Our Founder
“There are two Wild Gifts. The first is the genius and mystery of Wild Nature upon which all Earth life depends in order to thrive. The second is the genius of humankind, Nature’s adventurous and enigmatic species that in our most magnificent manifestation can create the Oneness of Human Peace. Be caretaker of Nature’s Wild Gifts and our own. This is humankind’s imperative and greatest adventure.”
Wild Gift was founded in 2002 by Bob Jonas, a lifelong wilderness guide, educator, and conservationist based in Ketchum, Idaho.
After decades working as a fishery biologist, wilderness ranger, teacher, and backcountry guide, Bob witnessed something powerful: time in wild places changed people. On the trail, away from distraction, individuals gained clarity, confidence, resilience, and a deeper sense of responsibility to the world around them.
Bob began asking a simple question: If nature is this transformative, why not offer that experience to young leaders committed to making a positive difference in the world?
The Beginning
The earliest Wild Gift Fellowships took place in Alaska’s Wrangell-St. Elias National Park. The goal was not scale; it was depth.
Bob believed that extended time in wilderness builds the qualities strong leadership requires: courage, humility, perseverance, and care for something larger than oneself.
Wild Gift was created to cultivate those qualities in emerging social impact leaders.
Bob Jonas and his partner Sarah Michael in Alaska
A Community Built on Belief
From the beginning, Wild Gift was supported by a close-knit community of guides, friends, and early trekking clients who believed in the power of wilderness and the promise of young leaders.
More than two decades later, that belief continues. Many of those same supporters continue to stand behind Wild Gift. Our Fellowship program has now supported more than 130 social impact founders across North America.
The Vision Continues
Today, Wild Gift hosts an annual Fellowship which includes an 18-day wilderness trek in Idaho or Utah. We also host community treks, hikes, and retreats in Alaska, Vermont, and California. Leadership development is woven throughout the experience and continues beyond the trail.
The core belief remains the same: Strong, grounded leaders are shaped outdoors. And when those leaders return home, their impact extends far beyond the wilderness.