ABOUT US
MISSION
Our Mission at Wilderness Ways is to reconnect kids and adults to nature, to themselves, and their senses.
GOAL
Our goal is for everyone to develop a personal connection to nature and animals, which we hope will lead to love and care for our natural world.
Our Story
History - Inspired by a nature education organization in the US and other varied experiences of guiding people in the Amazon Rainforest in Peru, Gowri Varanashi started Wilderness Ways to bring a more unique type of nature education to India. One that is more immersive, interactive and sensory compared to typical hiking or trekking experiences.
The idea behind Wilderness Ways is to learn deeper about plants, animals and ecology through immersive and sensory experiences and ancient knowledge systems of our ancestors (now known as survival skills).
Meet the Team
Gowri Varanashi
Gowri Varanashi has been a wilderness educator for over 10 years guiding in the jungles of the amazon rainforests and 5 years of teaching nature connection in the US.
Having grown up in an alternative school named Centre For Learning, she became obsessed with nature at a young age
and went on to study environmental studies and biology in the US.
One of the most accomplished Indian climbers, she has been at the forefront of the rock climbing movement in India and is the founder of Climb Like a Woman (CLAW). Through Wilderness Ways, Gowri aims to create awareness of India’s rich natural biodiversity, so we can learn to all love and care for our natural surroundings.
Nikhil Bandari
Nikhil Bhandari has completed his Basic, Advance, and Search & Rescue mountaineering courses; he is also a
certified NOLS Wilderness First Responder (WFR).
A mountain guide in the Indian Himalayas, he was part of a 4- man alpine climbing team who opened a new route on the 6,000 meter peak Kang Yatse III in Himachal Pradesh.
Experience of life and death scenarios has given him one of the calmest heads.
Nikhil Fernandez
An urban explorer, Nikhil spends much of his free time documenting the oldest members of our cities, trees!
Creative by nature, from film, illustration, to sounds or games. Through Wilderness Ways, Nikhil hopes to continue to meet and learn from a variety of people, while
facilitating outdoor experiences, keeping alive the treasure of knowledge of our
natural world!
