The Full Story
Most people want to feel part of something meaningful, but sometimes we need a little help finding it. The Sustainable Misfits understand. We found ourselves in a similar situation and then we found each other. We hope after reading our story that you’ll decide to join us on an adventure-based group learning experience. We’ll help guide you on a path toward cultivating the tools necessary to connect at a deeper level with others, and to build a caring, resilient community of people who make a positive impact on other people and their environment. Here’s how our group, the Sustainable Misfits, was created.
The story of the Sustainable Misfits began during the spring of 2017, in a small white home named the EcoHouse. We were all working together on various community-based projects as part of our jobs at Alvernia University. Helping to build a more sustainable community through experiential learning opportunities was at the center of what we did. The primary values of Alvernia – service, humility, peacemaking, collegiality, and contemplation - guided our work together. Our projects addressed food insecurity in the City of Reading, student leadership development, and community building with a dash of adventure and fun sprinkled throughout our work. A key ingredient to the success of these programs was the strong bond that we developed with our EcoHouse team, which was greatly influenced by the unique histories and qualities that we each brought to it. What started as a group of people working together toward a common goal soon grew into something even more rewarding. Our approach to work took on a greater meaning. Because of our support of one other, anything seemed possible.
Sustainability in its entirety was at the heart of what our EcoHouse team worked to accomplish. Along with the environmental aspect, equally important are the social, cultural, and economic components in creating a sustainable community. This same framework was reflected in our approach. Just as each component of sustainability needs to be considered when creating a more sustainable community, so too does each member of a team. The success of our team as a whole was only possible when each member felt valued, heard, and supported. Yes, the common goal of building a more sustainable community is what initially brought us together. You see this in many places; common goals bring groups of people together. But what was unique about our group, our magic, was that along the way, we grew to care and give a damn about the people to our left and right. It immediately became more about the parts (each other) and our journey together than about the sum (the goal). We cared about what happened to each other in the process, valued learning from each other, and supported one another. The sum became a secondary thought. First and foremost it became about making sure that the parts were all working together. We achieved our goals because of the unique culture we created within our team, one that was built on trust, acceptance, and support. You don't find that very often and when you do, you want to hold on tight because you know you have found something very special, something worth fighting for, something that makes you feel like you can achieve anything.
A key element that has helped strengthen our group’s magic is our common love for adventuring. Whether it’s hiking the Red Trail, kayaking the Schuylkill, rafting the Nantahala and Yough, ziplining in the Smokies, hammocking in Minnewaska, camping in the Gunks, or exploring Portland, our crew is always up for an adventure. It’s these experiences that provided us with opportunities to cultivate and further develop our caring and supportive community by adding an element of fun. Our adventures provided a safe space for all of us to be ourselves. Our strengths and weaknesses complemented one another because of the level of trust that we worked hard to establish. Our energy has always been reflected in what we do and felt by those around us, and because of that we more freely build meaningful relationships in whatever community we find ourselves. Our crew’s energy is electrifying.
Our first adventure together was in July 2017, to an island off the coast of New Brunswick, Canada called Grand Manan Island. For those of you who have read this far in the Sustainable Misfits story, this is what happens when you become friends with the people you work with and you care about them. You end up going to Canada together. One of our crew has been visiting the island with her family since she was a child and wanted to share this special place with the rest of our crew with the hope of creating a sustainability adventure-based program. And whenever we head to Grand Manan, we always stay at what has become a home away from home, Castalia Marsh Retreat, owned and operated by James Bates. James has created a sustainable paradise where you’ll find tiny homes he has skillfully built himself. They feature composting toilets and recycled items that have been artfully built into the structures, along with a central gathering place to come together for meals and conversation. What makes his eco-retreat so special, though, is James himself. A retired sea captain, Castalia Marsh Retreat became his second career. James’s gentle, kindhearted demeanor can be felt throughout the retreat. He is a true adventurer and an honorary Sustainable Misfit who understands the value of enjoying life, both the people and the natural world in which we are surrounded.
Grand Manan Island is our flagship location for our adventure-based group learning program, but over the years our adventures have taken us to a variety of locations, including North Carolina, Tennessee, West Virginia, Upstate New York, Oregon, Colorado, and the Dominican Republic. We’re always up for an adventure, so if there’s a location where you would like us to facilitate a Sustainable Misfits group learning program, just let us know and we’ll work with you to make it possible.
We hope you join us for one of our upcoming adventure-based group learning programs and experience the magic of the Sustainable Misfits.