Everyone Deserves a Way Back Outside.
Nature belongs to every body. Wings for Access helps people of all abilities experience birding, wildlife and outdoor adventure through real access, support and community. Let’s give everyone a way back outside.

DONATE NOW
EXPLORE WINGS FOR ACCESS

THE OUTDOORS SHOULD BELONG TO EVERYONE.

For some people, getting outside is easy.
For others, disability, injury, age, transportation or accessibility barriers can make an outdoor experience feel out of reach.
We believe that shouldn't be the end of the story.
Wings for Access creates opportunities for people to reconnect with nature, wildlife, community and adventure.

OUR MISSION

Accessible Adventure Sites

Explore our curated map of accessible birding and outdoor locations in the Boulder area. Each site is vetted for physical access and wildlife diversity. More to come as we verify the ADA spots.

Partnering Organizations

Environment for the Americas

Leaders in bird conservation and organizers of World Migratory Bird Day, connecting people to nature across the Americas.

Boulder County Audubon Society

A dedicated community partner fostering native species conservation and providing inclusive birding opportunities in Boulder.

Veterans Outreach Network

Collaborating to bring the restorative power of nature to those who served, focusing on neurological and emotional recovery.

Accessibility Colorado

Helping us map and verify ADA-accessible trails and birding hotspots to ensure nature truly is for everyone.

Colorado Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR)

Providing specialized training resources, independent vocational support, and customized assistance to help participants discover careers in nature stewardship.

A Journey Back to Life and Nature

Drew smiling in front of a colorful kestrel mural

Understanding the personal motivation and the life-changing events that led to the creation of Wings for Access and our mission for healing.

My childhood was defined by a father who was an Airborne Ranger. He taught me resilience and grit, making me split heavy logs and stack firewood at a young age. His motto was always to stay tough through any pain. While his methods were intense, his devotion to my success was unwavering and shaped my early identity immensely.

That stoic upbringing gave me strength, yet it became a barrier to my own recovery.

Following my severe injury, I leaned on that old toughness. Despite scoring highly on cognitive tests, I simply refused to admit the depth of my damage. I desperately tried to maintain my career as an executive in the rental industry, a field I had thrived in for over two decades, hoping I could just outwork the trauma.

But something was broken.

Within one year, I lost several high-level positions. The people letting me go were friends who saw the cognitive decline I was hiding from myself. I finally had to stop pretending.

After twelve months of trying to reclaim a past self that no longer existed, I accepted the truth.

I eventually contacted my doctor and admitted I was finally ready to start the healing process. She met my vulnerability with total grace, acknowledging that Every journey is unique.

I threw myself into a comprehensive regimen of occupational, vision, and speech therapies. This total commitment to clinical recovery was absolutely essential.

Yet, the most profound healing began in a very unusual way.

An acquaintance suggested I try birdwatching. I initially thought the idea was tedious and lacked any excitement. I was wrong to be skeptical.

Drew smiling in a lush green forest in Costa Rica

In an instant, everything shifted.

I spotted a vibrant yellow warbler. After decades in Colorado, I had never truly seen one. It felt like a discovery of magic. I stared through my binoculars in pure wonder, and the world suddenly felt much larger and more full of life again.

My entire internal world reorganized.

I had been drowning in despair, mourning the loss of the adventurer I used to be. The hiker, the skier, and the traveler were gone, and I felt I had lost my soul along with them.

Nature offered me a new path.

Birding taught me stillness and clarity. It helped me reconnect with the version of myself that existed under the injury. It provided a spiritual awakening and a sense of gratitude that I thought was permanently lost. It gave me a new way to interact with God.

My world is now centered on service and conservation. I serve as a Secretary for the Audubon Society and advocate for the protection of our local wildlife. I am also rebuilding my faith through the OCIA process, finding that as I help preserve nature, I am also being preserved. My life has a deeper, more intentional direction now.

This transformation sparked WFA. I founded this organization to ensure that others facing cognitive and physical barriers can find the same peace, healing, and spiritual renewal that I found through the simple, profound act of watching the birds.

Join Our Initiative

I am seeking to bridge the gap between clinical medicine and the outdoors by connecting with experts in:

Developing nature-based therapy protocolsGathering meaningful data on ecological healingCollaborating on accessible program designEstablishing an advisory board to ensure our programs are grounded in solid neurological research and evidence

This work is my life's mission, and I am certain it can change lives for the better.

Combining my executive experience with my passion for the outdoors, I am dedicated to scaling this impact. I am looking for visionary partners who believe in the restorative power of the wilderness and want to help me make access a reality.

I appreciate your partnership and interest.

— Drew Ewing

Understanding the heart behind our mission at Wings for Access.

Help Someone Find Their Way Back

Sometimes, one small opportunity can change a life.

Four years ago, I was hit by a car while riding my road bike and woke up after a 10-day coma with a traumatic brain injury.

I had to rebuild my life. I struggled with cognitive challenges, lost confidence, and could no longer do many of the activities that had defined me.

Then I discovered birding.

What began with one little yellow warbler became a pathway back to life. Learning about birds gave me something I desperately needed: new skills, achievable successes, connection, confidence, and purpose.

That experience became the foundation for Wings for Access (WFA).

A Different Approach to Recovery

Traditional rehabilitation often focuses on restoring what was lost.

WFA asks: What if we also help people discover what they can still learn to do?

Our emerging model uses skill acquisition as a driver of emotional recovery, combining cognitive stimulation, time in nature, learning, and confidence-building through mastery.

One bird. One skill. One success at a time.

We are initially focused on helping veterans living with traumatic brain injuries regain confidence, develop new skills, reconnect with their communities, and find a meaningful path forward.

We are working with medical and rehabilitation professionals to develop and eventually evaluate this approach through research.

Your Donation Makes the Next Step Possible

WFA is a new 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and we need your help to turn this vision into a real program. Your donation can help provide:

Accessible birding and nature experiences
Equipment and educational materials
Transportation and participation assistance
Program development and training
Research and outcome measurement

You aren't just donating to WFA.

You're helping someone discover that their injury does not have to define the rest of their life.

For me, that transformation began with one little yellow bird.

Help us give someone else the opportunity to find their way back.

Wings for Access is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.