Ben grew up in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains in Colorado but found his love of nature after moving to Washington for school and falling deeply in love with the woods, waters and mountains of this bio region. This led to an ongoing and ever evolving relationship that continues to challenge and nurture him to this very day. Ben studied Somatic Psychology, Outdoor Education and Leadership through a self-designed major at Fairhaven college while balancing school, community and playing outside as much as possible. Curious on how to bring them all together led to working in Wilderness Therapy, creating a peer-to-peer Outdoor Wellness program at Western Washington University and working as a guide, instructor and administrator in the college Outdoor Center. Ben brings a deep curiosity and reverence for the work after having spent 7 years exploring what it means to be human from the perspective of the brain, the body and the environment by guiding youth and young adults on wilderness based initiatory experiences.
When not guiding and supporting youth and young adults in nature-based experiences you can find Ben outside exploring as much as he can, oftentimes with a big grin, a backpack full of snacks and sunscreen smudges. If he’s not out on a trail or in a kayak you can find him deeply engrossed in a cooking project, singing and dancing, carving or on the never-ending search to find the best swimming spots or pastry shops.
Supporting youth and young adults coming of age in a world that seems to increasingly be distancing itself from vital and life-giving community held nature-based experiences continues to humble and invigorate Ben as he brings an expansive, deep, wild and queer masculinity to walk alongside those he guides in the fires of change.
Kerrick was raised in the Hill Country of Austin, Texas where he studied at the University of Texas. After some travel, he moved to the Rogue Valley of Oregon with a vision to farm and support youth. He completed his Bachelor’s of Science in Applied Cultural Anthropology with Honors in 2004 at Southern Oregon University, and devoted over a decade supporting youth and their families navigate local and state social service programs. During this time, he and his partner cultivated a food forest at their home and founded Verdant Phoenix as an educational mini-farm in 2016.
Verdant Phoenix Farm became an expression of a way of life for Kerrick. He is interested in the relationships between humans, soil, microbes, plants/trees/shrubs, food, culture, time, and the web of life. As these elements inform his horticultural practice, Kerrick enjoys supporting landscapes, gardens, farms, and their people who are interested in belonging to the land.