offer a variety of Skype lessons. During Skype Lessons, which typically last 20 to 30 minutes Dave and Amy use Skype’s video conferencing and screen sharing technology to interact with classrooms on a variety of topics ranging from the Amazon Rainforest to Dogsledding. This provides classrooms from around the world a unique opportunity to ask questions and interact with the explorers in a meaningful and impactful way. It is not uncommon for the adventurers to video conference with classrooms from several different countries in the same day.

Google’s Connect Classroom

Through a partnership between Google, EdReach, and the Wilderness Classroom the Freemans are developing a series of  virtual field trips, which allow groups of classrooms to connect with the Freeman’s using Google Hangout. The Dave and Amy are also part of the Google Glass Explorers program. They are also using video taken through Google Glass to provide participating classrooms with a POV perspective while dogsledding and doing other activities to put the students on the back of a dogsled, and spark their interest in exploration and the outdoors. The virtual field trips are being promoted by a range of media sources including Google and National Geographic.

Filed Under: Education, FreemansExplore

Order our Book!

Recent Posts

April 29,...

April 29th, 2018

Wow! What a day! We started the day with a presentation at Westminster Church in Minneapolis, and th[...]

April 28,...

April 28th, 2018

Join us Monday April 30th for a live streaming Q and A through Kickstarter Live! We look forward to [...]

April 27,...

April 27th, 2018

Happy Friday! We have just ONE WEEK to go on our #PedaltoDC @Kickstarter. Join us in speaking loudly[...]

April 26,...

April 26th, 2018

As we pedaled down the last few miles of the Munger Trail today and then worked our way south on old[...]

April 26,...

April 26th, 2018

We are making a quick stop at the Post Office in Hinkley to sign and mail a book that someone reques[...]

Archives

  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • April 2015
  • December 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • March 2014
  • February 2014
  • January 2014

Contact Us

Do you have questions or comments? Perhaps you would like to join us on a wilderness adventure, or have us speak at your business, school, or event.

Contact us!

Connect with the us

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • Vimeo
image

Copyright 2014 Freemans Explore · Log in

 

Loading Comments...