Owakonze’s new director

Those who know Trace Dunning best would describe him as a doer, one who carries his weight, one who takes charge and gets stuff done, and someone who seizes the moment. This approach to life has served him well. Trace will assume the directorship of both Owakonze and the Urban Wilderness Program,  as the two programs serve a common purpose: providing unique hands-on learning and wilderness experiences for today’s youth.

Trace’s journey with the Camping & Education Foundation could serve as a model and an inspiration for young leaders. His involvement with Camp Kooch-i-ching began in 2008 in the Prep Camp and extended all the way through to the Senior Camp. He became a trip head several years later and took on the roles of Intermediate unit head and Senior unit head from 2021-2023. Honing his skills on Kooch-i-ching’s most challenging trips led Trace to head up the Centennial Arctic Expedition during the summer of 2024, an arduous journey that spanned 60 days while traversing nearly 2,000 miles to the Arctic Ocean.

While completing a degree in Organizational Leadership at the University of Cincinnati, Trace became a volunteer with the Urban Wilderness Program. Volunteering led to an internship, then to a full-time position before assuming the director role in 2023. Under Trace’s leadership, the Urban Wilderness Program has grown immensely in size and scope. In 2024 alone, it served nearly 3,000 students in 35 schools across six states. Most recently, the Urban Wilderness Program has opened a northern chapter in Minneapolis, headed up by Ogichi Daa Kwe fulltime staffer, and recent Owakonze trip leader, Abby Auran.  

As the Urban Wilderness Program has evolved, the connection to Owakonze has become self-evident.  A majority of the young people who have come to Owakonze have been involved with the Urban Wilderness Program. In a way, Owakonze has become a capstone experience for Urban Wilderness Program participants. Students learn how to build a handmade canoe, become more comfortable in the wilderness and get a small taste of our brand of canoe camping. For those who want more, the experience might include one week of wilderness immersion at Owakonze.

All of this makes Trace the ideal person to assume the directorship of both the Urban Wilderness Program and Owakonze. The trust he has built with students, teachers, and administrators over time is key; plus, he knows how to make learning fun. If all of that isn’t impressive enough, the man, nearing 30 years of age and 6’5” in height, can still do the splits. Congrats, Trace. You have earned it!