In the 2023 season, Wild Grief spread our branches wide. Today, we share a remarkable harvest from our many successful programs that help people navigate the turmoil of loss and grief. We are no longer in the early growth stages, we are an established and trusted sanctuary offering a unique form of support.

A longtime supporter of ours wrote, “Grief is part of living, but we don’t always like to acknowledge that.” As uncomfortable as it may be to think about, we are all going to experience loss and we are all going to die one day. We all want and deserve sturdy support systems, not only for ourselves, but for those we will one day leave behind. Wild Grief intends to grow organically each year, one growth ring at a time, to continue to be a solid presence for the living who have been touched by the death of someone important to them. We don't pretend we can take the pain away; losing someone important to you is among the hardest realities of the human experience. Most of our guides, volunteers and board members come to this work after living through a loss of their own. Our programs connect us with others who have a profound understanding of our grief, and give us tools to cope and change our relationship with the pain over time. By doing this deep work in wild spaces, we establish nature as an ally in our journey, creating a lasting source of healing.

Rosemary and Bill’s Family’s story

Here are Rosemary’s words she shared on social media

“This program is free to all. What a life-changing event. Attending [Wild Grief’s] weekend Family Camp in September gave me the gift of deep healing, enjoying the great outdoors with my hubby, son and grandchildren. They provided all meals, snacks, drinks, hikes and groups…. They pitched our tents for us. They provided groups for the children and parents… We made memorials of our loved ones in the forest with things from the earth. We had a candle vigil with candles made by the children. Wild Grief is not only a great resource, but a loving, genuine one!! Add them to your referral list!!” -Rosemary Mitchel, 2023 

This video highlights Bill and Rosemary’s experience at our Family Journey Campout.

Feedback from Guardians of Wild Grief participants

“If you have a teen, or know of one that has any kind of grief and you have noticed a change in them… this program is a wonderful option to help them to feel like it is OK to grieve… it is a comfortable place to be their self with others in the same position and have similarities to express themselves, their grief, even just listen.”

-Teen backpack participant's parent

“She let go of some deep-held emotions... We were even able to talk to her about this, which was uncommon for her, on how she/we can move forward on her feeling like she is living in the past. We talked about ideas and decided on less phone time, limited social media, more family time, getting out of the house, and having friends that are on a similar path.” Teen backpack participant's parent

“This is a unique experience not offered elsewhere. It is totally worth all the effort to apply, attend orientation, interview etc. and those steps are actually great preparation for the kids. The wilderness dimension of the trip is what allows the group to bond and go deeper. The staff and volunteers are excellent, and I never once worried about my son’s safety, physical or emotional. Wild Grief creates a safe place for kids.” -Teen backpack participant's parent

“When you are down and troubled and need a helping hand, Wild Grief will meet you where you are in your grief and give you a hand up. This is a safe place where your grief can be acknowledged and validated. So many people say they are sorry for your loss… Wild Grief guides have personal experience and know how it feels to grieve great loss. They continue to hold space for those who need more than the traditional support they are finding. Family focus is a huge component of healing. I am so thankful to have come with part of my family and shared this experience.” - Family Journey Campout participant

Join us from anywhere for Virtual Hike Habit:

In the beginning of the pandemic, when we were striving to keep our programs going, we adapted our in-person hike into a monthly virtual program. It is far from your average online support group: every time the group meets, we connect with peers who are also grieving, and then we pause and all go outside to spend time with nature. This could be contemplating a tree in the backyard, sitting in a patch of grass, or taking a short walk. We encourage folks to think of the natural cycles of the earth as they keep the person they have lost in their heart. We find that our time together brings fresh insight and comfort. This program is accessible regardless of physical ability or location.  

This program meets monthly on the second Saturday of each month. 

Click here to sign up or learn more 

This video is made by Karen, a Wild Grief board member and Virtual Hike Habit Leader about the experience of leading this program over the years.

Since our humble beginnings, we have tailored our programs to meet the needs of our community, slowly growing year by year. Last year, we introduced our Family Journey Campout program, led more teen backpacking trips than ever before and led our first young adult backpacking trip. We added more day hikes and collaborated with the Seattle Children's Hospital Journey program to host our first hike in Spanish. 

This year, after hiring an additional staff member, we were able to serve 60% more people all while maintaining the same number of programs as last year. We are thrilled to wrap up the program season with a sense of spaciousness and gratitude for what we accomplished.like beholding a tree grown from a planted seed that is beginning to bear fruit from our many branches. Wild Grief and grieving families are sustained by you, our community of support. 

“It was helpful being able to talk to other mothers going through a very similar experience. I felt so alone I had no one to talk to except my counselor about stuff like this.” -Guardian at 2023 Family Journey Campout

Branching out to meet the need: Family Journey Campout 

Our Family Journey Campout is a three day camping trip that Wild Grief offers free of charge including food, supplies and gear. Surrounded by tall cedars in a secluded group camp in Lewis and Clark State Park, families are able to set aside the slog of day to day life and open up to peers about their loss. Each day the children adventure through the forest engaging in age-appropriate grief work and play while parents connect with each other about their experience of parenting grieving children while feeling the weight of the loss themselves. .  

Only in this program’s second year, Wild Grief decided to expand due to the overwhelming number of applicants and tripled Family Journey Campout participation! Sadly, we still had long waitlists for this program, so we know there is more to do. Like a tree that stretches its branches toward the light of the sun,our campout grew from four families to six, to eight, and this past September our fourth campout was able to serve thirteen families! With this growth we added a teen track to our camps alongside the “middles” and the “littles” groups. This growth testifies to the crucial need there is for local grief support for the whole family.

In this video youth from Family Journey Campout share how it has impacted them

“I don’t know what I was expecting about camp, but what I got was 1000 times more than anything that I expected.” - 2023 Family Camp Participant 

Alissa’s Family Journey  Story  - 

Alissa’s family first came to Wild Grief as participants in our Family Journey program. Later she came back to volunteer on our kitchen crew and then this September she became a grief guide!  She was kind enough to share some thoughts on her journey.  

“In the fall of 2021 my family started a journey. It was a journey filled with love as well as deep grief, and most importantly support. Wild Grief provided support for our family during a time when it often felt difficult to be seen or heard in our everyday lives. My children were able to share their feelings with other kids experiencing grief. At the same time we were able to connect with parents who really understood what it's like to manage your own grief on top of supporting children who are in it as well. Wild Grief had such a profound impact on my life that I returned a few years later to volunteer in the kitchen during a campout. My relationship grew deeper still when I became a guide. Supporting families during grief is an honor. One that I hope to continue for years to come.”  

-by  Alissa Fanning 

“I liked everything about the program. The setting was wonderful. The food was wonderful. All the counselors were fantastic. It was truly a blessing to be able to attend.” 2023 Family Camp Participant 

Our central values of nature, exploration and connection guide us in  crafting all our programs. These core values are deeply rooted in everything we do, ensuring that we not only provide guidance for people's grief journey, but also instill a sense of wonder, curiosity, and appreciation for the world around us. Everything we do, we do outdoors; fresh air allows us to breathe deep. We learn to explore our emotional landscape as well as the physical terrain. We do it all  together - we believe in the power of peer support. We can go through anything if we don’t have to do it alone.

Today we dive into three more values that guide us. When we are grounded in the values of compassion, equity, and integrity our tree grows a strong trunk and can withstand any storm. Helping us stay connected to what truly matters to us. By grounding our work in these fundamental principles, we create meaningful experiences that resonate with our participants and foster interconnectedness.

Compassion 

When immersed in grief support, compassion is an emotion that flows naturally. We know that being outdoors can bring out our true compassionate nature – and nature is big enough to hold our grief, our stories, our exhaustion. We want our community to see grief as a part of life, work to build community connection and create ways to witness and support grieving people. We feel compassion with each other as we learn each of us are on a journey of exploration, discovery and healing. Our participants and their needs are the heart of everything we do. One of our regular Hike Habit participants made an amazing video about their family’s healing journey and the role that Wild Grief has played. When we take the time to listen to others’ stories, we feel compassion in our bones. 

This video highlights one Hike Habit participants experience 

Equity - A spotlight on our hikes in Spanish.

We have seen a major gap in grief support services for our local Spanish speaking community. To help a time of great loss, Wild Grief partnered with the Journey Program at Seattle Children's Hospital and has been leading day hikes in Spanish together. We asked our partner to share their experience working with us and the impact it has had on the families they work with regularly. 

“The Journey Program and Wild Grief continue to partner, holding healing spaces for grieving families in nature. I am deeply grateful and honored to collaboratively organize our third grief nature walk with Spanish-speaking families. I appreciate how we worked together to ensure we offered culturally and linguistically appropriate care and support - providing a safe space in nature where everyone is seen and heard. As families embark upon their grief journeys, they can feel isolated and alone. Nature and community provide a space of relief, wellness, and connection which can bring forth hope and healing. Throughout the hike participants had an opportunity to remember, honor, and celebrate the lives of departed loved ones. It was so lovely to see everyone’s care, compassion, and dedication, while sharing powerful words of wisdom, treasured memories, stories, laughter, joy, and tears. Being intentional and attuned to the needs of grieving families, the support and collective care were deeply felt.

I want to extend my heartfelt appreciation for the unwavering support and am beyond grateful to every contribution made.” 

By Brenda Aguilar Journey Program Bereavement Clinician

Seattle Children's Hospital  -with humility, love, and hope. 

Integrity - Our organizational structure 

Wild Grief has a unique and thriving organizational culture because of a willingness to slow down and grow organically. Taking the time to expand out one growth ring at a time has built a strong trunk that now supports our many programs and flourishing community. Wild grief is a non-hierarchical organization, something that many talk about but are afraid to put into practice. Our board runs on consensus; if there is disagreement on an issue, we slow down and listen more deeply to what everyone has to say. We have learned the wisest direction at forks in the trail comes from hearing all voices.