Wilderness Works

About us

Wilderness Works is a federally registered 501(c)(3) non-profit and was founded in 1997 by educator and outdoorsman William Mickler with services for low-income families living in Atlanta Housing Authority properties in inner city Atlanta.
Serving homeless, at-risk, and very vulnerable children, Wilderness Works continues providing year-round enrichment, experiential education, and character development for Atlanta children with the help of Hands On Atlanta, Camp Bob, Camp Evergreen, Camp Glisson and Camp Grace.

Our work
• With experiences, relationships and much more Wilderness Works is a positive alternative needed by all children and especially economically disadvantaged children.
• Wilderness Works provides children time in safe and nurturing environments – largely in nature and the outdoors.
• Wilderness Works delivers cognitive, emotional, physical and social developmental experiences to the children we serve.
• Wilderness Works equips youth with multiple years of program continuity.

Programs:
• Day Camp: During school season months, Wilderness Works provides exciting weekend day camps – particularly for homeless elementary-aged children. Day Camp allows children to gain learning experiences and enjoy great meals and fun with friends. Each Day Camp includes an enrichment-based field trip to area venues, parks, and museums. This brief escape from the confines of shelter life means relief for children and a chance for leaders to spot campers that are ready for City Camp.
• City Camp: Provided at the City Camp facility in Atlanta, City Camp serves elementary aged children. City Camp provides fifty at-risk children a twenty-hour enrichment experience with three healthy meals provided by civic and corporate partner groups. City Camp includes a Friday overnight stay with trained, background-checked chaperones, and always includes a field trip to area venues, parks, and museums. City Camp occurs on multiple weekends across school season months and helps leaders spot potential campers for summer camp opportunities.
• Summer Camp: For more than twenty years, Wilderness Works continues to provide multiple sessions of week-long summer camp for Atlanta-area disadvantaged and homeless children. Because of the generosity of leading Atlanta civic organizations, corporate donors, churches, and camps over 4000 at-risk children have lifelong memories of time spent learning to swim, campfires, hiking, canoeing, camping, zip-lines, cabin life, counselor and camper friendships, spiritual uplift and so much more. Wilderness Works is indebted to Camp Evergreen, Camp Glisson, Camp Bob and Camp Grace as well as many other wonderful camps.
• Core Camp: Becoming eligible for selective and popular Core Camp is the aim of most City Campers. Advancing to Core Camp requires an invitation and comes from outstanding behavior and attitude. Core Camp provides more in-depth programming designed for enthusiastic middle-school aged children. Core Camp is gender-based and occurs monthly. Core Camp includes overnight field trips which prepare campers for Field Camp. Core Camp also includes service projects particularly focused on the elderly and homeless.
• Field Camp: Reaching Field Camp is the hope for most Wilderness Works campers and certainly for the more focused and serious. Field Camp eligibility comes after years in Core Camp and the preparation Core Camp provides. Campers in Field Camp plan entire trips including transportation, lodging, permitting, trail itinerary, gear, and meals. Core Camp training pays off as campers realize high adventure experiences in National Parks and Forests. Field Camp requires logging hours on service projects focused on serving younger campers, as well as building maintenance at City Camp.

Bill Mickler is the Founder and Executive Director of Wilderness Works.

For other net participants we can offer an expert guidance through trained staff, give an expert opinion, procure expert information and establish new contacts in the field of our work.