Instructors
Invest in yourself. Invest in your future.
REGISTRATION IS OPEN – Next Program: April 24th – June 4th, 2025
Instructors
The instructors who lead this program come from a variety of different backgrounds, are well connected leaders in the industry. They carry expertise in whitewater paddling, whitewater rescue, education, environmental science, indigenous knowledge, leadership development and expedition guiding and/or day guiding. They are experienced with mentoring other guides/instructors and teaching the teachers.
RIANNA STERK
River Roots Program Coordinator
Since completing her own training program with Outward Bound Australia in 2013 Rianna has set it as her goal to become an instructor trainer. An instructor trainer who strives to influence outdoor education and guiding in a direction that invites people to experience rivers as a place to learn, grow, play and be grateful for the opportunity to connect with others and the natural world. River Roots has become Rianna’s platform to train new instructors to enter the river world. Her enthusiasm, energy, work ethic and experience is part of what makes this program challenging, engaging and so filled with learning. She is passionate and an excellent teacher in canoeing, campskills, leadership and teamwork.
Rianna has gained experience from working with organizations such as NOLS, Outwardbound, MHO Adventures, Alaska Crossings and Boreal River Rescue. She fills her year by working with many of these companies on multiple types of programs. When not on courses you can find Ri at home on the Ottawa River, kayaking, mountain biking, crafting, and spending time with friends and family. Each year she travels to chase rivers in places like Ecuador, New Zealand and the Yukon.
In this years River Roots Rianna is excited to discover new ways to keep her feet warm, introduce a new river to the program and continue to learn from those that join the program!
GREG NETTLETON
Lead Guide
Greg Nettleton loves to be outside. As a child, family camping trips helped shape him and his love for the outdoors. Greg loves to share his love of the outdoors with others, and canoe tripping is one of his favourite ways to do that. This love has taken Greg across Canada and New Zealand. Greg has worked as an outdoor educator, white water canoe instructor, and white water expedition guide for the past 10 years, and also has a degree in Outdoor Recreation and Leisure studies from Brock University. Greg currently resides in Ottawa, on the unceded traditional territory of the Algonquin nation, where he’s attending school to become a teacher. In his spare time Greg loves to go paddling as much as possible, along with going skiing, fishing, hunting, and skipping rocks. Greg cherishes the transformational power of spending time outside, the midnight sun, fish tacos, and (full) belly laughs around the campfire (an MHO special). Spending time in the Canadian North is a lifelong passion of Greg’s, and he’s super excited to share that love with the River Roots students during their 21 day expedition.
Patrick Eastment
Expedition Instructor
Growing up on the east coast of Australia Pat was drawn to the natural world. He followed his outdoor passions from childhood and studied a degree in Outdoor Education at La Trobe University in Melbourne. Since then he has worked in the Outdoor industry in both Australia and Canada. Throughout this time he has shared his passions of canoeing, whitewater kayaking, sea kayaking, rock climbing, hiking, and caving. Pat is especially drawn to river environments, he feels there is something inherently special about travelling on/with one of nature’s most powerful forces, through incredible, often difficult to access landscapes. He strongly believes that while travelling through these landscapes we are gifted with boundless learning opportunities, how we relate to the world and environment as an individual and as a group of humans. Much of his personal time has been spent rafting and kayaking on rivers across Australia, NZ, Nepal and Canada. He has succumbed to the draw of the big mountains and valleys of western Canada and calls Revelstoke, BC home year round at the moment in between guiding seasons.
Pat is looking forward to seeing what this next River Roots group will learn on their journey!