Micah
Leinbach
Micah Leinbach serves as the Executive Director for the Bus for Outdoor Access & Teaching. “BOAT” puts a full-service outdoor program – entirely mobile on a bus with seats and gear for over 30 people – in the hands of community leaders, addressing barriers to outdoor experiences. Those leaders get to leverage the power of time outside on their own terms, in their own way, to tell their own stories.
A Michigan native, Micah has been running collaboratively-designed, justice-forward outdoor programs across organizations for over a decade, leading multiple teams in conducting this style of custom-built education program. He has supported non-profits, schools, municipalities, faith groups, home school families, and more in building – and then supporting the operations of – trips that expand on the work they already do. He works as a wilderness guide and certified Coach, and is a Wilderness EMT, Level 3 Leave No Trace Outdoor Ethics Instructor, and experienced entrepreneur and facilitator.
Sessions with Micah
Bridging the Adventure Gap: Great Lakes Adventures for All
3:15PM-4PM
“Big Red” is a mobile wilderness program on wheels, a brightly-colored adventure bus that has trundled gear, food, and 2,000 people over 50,000 miles and 6,000 days of adventure. More than a bus, Big Red and the team behind it are trying to close the adventure gap – the racial and economic disparity in who does (and doesn’t) go outside.
From the hills of South Dakota to the beaches of the Atlantic, and the deep forests of our own Great Lakes, learn takeaways on making adventure more inclusive from the team that’s doing it. Along the way, you’ll reflect on your own outdoor ethic and camping roots, and place them within the bigger picture of outdoor recreation’s history and growth. You’ll leave with real strategies for making outdoor spaces more inclusive — whether you’re planning programs, shaping policies, or just showing up in community. This won’t be a lecture, it’s a conversation. Come ready to share, listen, and connect with others who care about building a more equitable outdoor future.
Winding Trail
Sponsor