Donation to Absaroka Beartooth Wilderness Foundation

To honor Emily and mark the 20th anniversary of her Foundation, the Sandall family has donated a $10,000 matching grant to the Absaroka Beartooth Wilderness Foundation to support their wilderness education programs, particularly their Trail Ambassador program.

ABWF is dedicated to stewardship of the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness, a place Emily loved. Their Trail Ambassador program places trained volunteers at popular trailheads around the wilderness to engage hikers in friendly conversation and promote responsible, respectful wilderness use.

ABWF’s former executive director, David Kallenbach, who was program director of the Voyageur Outward Bound School during Emily’s time as an instructor there, remembers Emily as “a natural teacher and soulful mentor.” He recalled that in addition to being an experienced backpacker, Emily had “a knack for being able to identify and get into the skin of her fellow young person and be a kindred soul to some pretty disaffected kids who came to Outward Bound to learn more about themselves.”

ABWF’s current executive director, Joe Josephson, has this to say about the gift: “We are honored to be part of continuing Emily’s legacy of joyful philanthropy through our wilderness education work. Every bit of wilderness that is preserved after an ABWF Trail Ambassador teaches a visitor how to minimize their impact is now a part of Emily’s story too.”

In her own words, "My hope is for my life to continue to evolve in a way that is gentle on the world around us. I come from a background, a race, a culture where I know I breathe easier. I hope to live in a way that balances it. Live in a way where my choices don't hinder another, and rather support a system, a movement, and a lifestyle where others, animals and the natural world live in a place that is just and fair."