Call of the Wild to Adopt Smith Rock State Park

Online, July 3, 2013 (Newswire.com) - Call of the Wild Adventures of Bend, Oregon has signed an agreement with Smith Rock State Park to formally adopt the park for one year beginning June 1, 2013 and renewable annually. As Smith Rock's second corporate partner, Call of the Wild will be responsible for maintaining the newly-installed native plant garden near the Welcome Center yurt. Chockstone Climbing, another Bend-based adventure outfitter, has an existing agreement to transport the Park's glass refuse off-site for recycling.

The partnership between Call of the Wild and Smith Rock was formed after the company's CEO, Emilie Cortes, attended the 21st annual Smith Rock's Spring Thing on May 11, 2013. The annual event brings together volunteers to work on projects all over the park. At the Spring Thing, Ms. Cortes assisted with weeding and planting over 30 plants in the installation. In recognition of the limited resources available to State Parks, Ms. Cortes offered to assist with maintaining the installation on an ongoing basis.

After a successful 17-year career in finance, Ms. Cortes recently took over Call of the Wild to focus on her passion of empowering women and girls through positive outdoor experiences. A skilled mountaineer, Ms. Cortes has attempted some of the world's highest peaks including the 5th tallest, 27,825-foot Makalu. She relocated to Bend to run Call of the Wild as well as be close to Smith Rock State Park, a location renowned for world class rock climbing and development of elite climbers. Ms. Cortes is excited about playing a role in the sustainability of Smith Rock as Call of the Wild strives to have positive impact on the communities in which trips are operated.

Call of the Wild is recruiting volunteers to assist with the monthly sessions removing invasive species and transplanting native species. Interested parties should contact Emilie Cortes at [email protected].

About Call of the Wild
Call of the Wild Adventures, Inc. is the longest-running provider of world-class women's adventure travel, active vacations and outdoor trips to the most unique destinations on the planet. Since its founding in 1978, Call of the Wild has offered hiking, backpacking, sea kayaking, snowshoeing and multi-sport adventures around the globe. Experts in adventure travel for women, we are driven to exceed our clients' expectations at every turn -resulting in rich travel experiences and life-long memories. Call of the Wild is a proud member of the Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA) and the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics (LNT). More information on upcoming adventures available at www.callwild.com.