From the Classroom to the Wild: How Post Pigeon Brings Public Lands to Students

What if every student—no matter where they live—could connect with the outdoors?In this episode we sit down with Valerie Quirk, founder of Post Pigeon, a nonprofit reimagining how students experience public lands. Through personalized video exchanges with park rangers, Post Pigeon connects K–12 classrooms to national parks, wildlife refuges, and state lands—bringing the outdoors directly into the classroom.Valerie shares her journey from working in education at TED to driving the Pan-American Highway, and how those experiences shaped her mission to make outdoor access more equitable. By removing barriers—geographic, financial, and cultural—Post Pigeon is helping students discover places they may have never imagined exploring.This episode is about curiosity, connection, and how small moments of exposure can spark a lifelong relationship with the outdoors.Life in Motion is brought to you by Actual Outdoors. They help build beautiful brands that highlight the approachable and authentic parts of outdoor recreation. Said simply - they “keep it real”. Find them online at actualoutdoors.com or on Instagram at @actualoutdoors.Tweet us and let us know what you think of this episode! @illuminecollectFind more episodes at www.illuminecollect.com/blogs/life-in-motion-podcastSince 2017 Illumine has donated over $51,370 to outdoor nonprofits and shared over 260 stories on the Life in Motion Podcast.