On Dave and Amy Freeman's 11,647-mile-trek across North America, the National Geographic 2014 Adventurers of the Year encountered whales, wolves and bears. They even guided a dogsled team in temperatures 50 degrees below zero. But it was the backbreaking task of dragging a canoe 200 miles up the Canadian Fond du Lac River that almost capsized their nearly three-year trip. "I kind of wanted to throw in the towel," says Amy. Still, the Minnesotan couple kept on because 85,000 middle and elementary school students were tracking their adventure through the Wilderness Classroom program, which teaches kids about nature. Using a solar panel to charge their satellite phone and computer, they videoconferenced with students and shared journal entries. The Freemans will recount their journey at Cuyahoga Valley National Park's Happy Days Lodge March 27. "This has helped [students] get excited about wild places and inspired them to get outside themselves and become explorers in their own right," says Amy. conservancyforcvnp.org
