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OUR STORY
Our Founders Story
Our founder, Zachary Bird, grew up in a home with a father who battled addiction for most of his life. He watched his father go in and out of treatment with little success for many years. This was very hard on Zach and his family, and it gave him a firsthand understanding of the damage addiction can cause. Zach knew he wanted to help families like his own. As he spent time working in treatment centers, he was moved by the sincerity of those who were there trying to make changes and seeking help to save their families. He also saw many of them fall back into the same habits, turning to relapse, and in some cases, taking their own lives. These experiences deeply affected him. Zach wanted to create a community that encourages individuals to turn toward meaningful outdoor activities instead of addiction.
GROWTH OF UTAH OUTDOOR THERAPIES
Initially, Zach thought the best way to help those recovering from addiction was to start his own outdoor treatment center. However, as he began building, he realized there were many amazing treatment centers in Utah. He came to understand that what people really needed were resources they could connect with during treatment and after they finished, so they could continue to access meaningful outdoor experiences without having to travel long distances or spend large amounts of money on outdoor gear. Zach began by simply hosting free outdoor activities. His first activity had only two people sign up, and he ended up having to cancel it because his wife gave birth to their first baby that day. After that first planned activity in June 2025, he hosted his second activity in July, where he took over 19 people kayaking. Since then, he has run at least one activity every month and has served hundreds individuals and families. It is anticipated that in 2026, Utah Outdoor Therapies will serve over 2,500 individuals.
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UTAH'S MOST UNIQUE NONPROFIT
Utah Outdoor Therapies continues to host at least one free outdoor activity every month. Utah outdoor therapies has also expanded to continue to serve the community in many other ways. We currently offer outdoor and adventure based activities for clients of addiction, mental health and autism treatment centers. We are partnered with facilities like Odyssey House, First Step House, Valley Behavioral Health, Fit to Recover and others. We offer monthly and one off activities for these organizations. We also offer team activities for mental health providers and businesses with a focus on getting their team outdoors and helping them implement a healthier work environment for their employees. Lastly we offer memberships for individuals and families who love our mission and want to attend outdoor activities on a regular basis for a small monthly donation. We are excited for you to learn more about us!
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West Jordan Utah