Hilary Hess is a 26 year old woman who loves the outdoors….so much so that she now runs a non-profit organization that provides outdoor education opportunities for women in Vermont. Each year they host an event called Doe Camp that educates 150 women every year in all types of outdoor skills. Hilary was generous enough to grant Girls Can’t WHAT? an interview and tell us more about the organization called Vermont Outdoor Woman.
GCW: What is your main passion and describe when you first became interested in it.
Hilary: Being Outside! At age two my parents put me on a pair of skiis. At age seven my parents sent me away to girls summer camp in the Northwoods of Minnesota and I loved living in a cabin and playing outdoors all summer.
GCW: Have you ever been injured or encountered any setbacks while pursuing your dream?
Hilary: I have been injured…lots! But luckily, it has never set me back more than a few weeks of laying low.
GCW: What is your favorite tool or equipment?
Hilary: Probably my skis that help to propel me into the woods to enjoy the beauty and silence of winter. Winter in Vermont can be very long if you don’t enjoy getting out in the snow!
GCW: Do you have a favorite event or memory?
Hilary: I find it hard to pick favorites, especially amongst memories! My favorite event is one that I have the privilege of coordinating twice a year called Doe Camp. Doe Camp is an outdoor skills weekend retreat open to women of all ages (18+) and abilities – for real, we have a woman age 86 who attends each year! Each woman signs up for four classes throughout the weekend. Classes are taught in a non-competitive, fun and supportive environment. We offer courses in virtually all outdoor activities, including: Archery, Firearm safety, Fishing, Orienteering, GPS, Canoeing, Kayaking, Snowshoeing, Search & Rescue, Wildlife Photography, Snowmobiling, ATV Safety, Birding, Winter Camping, Wilderness First Aid, Self Defense, Biking, Wild Medicinals & Edibles, Forestry and many more.
Bringing a group of women together for a weekend of camp type activities is a blast. It’s hard to understand the true awesomeness of Doe Camp unless you have been. You can get a sense of it through participant comments on our website.
GCW: What are some of the highlights of your career?
Hilary: No doubt, running a successful camp with 90 women taking 35 different classes with everyone leaving feeling renewed and inspired is quite rewarding! A specific highlight of Doe Camp was when a woman from Washington D.C. who was petrified of kayaking because she did not know how to swim took the class after the confident persuasion of our instructor, Stu. She loved it and wrote us in the winter saying that she was taking swimming lessons so that she could continue learning water sports in the future. Watching people conquer their fears and adopt a newfound love for the outdoors is pretty neat.
GCW: What challenges have you faced as a female in this venture and how did you handle them?
Hilary: I have been really lucky to have a strong crew of sponsors and volunteer instructors who support what we do.
GCW: Have you ever been told you “can’t” because you are a girl? What did you do about it?
Hilary: Sure I have! I encountered that mostly in South America where some people still saw women’s roles in a traditional sense. Mainly, I was just perplexed!
That kind of stereotyping still goes on in our culture and it is what we are hoping to overcome at Doe Camp. Men and women have different ways of approaching things, especially in the sporting fields but that doesn’t mean one is better suited than the other. When I go out and play in the woods, I generally prefer to be with a group of women who tend to take things less seriously and like to spend more time enjoying what’s around them instead of rushing on to conquer! Certainly I admire the women who do go out and conquer, but I also have a high regard for the women who are able to feel secure expressing their love of the outdoors in whatever pace that they feel is most their own. In a setting like Doe Camp, we encourage such honesty and the result is often very inspiring.
GCW: What do you think is your greatest accomplishment?
Hilary: I spent a year abroad in South America and learned to speak Spanish quite fluently. After so much suffering and frustration in the beginning it felt pretty amazing to be able to understand and express almost everything in Spanish by the end of the year.
GCW: Estoy muy celosa! How would you encourage other girls who are interested in starting a non-profit organization such as yours?
Hilary: Working with non-profits can be challenging financially, but its more rewarding to live simply and be happy with what you do. You should embrace being a female and always be true to yourself. Listen to your parents…but not too much. And lastly, don’t be afraid to get dirty!
GCW: What other interests do you have?
Hilary: I have been studying aikido, a Japanese martial arts for five years. I am also very excited to have my own garden this summer to grow, cook and eat delicious, fresh food!
2 comments
Mariela
I met Hilary a few years ago when she was visiting my country, Argentina, she is loves everything she does an amazing girl.
Hillary Hess (really)
I am your namesake and an environmental science teacher and I am glad to see that you are doing good work. Just thought I would say hello. Hillary Hess age 41 from Long Island.