About Outdoors Unscripted
The new Outdoors Unscripted Festival’s mission is to host an annual three-day celebration of Midwestern outdoor adventure through storytelling, visual arts, and diverse community engagement. Outdoors Unscripted is designed to drive economic growth, inspire open conversation, and build environmental consciousness in Douglas County, Kansas, and throughout the Great Plains.
Outdoors Unscripted began in 2018 as the 38 North Festival, which was an annual one-night event dedicated to creative storytelling about outdoor adventures in Kansas. 38 North was a successful annual festival through 2022 under the leadership of founder Jonathan Groene and a group of passionate volunteers. After a hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the final 38 North Festival was held in 2022. The new leadership team and board are excited to keep the original spirit of the festival while expanding its scope and vision.
Board of Directors:
Sarah Bishop, Chair
CEO, Coneflower Consulting
Assistant Professor, David Eccles School of Business at the University of Utah
I’m excited to grow connections between all kinds of nature lovers and outdoor adventurers for the safekeeping of our planet
Emily Ryan, Vice Chair
Director, The Commons at the University of Kansas
I’m excited to help build opportunities for people to find community-in-place and gain exposure to collective knowledge about what makes this region special.
Nicole Reiz, Secretary
Director, Professional Development & Communications, Office of Graduate Studies at The University of Kansas
Jeremy Mullis, Treasurer
Director of Web and Graphic Design, Coneflower Consulting
Hannah Bailey
Director of Grants and Program Development, Coneflower Consulting
Kathryn Clark
Director of Communications and Strategic Development, Coneflower Consulting
David Hollond
Founder and Director, Free State Story Slam, Lawrence Arts Center
Being outdoors and exploring the world (especially the world close to home) as well as being active and adventurous brings joy and excitement to everyone involved!
Sofia Galarza Liu
Head of Collections Management, Spencer Museum of Art
Outdoors Unscripted matters to me because it is an opportunity to share my energy toward three of my passions: outdoor adventures, art, and the environment.
Mike Logan
Owner and Operator, The Granada, Abe & Jake’s, Lucia, and Lawrence Beer Company
Mercedes Lucero
Senior Writer, Hallmark Cards
Poet, Scholar, and Creative
Emily Peterson
Owner/Operator, Merchants Pub & Plate
We live in a beautiful environment, full of rich resources – natural, agricultural, cultural and otherwise – and I’m excited to help people connect with our special place.
Kyla Strid
Director of Artist Residencies and Adult Education, Lawrence Arts Center
Getting outside and sharing the stories from our adventures is a matter of improving the quality of our lives.
Dave Tell
Director of the Institute of Digital Research in the Humanities, University of Kansas
Professor of Communication Studies, University of Kansas
Adventure is for everybody!
Bill Tsutsui
President and CEO, Ottawa University
Outdoors Unscripted is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the joys of the Kansas landscape and the stories, art, and passions that our natural environment inspires.
Andie Perdue, ex officio
Director of Communications & Events, Coneflower Consulting
Andie is a fifth generation Kansan and passionate prairie promoter working to restore native habitats in Douglas County.
Sophie O’Dempsey, ex officio
Director of Data and Project Management, Coneflower Consulting
Every season brings new opportunities to explore, learn, and play outdoors!