Present to Protect Feature: Sarah Brown

Present to Protect Feature: Sarah Brown

January 2025

If you have ever met Sarah Brown, you know she is someone who truly lives and breathes the outdoors in a grounded and genuine way that draws others in. Sarah has spent her career as a guide, a teacher, and now an Associate Professor at Mount Royal University’s Eco-Tourism and Outdoor Leadership program. She embodies the vast diversity of what it means to be an outdoor professional, and she pushes that definition in how she inquires into the responsibility of the outdoor community.

Central to her quest is a dedication to heal and deepen human-nature relationships and be better stewards for mother nature. We had the pleasure of interviewing Sarah, and we are excited to highlight her as an outdoor professional who embodies the concept of “present to protect.”

Where it all started

Sarah’s connection to the outdoors began with a simple yet transformative childhood experience—hugging a tree during an elementary school outing. “It was a crisp fall day, and I remember the warmth of the tree and the profound sense of connection it gave me. I recognised this tree as a fellow being and relative for the first time,” she recalls.

That small moment planted the seed for what would become a lifelong commitment to the outdoors. Her path has taken her through all kinds of roles, from camp counselor to professional guide to educator and researcher.

Initially, she found herself in a colonial outdoor guiding world, based in steadfast egos where climbing the technical ladder was the path to success. As a competent white-water guide herself, she worked to establish herself in this world but came to realize how much more expansive the outdoors space can be when we challenge ourselves to step outside our own personal objectives.

Each step has given her new perspectives on the outdoor industry and deepened her commitment to the work that guides do every day: managing risk, building connections, and helping people see themselves as part of something bigger.

Why Guiding Matters

For Sarah, the outdoor profession is special through the connection to the present moment. “You are not just a guide and leader,” she says. “You are a co-creator of an experience, a problem-solver, occasionally a counselor, and always a bridge between people and the natural world.”

“Working in the outdoors, for all the same reasons as being outdoors, promotes real-time experience where you are fully present and connected to the world,” Sarah adds. We spoke about the relationality of this work, how we are always in relationship with the world around us. When we go outside, we share a recognition that there is inherent goodness in being with nature and that we must take care of nature in return.

For Sarah, the beauty of working in the outdoor sector lies in its diversity. This is why she is passionate about the work, whether she is out in the field, teaching, mentoring, “and being mentored,” by the next generation of outdoor professionals.

Present to Protect

Sarah believes that outdoor professionals have a unique responsibility and opportunity to present to protect the environment. She emphasizes the importance of guides in visitation management and environmental stewardship, aligning with the vision of the Outdoor Council of Canada. “Guides can influence how visitors relate to the land, shaping their environmental worldviews and identities,” Sarah notes.

Sarah’s perspective highlights the potential for outdoor professionals to lead efforts in regenerative tourism, environmental stewardship, and truth and reconciliation efforts. Her current work focuses on empowering guides to become active participants in protecting the natural world, advocating for access and equity in outdoor spaces, and contributing to the broader reconciliation journey in Canada.

“My first job in the outdoor sector was as a camp counselor in a spring school program at Camp Chief Hector. The program professed to be grounded in Indigenous ways of knowing, but there were no Indigenous peoples on the staff team and the camp did not seem to have any deep relationships with the Nakoda community next door. Witnessing both the cultural appropriation and lack of meaningful relationships between Settler and Indigenous peoples planted an initial seed of disturbance that I have sought to address in my career.”

Upon completing the TRU Adventure Guide Program, Sarah worked for a youth leadership program through Ghost River Rediscovery. This was a pivotal and humbling turning point that revealed the narrow limitations of her Western environmental worldview. She became aware of how colonial her relationship to the land was.

“I thought I was hot stuff because I could paddle a river and put on the right performance gear at the right time, but I couldn’t hunt a moose or live off the land the way many of my participants and co-guides could. The experience of living on a First Nations Reserve further deepened my appreciation of the richness of Indigenous cultures in Canada as well as the ongoing impacts of colonization.”

In her classroom, she challenges her students to think about the broader implications of their work. Outdoor professionals are uniquely positioned to be stewards of the land and contribute meaningful actions on the journey to reconciliation in this land we call Canada.

“Our role goes beyond guiding. We are facilitators of human-nature relationships and we have the opportunity to help deepen participants’ relationships to the land and to the peoples and other-than-human beings that we share it with,” Sarah says. Her words remind us that the work of outdoor professionals is as much about building relationships as it is about teaching skills.

Through taking people outside, outdoor professionals have an opportunity to lead environmental reconciliation where healing our relationship to the land is central.

Celebrating Passion and Purpose

Sarah’s story is a great reminder of why outdoor professionals matter. They are not just out there leading trips; they are shaping how people connect with the environment and with each other.

Sarah’s extensive expertise and knowledge make her the ideal figure to launch our new series of monthly features showcasing outdoor professionals. These features will spotlight individuals who embody the ethos of “Present to Protect,” demonstrating how guides and educators are at the forefront of sustainable practices and environmental advocacy.

Each month, we will delve into the stories of those who, like Sarah, have dedicated their careers to fostering a deeper connection between people and nature, advocating for the environment, and leading the way in the outdoor sector. Through these stories, we hope to inspire and empower more guides to see the incredible value in what they do—and to keep doing it.