MWS STAFF
Born and raised in Montana, I was lucky enough to spend my youth skiing, hiking, and climbing in many wild areas—from the Bears Paw to the Beartooth Mountains. Most of my professional life has been in wilderness education, primarily in the backcountry and in the Mountain West. I have instructed sea kayaking and climbing; worked in the wilderness with "at- risk" youth programs; and taught wilderness medicine courses for Aerie Backcountry Medicine both in the U.S. and abroad. During the winter, I am a professional ski patroller and avalanche rescue dog handler at Bridger Bowl. In 2006, my love of education and desire to keep learning led me to a Master’s Degree in Education with a focus on place-based learning from the University of Montana. I live in Bozeman with my wife, young son, and two dogs, trying to scratch out time to ski, hunt, and climb between working and learning to garden.
JOSH OLSEN, Co-Founder & Program Director Emeritus
COLIN Burdsall, Program Director
My 27 years existing on planet earth have helped me realize that connectedness to the outdoors is imperative to the health and happiness of humanity. It’s hard to say whether I grasped that when I first learned how to start a fire with flint and steel, or witnessed towering Redwood trees while visiting my first National Park. Heck, it might’ve been while I was eating dirt and watching lizards in my childhood backyard. Either way, those outdoor experiences cultivated a desire to seek out more outdoors. Over time I’ve tried various recreational activities and outdoor challenges to pursue a deeper connection to wild places, but I noticed the connection always appeared in much quieter, less obvious moments. I feel driven to help young people find the same. Whether by pushing themselves physically or finding space to embrace the environment around them, I hope they’ll get a taste of how powerful that connection can be.
I was raised in Minnesota and spent my childhood outdoors, camping, swimming, hiking, canoeing, rock climbing, skiing…you get the picture. And while much of it was on Lake Superior and in the Boundary Waters, we traveled extensively throughout the U.S. falling in love with every ecosystem we visited. I remember learning how to: start a fire without matches; make my way through the woods with a compass; keep my gear dry when winter camping; the importance of putting tomorrow’s socks in my sleeping bag so they were warm in the morning; and how extra delicious hot cocoa is when it’s -10°. I have had the great fortune to participate in many outdoor experiences as both student and instructor. In my new role as Executive Director, I am looking forward to supporting this spectacular team as we continue to grow our program and our impact.
MARTHA SELLERS, Executive Director
HAYDEN SIMON, Operations Manager
I spent my childhood roaming the rolling green hills of Central Kentucky, splashing around in creeks, chasing lightning bugs and camping with my family. Early on, I shared my love for the outdoors as a camp counselor at summer camps and taking my younger sibling on mini adventures. My intro to much wilder places happened a bit later in life during a NOLS semester in Patagonia where I became captivated with place-based learning and gained a larger sense of what it means to be a human on this earth. I followed this passion into my bachelor’s degree, Environmental Sustainability at the U of Kentucky and Universidad Veritas in Costa Rica. Since college, I have led MCC trail crews in the woods, plains and, mountains of MT, ID, WY, and the Dakotas, including a summer working on remote trails in the Bob Marshall Wilderness. It was there that I fell in love with Montana’s landscape and empowering young adults to do beautifully challenging things.
2025 FIELD STAFF
My love for the outdoors began as a kid in Seattle, searching for bugs in my backyard and spending time skiing and hiking with my family. From sliding on snow to sleeping on the ground spending time in nature makes me feel more connected to myself, the people I’m with, and the world around me. While earning my degree in Environmental Science I invested much of time working with my university outdoors program, leading trips, instructing trainings, and curating the perfect long drive playlists. I have spent my summers working in outdoor education, backpacking and climbing my way around Washington. I deeply believe that there is no better classroom than the outdoors and am passionate about supporting youth in finding confidence and growth through exploring wild spaces. I am beyond stoked to explore all the beautiful places of Montana and continue working to connect people with nature and each other.
Sara Bonipart, Returner
Ethan Bowen, Returner
Growing up in a family that didn’t sit still, I had the pleasure of getting outside from a young age. Whether through a road trip across the West or just a good night in the woods, I have grown to love being outside and exploring our wild spaces. I moved to Montana 10 years ago and have come to love just about everything this beautiful state has to offer. Through backpacking, rafting, and climbing, I have slowly tried to find my way into all of the beautiful nooks and crannies that the big sky has to offer. My years as a raft guide, snowboard instructor, and recreationist have brought me so much joy helping people explore the outdoors. The opportunity to bring anyone and everyone into our natural world is second to none. Helping folks to find places they can connect to and continue to explore continues to get me stoked on outdoor education and empowering others outdoors.
Kate Gilbert
Originally from a small GA farm town, I’ve spent most of my adult life working in wild places across the West—from the Oregon Cascades to the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. I didn't grow up going on epic adventures, I didn’t even sleep in a tent until I was 20 years old. However, I was always wandering in the woods, picking up frogs and lizards, and playing in the dirt on my tractor. After college, I moved out West and never went back. I have been on crosscut crews, instructed whitewater and mountaineering trips, and taught folks how a map and compass can outlast starlink. Most recently, I managed hundreds of AmeriCorps individuals hoping to make the world a little bit better. Outside of work, I boat, flyfish with my doggo Desmond, and rent Forest Service cabins whenever I can. If someone were to tell my 12-year-old self I would be writing this bio, she’d probably stand a little taller and start thinking “anything’s possible” a little bit sooner.
Alex Kendrick, Returner
My first memories of the outdoors were always here in Montana. Spending my summers wandering through the Madisons & fishing along the Madison River gave me a deep love for the Northern Rockies. As a teen and young adult, I climbed, skied, rafted, and mountaineered through as much of the western United States as possible. I am goal oriented, determined, never able to sit still, and a diehard advocate for pushing my comfort zone. So, whether it is summiting cascade volcanoes, climbing multi-pitch routes, or whitewater kayaking, I always put my entire heart & soul into every adventure. While in college I studied Outdoor Leadership, and spent years being a raft guide and ski instructor. These endeavors have given me unforgettable experiences, memories, and a passion for teaching in the outdoors. Aside from playing outside, I also have a deep love for knitting, sourdough bread, bird watching, Nintendo, and hosting a girls night in.
Jacob Northcutt, Returner
I was born and raised in New England where I was fortunate to be introduced to backpacking and hiking at an early age. In college, I helped run my school’s outdoor club and became interested in rock climbing and other vertical pursuits. After graduation, I worked seasonally at various conservation organizations in the Northeast and focused on becoming a more proficient climber and mountaineer. I then accepted a position at The Putney School (VT), as instructor and advisor, and then at The White Mountain School (NH) where I coached a rock-climbing team. I have always been interested in in finding ways involve students in hands-on learning in the field, where they can connect with human and more-than-human communities. Wilderness expeditions are an incredible way to learn about yourself and your place in the world, and I look forward to traveling through Montana’s wild lands again this summer with my students.
Ryan Peters, Returner
Romping around the Blue Ridge Mountains and glorious rivers surrounding Asheville, NC as a kid taught me the wonders of being outside. I feel so lucky that my dad took my brother and me on backpacking trips with our dog, very loosely run river trips, and all-around adventures growing up. He instilled in us the power of being outside, which led me to Colorado where I obtained an Environmental Studies degree and became a kayak instructor in my school’s Outdoor Ed program. While in Colorado, I discovered climbing and sought it out in some of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been, with some of my favorite humans on earth. Venturing NW, I was a raft guide in Montana and then a snowmaker in Wyoming. There is no better setting than wild places to learn compassion for yourself, all people, and our environment. I am deeply passionate about cherishing this earth and can’t wait to share that with awesome folks here in Montana.
Annabelle Sparks
I was born and raised in the north woods of Minnesota, where I spent my youth camping, hunting, and fishing. As a teen, my first backcountry trip was to the pristine lakes of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness—a special place I return to each year. This trip was formative for me, and it led me to seek a life full of wild experiences. I moved West to Bozeman in 2014 with goals of climbing, skiing, and hunting Montana’s public lands. Fly fishing and elk hunting quickly became my focus, and I spent a few seasons guiding and traveling for these pursuits before finding MWS. I’ve been instructing here for the last 7 years, and a part of our ‘Backcountry Skills for Aspiring Hunters’ course since 2020. I really enjoy sharing elk hunting knowledge with our students. Above and beyond development of outdoor skills, my favorite part of the role is guiding young people in forming strong, supportive communities within their expedition teams. Traveling through wilderness in small groups like this is such a gift, and a wonderful opportunity for personal and interpersonal growth. I’m grateful to be here!