Everyday Adventures at Gilda’s Club provide healing in nature’s classroom
The group gently crunched on fallen leaves when they heard it- “Hoo-h’HOO-hoo-hoo.” A Great Horned Owl! Soon, other owls joined the first in a chorus of calls, and the group broke out into grins.
“Spooky Season Night Hike” was one of over two dozen “Everyday Adventures” held this year and last. What are Everyday Adventures through Gilda’s Club? These experiences might include a hike, a bike ride, a horse encounter, or an owl prowl. They offer individuals touched by cancer an opportunity to be present, reset, reconnect with themselves and others, and begin to feel whole again. Best of all, they are provided entirely at no charge to those impacted by cancer.
Being brave
Barbara is one of our most avid adventurers. She has attended several Everyday Adventures, from a spring ephemerals hike to foraging to butterfly hikes and more.
“If you asked me to describe myself two years ago, I would have told you that I’m a mum, a grandma, a dog owner, a gardener, a naturalist and book lover. Now I would add cancer patient to my resume of life,” she shares.
For Barbara, it took her a long time to become comfortable talking about her cancer diagnosis. “For me, being a very private person, I was quiet about my cancer diagnosis, and I felt alone because of that choice I had made….It took me quite a while to be able to open up to myself about it.”
She explains that it was the Gilda’s community that slowly made her become more comfortable in sharing with others. “Some of the classes I’ve taken here have helped me be brave- to say ‘I have cancer.’”
“Nature is a beautiful teacher”
While Barbara has taken educational classes, art workshops, and attended socials at Gilda’s- Everyday Adventures hold a special place in her heart.
When she is out in nature, “The cancer recedes in importance. It can recede for an hour and you don’t have to worry about the next CT scan, why you’re coughing, etc. And, boy, nature is a beautiful teacher, don’t you think?”
This is the aim of Everyday Adventures: to provide a place of healing and camaraderie for anyone touched by cancer. Some adventures are “big,” like kayaking the Wisconsin River, meeting owls, or tree climbing. Some help folk learn a new skill, like fly fishing or foraging. And some are there to help folks to see the everyday in a new way, like butterfly hikes or mindful photography.
A collaborative community
“The walks are so educational. You always learn things that you didn’t know before,” Barbara shares. One fun aspect of the hikes is how collaborative they are, with many folks, like Barbara, who is a Master Gardener and a Master Naturalist, sharing their own knowledge with others. Barbara shares how much she appreciates that feeling of community. “It’s so organic, you don’t really realize it’s happening at the time.”
Barbara shares that, with Everyday Adventures, members know that they share two things in common with the other attendees: cancer and a love of nature. She appreciates that you can talk about cancer if you want to but you can also choose to focus on the present moment in nature. “You’re just meeting people where they’re at,” she explains. “Because you have a focal point for the [Everyday Adventure], it takes up your attention and everything else just floats away.”
The hope is that folks will carry the lessons they learn through Everyday Adventures with them into the rest of their lives. For Barbara, nature is a classroom where she can put those lessons into practice long after each adventure ends.
For her, and for the others who attend Everyday Adventures, “Being outside is just good for your soul.”
To learn more about Everyday Adventures, visit our program calendar: www.GildasClubWI.org/Calendar. Everyday Adventures were made possible in 2026 by our Giving Tuesday donors. Thank you to everyone who contributed and made these healing activities possible!