Get to Know Us!
Our History
Common Ground Outdoor Adventures (CGOA) was founded in 1993 as an AmeriCorps*VISTA project at OPTIONS for Independence in partnership with Utah State University’s Outdoor Program and Bridgerland Audubon Society. In 1997, the organization incorporated as a private non-profit and has grown to serve well over 3,600 people with disabilities annually. CGOA seeks to increase the accessibility of outdoor recreation and discover creative new ways to access wild places. The organization provides adaptive equipment and support which enables individuals with disabilities to participate in recreation and outdoor adventures. By crossing perceived limitations individuals gain self-confidence, which carries over into the quest for meaningful employment, the pursuit of relationships, and active participation in community life. All outdoor activities include discussions, activities or presentations that foster appreciation and respect of the natural environment.
Recent major accomplishments include:
- Completion of facility slopeside at Beaver Mountain.
- Increased ski lessons by 70% to approximately 700 lessons.
- Implementation of the wildly successful Youth Adventure Leadership Program (YALP) and Jr. Adventurers
- Successful expansion of warfighter programming, serving US military personnel and veterans with disabilities.
Our mission
Common Ground Outdoor Adventure’s mission is to provide life-enhancing outdoor recreation for youths and adults with disabilities.
Our promise
Our vision
To obtain the resources, equipment, facilities, and staff to provide quality physically and financially accessible outdoor recreation opportunities for every youth and adult with a disability that has the desire to participate. We want to do all we can to remove barriers and enhance people’s lives through recreational experiences, while reducing the stereotypes society has about people with disabilities.
Our Team
Our staff come from a variety of professional backgrounds and experiences in adaptive outdoor recreation, and are passionate about helping others get outside!
Open Positions
We are looking to fill a full-time AmeriCorps position. To learn more, and/or to apply, please see the following link.
Samantha (Sammie) Macfarlane
Executive Director
Sammie has been with the organization since 1999. Under her leadership, CGOA has seen monumental growth in all areas and continues to be a tremendous asset to the community. Sammie is passionate about progressing the organization. During her free time she enjoys skiing, river rafting, paddle boarding, and mountain biking with her family.
Alex Ristorcelli
Program Director
Alex has been working in the outdoor industry for over 10 years. After getting his Bachelor’s in Outdoor Leadership, he worked for the Breckenridge Outdoor Education Center where he discovered his passion for Adaptive Recreation. Since then he has been focusing on working with people of all abilities in a myriad of recreational activities. He is really excited to be exploring the Cache Valley and the rest of the State of Utah with his family and with Common Ground.
SaQuoyah Boxx
Program Manager
SaQuoyah has been with CGOA since 2018 when she started as an intern, since then she has been certified as a CTRS (Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist). She loves camping, canoeing, hiking, and spending time outdoors with her family. SaQuoyah thinks that recreation is for everyone and loves that she gets to help others to participate in all of the activities that she enjoys.
Mike
Volunteer
Mike is a longtime participant and volunteer at Common Ground. We would not be able to run our daily programs without the help that he provides to us in the office.
Holly Doolin
Daily Activities Coordinator
Holly found a love for outdoor recreation as a Social Work practIcum student at CGOA in 2018. After graduating in 2019 with her BSW, Holly continued to volunteer with CGOA on occasion as she pursued various careers in education and social work. After Holly started a family she decided she wanted a more flexible schedule that would allow her to focus on the things that matter most to her: family and overall wellness. After passing her SSW exam in mid November 22, she returned to CGOA a the new Daily Activities Coordinator. She is excited to be back and looks forward to planning activities that people of all abilities will enjoy.
Maya McDonald
USU Intern
Maya is a Sophomore at Utah State University and is from Spokane Washington. She is in the the Aggies Elevated program and is studying Recreation Administration for Adaptive Recreation. She is most excited to learn how to help those with disabilities enjoy the outdoors.
Alyssa McMillan
AmeriCorps VISTA
Alyssa is originally from Acworth, GA, and graduated from the University of Alabama with her B.S. in Public Health this past December. Although she is still trying to find her specialty, Alyssa has always loved working within the community to build relationships while incorporating the great outdoors. In her free time, Alyssa loves to spend as much time outdoors whether it is skiing, hiking, climbing, or kayaking, and she cannot wait to start helping everyone have the same experience at Common Ground!
Common Ground Outdoor Adventures is very committed to provide a safe experience for our participants.
GOT A QUESTION?
Give us a call:
Phone: 435-713-0288 (Logan Office)
435-946-3205 (Beaver Mt. Office)
Fax: 435-713-2108
Mailing address:
Common Ground Outdoor Adventures
335 N 100 East, Logan UT 84321
Email: info@cgadventures.org
