Throughout Renee Baron鈥檚 life, she has always felt connected with nature, teaching and leadership.

From adventures in the outdoors as a teen to becoming a teacher in the public school system, she has felt a pull to nature and being wild. 

鈥淓ver since I was a kid, I was super connected to wild places - like summer camps and just really diving into natural settings. Being out in the wilderness is so amazing and forgiving and loving. It鈥檚 grounding. And I love working with people outside,鈥� shared Baron.

Baron gravitated to the public school system to satisfy her need for teaching and leading but soon found she was missing something.

鈥淚 never loved it, I was always trying to figure out what was wrong with me. Why doesn鈥檛 it fit? I always had this passion for the outdoors and I wanted to embrace that.鈥�

She moved to Fanny Bay and began teaching at the Beachcomber Academy, an independent school, but unfortunately, the money wasn鈥檛 what Baron hoped it would be. 

鈥淚 started sea kayaking in the summers to balance out financially plus I love the outdoors. More recently, I had been teaching as a sub during the school year and sea kayaking in the summers,鈥� explained Baron.

Soon Baron branched out to adventuring on her own to satisfy her need for wildness. She explains that she is now 47 and experiencing perimenopause and encountering all the struggles that come with that. 

鈥淎s an active, adventurous woman, I鈥檓 not able to do things the way I used to be. I鈥檓 attached in a way to how I used to be. I have to find a new way of being in my body.鈥�

Baron decided to test the limits of her new reality by taking a trip with a friend to Nepal. There, she found that she could still accomplish things she was uncertain of. Baron鈥檚 friend is a naturopathic doctor and wanted to share what she knows about women鈥檚 changing bodies in perimenopause. 

鈥淪he and I rocked it. It was so empowering. I thought, 鈥榃ow, wouldn鈥檛 it be cool to take women on amazing outdoor adventures and at the same time have an expert to talk to you about women's health鈥�. 鈥�

Shift Adventure and Wellness was born from this idea and Baron has been running the program for about a year now. 

Baron not only works with adult women in the program but also leads a group of young girls, guiding them on forest adventures and engaging in activities similar to those of the adult women's group.

鈥淭he group is called 鈥楪irls get Outside鈥� and I work with the Cumberland recreation centre, which is awesome as they take care of my insurance and registration.鈥�

The 鈥楪irls get Outside鈥� group was the catalyst for working with women and finding their wild side too. 

鈥淲e started back in September and it kept going. It鈥檚 honestly the same structure [as 鈥楪irls get Outside鈥橾, we connect, we have circle time and we play games. We learn skills. Last Saturday [March 1], we learned how to read topographic maps,鈥� explained Baron. 

On the first Saturday of each month, She鈥檚 Wild converges on the forest in Cumberland and takes part in the various activities that Baron has put together to connect with nature. 

鈥淲e did a photo scavenger hunt, essentially to encourage awareness of where you鈥檙e walking. The more that you鈥檙e aware of where you are, people connect and you start to feel your natural role. I always make herbal tea and everyone just drinks tea in the forest.鈥�

The next She鈥檚 Wild session takes place on April 5. Visit for more information.