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The Albers family of Brentwood homeschool their three children, and even with parents who are interested in outdoor adventures, they found themselves falling into a rut. What got them out was taking on Wildside Challenges, which has grown into one of UNH Extension’s fastest-growing programs.

Mike Harris, 4-H program manager, says Wildside has caught fire because it presents experiences that are largely screen-free and outdoors, and are approachable for people who have a moderate appetite for adventure. It arrived during the COVID-19 pandemic, right when people needed something they could do outdoors and in small groups, and stuck around because of its adaptability.

The McKay family, shown here ice fishing, are an example of how Wildside uses adventure to bring family groups closer together.

Wildside is a challenge-based program in which participants head outside and, if they follow a task through completion, can send in for a patch to commemorate their accomplishment. For each season, Harris offers a new batch of challenges, which he builds with enough elasticity that participants can shape them to fit their abilities.

For 4-H, Wildside is also a welcome addition thanks to its ability to engage people who didn’t previously see a spot for themselves in the organization. 4-H is consistently popular with young people interested in agriculture, animal husbandry, and similar pursuits, but children who aren’t attracted to farming might not realize that 4-H offers a wide range of leadership programs, including citizenship, STEM, and wellness. 

Wildside doesn’t just pull in new participants, Harris says. It has also caught on with 4-H’s traditional members, giving them something to do between animal events, club meetings, and other conventional 4-H activities.

Wildside’s Champion

Harris didn’t invent Wildside, but he did save it from the dustbin of history.

“Before my time, there was something called Wildside that was already in the pipeline,” Harris says. The concept had been described on paper but never actualized. “I discovered it and dusted it off and reimagined it during COVID.”

Recognizing the program’s strengths, he became its champion.

“It’s about taking you where you’re at, giving you an opportunity to push your limits at a pace you’re comfortable with,” Harris says. For example, a previous season challenged participants to hike, a task which could have been achieved by an arduous traverse of the Presidential Range or a more sedate exploration of the local town forest. When participants complete a challenge, they can send in their documentation and receive an event-specific patch, perfect for personalizing a backpack or denim jacket.

As participants pursue their patches, they pick up lessons along the way. Harris says the challenges support physical and mental health by getting participants to spend time moving their bodies in a natural setting. Along the way, they also learn wilderness skills and ecological literacy.

It’s proven to be a compelling recipe. By 2023, each challenge offered by Wildside attracted around 97 participants. That statistic grew the following year, and again in 2025, when the challenges drew an average of 114 participants. Collectively, Wildside Challenges represents about one-third of total participation in NH 4-H programs – not bad for a program five years old and still growing.

Stretching Their Limbs

Chris Albers says his wife discovered Wildside several years ago when they were looking for new experiences for their three children, now aged 8, 10, and 12.

“We found we were going to the same parks, the same activities,” Albers says. With Wildside, their family’s motto has been “The comfort zone is out of bounds,” and they’ve used the challenges as excuses to visit new parks or the northern reaches of the state.

They’ve found that having an objective to complete can be compelling.

“I like having a goal set we can work toward,” says Ellie Albers, 12. “When I have a goal I feel more of an interest. I want to get to that goal and get to it no matter what, so I’ll do things I’ve never done before.”

Evie Albers, 10, says that her favorite challenge so far was one in which they identified invasive plants and “got rid of them.” The Albers were able to find mustard greens growing in their own yard, which they pulled, cooked, and ate.

“They were taking all of the resources from native plants,” Evie recalls learning about the invasive plants. “They spread so easily and were taking over the whole yard.”

Emmitt Albers, 8, says that the recent winter ice challenge was one of his favorites. They went to a pond at Kingston State Park and brought a drill to measure the thickness of the sheet of ice. “It was mostly nine inches,” Emmitt says, though due to variability across the pond, the drill was also helpful in determining “what thickness of the ice was safe to stand on and what was not.”

The Albers say that the Wildside Challenges have revealed new horizons for exploration, some in far-flung corners of the state and others in their own backyard.

Ellie has learned the value of seeking new experiences. “If you don’t then you’re never going to realize your whole potential,” she says. “Learning [from] new experiences is important – it’s like stretching your limbs.”