The Venture Out Project (https://www.ventureoutproject.com) is an organization dedicated to creating inclusive spaces for the marginalized queer community to enjoy the beauty and fun of the wilderness together. Through their backpacking and wilderness trips, participants forge lifelong bonds and make unforgettable memories.

Read more about Perry and Venture Out on the Co-op Journal.

“I think there’s a movement amongst many, many diverse people and groups to say let’s make more visible the fact that we have always been in the outdoors, you just haven’t known it.”
– Perry Cohen (he/him/his), Founder of The Venture Out Project

“When I’m in nature and I’m backpacking… I feel all the pressure just kind of fall away. I don’t have to be someone specific or be likable or be anything. I can just exist and not have to think about it. With The Venture Out Project the experience is being with people like you in your community, who you can relate to and that you can find safety with that you may not have at home.”
– Tyler Lerch (they/them), Participant & Youth Instructor at The Venture Out Project