Adrian Owens

Faculty in Environmental Studies and Outdoor Education, Director of Athletics

Adrian grew up near a tidal river and salt marsh in Rhode Island which started his connection to the natural world. He enjoys the awareness of the weather that building and living, with his wife Allison, in a small off-grid solar homestead provides. Similarly, he finds satisfaction in making small everyday adventures out of commuting by foot, bike, ski or canoe while getting to see some of the natural world up close. Orienteering on cross-country skis and running on foot keeps him busy training and competing. Teaching at Sterling since 1991, these values show up in his courses and his athletic director position.

    • M.Ed. Environmental Science, Plymouth State University

    • B.A. Engineering Sciences + (Environmental Studies minor), Dartmouth College

    • Being outside for almost any reason; canoeing, walking, camping

    • Nature observation: birds, winter animal tracks, plant ID

    • Trail maintenance is somewhere between vocation, vacation and obsession. Adrian officially helps maintain sections of the Catamount Trail, Long Trail, SLA trails in NH, the Sterling Trail system, and trails on his own land.

    • Growing food during the summer

    • Green woodworking, knife and tool making

    • Managing his forest

    • Word and board games

  • Experiential Endeavors

    • AS100 Tools and Their Applications w/Log Building (4 cr)

    • NS381A Forest Ecology and Management 4cr

    • AS195A Fundamentals of Green Woodworking (4 cr)

    • AS/NS70A Trail Design Construction and Maintenance (4 cr)

    Intensives in Community and Skill Building through Outdoor Experience

    • AS208 Canoe Trip Guiding (3cr)

    • AS220A Flatwater Paddling (3 cr)

    • AS222 Whitewater Canoeing (2 cr)

    • AS264A Nordic Skiing (2 cr)

    • AS 270 Orienteering Sports (3 cr)

    • INT100 A Sense Of Place: Building Expedition Skills (4 cr)

    • SS106A Winter Outdoor Challenge, Expedition 2 (4 cr)

    • SS112A Community Building Through Winter Recreation (4 cr)

    Intensives in Forest Management

    • AS105 Woodlot Practices (2-3 cr)

    • AS120 Forestry Techniques (2-4 cr)

    • NS/AS270 Invasive Plants Management (3 cr)

    Intensives in Environmental Science

    • INT268 Introduction to Sustainable Living (3 cr)

    • NS335 Renewable Energy Analysis and Design (4 cr)

    • NS260 Introduction to Climate Science (3 cr)

    Intensives in Environmental Humanities

    • HM272 Literature and Film of Small Boat Adventures (2 cr)

    • HM/SS481 Ecocentric Values and Decision Making (3 cr)

    Scaffolding Seminar

    • NS050 Quantitative Skills (2cr)

    • Ski-Orienteering – Named to the U.S. World Championship Team since 2008. 

    • 2nd place – Long Dist. at World Masters Ski-O Championship 2024

    • U.S. Ski-O National Champion 2016,14,12, 10-2nd place 2023

    • After over 2 years of preparation, March of 2018 saw the Ski-Orienteering World Cup race week and World Championship for Masters age groups come to Craftsbury from 19 countries. Adrian was the main event director and dedicated hundreds of hours to crafting dozens of miles of new trails.

    • Bitter Pill 12 hr-Adventure Race (1st place 2005, 6,9,10,13 ) Consultant for race design 2021, and 2023 national champs.

    • ACA Level 4 Whitewater Canoe Instructor since 2007

    • Leave-No-Trace Trainer
      Wilderness First Responder since 1997

    • Safe Sport Training, Fall 2021

    • Radical Simplicity by Jim Merkel

    • Dirt Works by Christine Byl

    • The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store , by James McBride

Email Adrian