Callum Cunningham

Field Instructor - WFR

Callum Cunningham is a Field Instructor at The National Center for Outdoor & Adventure Education (NCOAE) in Wilmington, North Carolina, where he brings both professional experience and personal passion to the backcountry courses he leads. With a background in outdoor education and adventure leadership, Callum has spent the past few years teaching nature skills, environmental science, and outdoor recreation to youth across the country.

Originally from Berkley, Massachusetts, Callum has held instructor roles with Mass Audubon (Lincoln, MA) and Deep Portage Learning Center (Cass County, MN), guiding students through hands-on lessons in environmental awareness and outdoor living skills. He’s also worked as a tour captain with Rail Explorers in Rhode Island and Nevada, where he led guided bicycling experiences that blend history, fitness, and fun.

Callum earned his associate degree in Outdoor Leadership & Entrepreneurship from Snow College (Ephraim, UT), where he focused on skills such as backpacking, kayaking, paddleboarding, and climbing. His academic work, combined with personal trips and outdoor experiences, prepared him to step confidently into the world of expedition education.

A certified Wilderness First Responder and Leave No Trace Trainer, Callum values communication, community-building, and curiosity. He especially enjoys teaching effective communication techniques and watching groups grow stronger together in the outdoors.

Outside of work, Callum participates in birding, plays guitar, cooks, attends local events, and is now diving into anime and manga. His role model is a close friend, Haruka, a passionate and level-headed climber who inspired Callum’s approach to adventure and leadership.

If he had a superpower, Callum says he’d love to walk and sleep at the same time, effortlessly arriving where he needs to be — “just like Jack Skellington.”