Our Team

Wild Women staff include:

Jennifer Haddow, Owner/Director
jennifer@wildwomenexp.com

Jennifer is a spirited adventurer and passionate advocate for social justice and environmental issues, working with organizations including Oxfam and the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society.  She grew up near Gros Morne National Park in western Newfoundland and has a “pet” moose (who loves to graze on the apple trees in the backyard of her seaside property in Woody Point). Jennifer’s adventures have taken her around the world, from the minefields of Cambodia to the basecamp of Mount Everest to the coasts of Australia and Hawaii and the wine cellers of Tuscany. But her love of the wild places in Canada prevails above all and she has lived in BC, Quebec, Ontario and all of the eastern provinces. She was an active member of WWE for several years before stepping in as the new owner in 2010, answering a deep calling to continue to support the Wild Women community (and to go on more of the fabulous adventures herself!). Jennifer is a certified yoga teacher and believes strongly in the rejuvenating powers of nature and feels that wilderness immersion is essential to good health, life balance and human happiness.

Ally Lyske, Office Manager and Senior Guide
info@wildwomenexp.com

Ally is one of those folks who loves to meet people, have them feel welcome and included. Since she started working with Wild Women over eight years ago, she has worn many hats. In the office, Ally delights in doing the background work of organizing adventures, responding to inquiries from women and handling registrations. After only a couple of months with us, she assisted on one kayak trip, and the rest is herstory. Since then, she has guided canoe and kayak trips in most of our favourite Ontario locations, instructed at the Ultimate Wild Women Weekend, run the girls programs and guided the Newfoundland multi-sport trips. This past year, Ally gave presentations for the Spring Outreach Tour and had some of her stunning photographs of a WWE trip published in explore, Canada’s Outdoor Magazine!

When Ally was a kid, she spent summers with her dad, camping, swimming and fishing enroute to Nfld. and back. She says she is grateful that her dad never treated her like so many girls were; he just assumed she could do everything and made sure had her own knife, hatchet and tent. Ally loves to pass that attitude on to women and girls while on trip, believing that we all have the capacity to learn and be empowered in nature. In Ally’s ideal world, all interested people would have access, connection to and feel at home in Canada’s incredible natural spaces.

When back in Toronto, Ally is passionate about creating communities that include and celebrate people of all genders and orientations. She co-facilitates the FLUID program with Supporting our Youth and volunteers her time with other LGBTQ2S identified youth. Passionate about personal growth and community building, she facilitates workshops about love, intimacy and communication for adults. Ally always seems to be getting people together to do cool things, whether it’s a bunch of friends skating, a costume party or a fun night of dancing.

 

April Hope, Community Outreach
april@wildwomenexp.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

April reveres nature in all Her beauty.  While born in Kentucky, she grew up all over rural Ontario, exploring the intricacies of each new environment she called her backyard.  Her love of travel and the world around her was deepened at the age of 10 on a 6 week bus tour of North America with her mother and two siblings.  As an adult, she has embraced her ‘gypsy’ tendencies, traveling on a shoestring and exploring the diverse cultures within North America, including a year long adventure in a 1980 camper van with her beautiful children.  April has been teaching dance, movement and yoga for 10 years, is deeply involved with empowering young women and not afraid to use the ‘F’ word, feminism!  She is an entrepreneur, having managed businesses of her own and others for over 20 years, has a degree in Public Relations and is tickled to lend her experience to the wonderful world of WWE, instead of some stifling, boring, mind-numbing, dreary, conformist…….Thanks!

Wild Women Trip Leaders

WWE includes a team of amazing guides who are skilled outdoorswomen and professionals in their field.