About us
Adventure Club SLO is an innovative, dynamic and outdoor nature-based program that has helped many people transform their lives on California's central coast since 2007. We offer adventurous social groups focused on nature and social connection and creativity for neuro-divergent people from age 6 to 75. We are specialists in helping people on the Autism Spectrum, ADHD, head injuries and other special needs. With a team of dedicated guides, we help participants explore, create and connect!
Adventure Club SLO believes that real growth happens slowly, through the body, and in the context of genuine relationship. We feel that nature is the best teacher of all. By moving through the natural world together, navigating rocky trails, feeling soil and water and wind, crossing streams, sitting with fog and sun and cold, participants develop social and emotional understanding in a way that no classroom or clinical setting can replicate. Nature doesn’t judge, doesn’t rush, and doesn’t require performance. It simply offers experience, and experience repeated over time offers powerful, life changing results. What makes ACSLO genuinely unique is that nature isn’t a backdrop for the program, Nature connection is the main teacher. . The terrain, the weather, the creatures, the seasons are all part of the growth. ACSLO guides bring patience, presence, and genuine curiosity, learning alongside participants rather than managing them from a distance. Over weeks and years, shared experiences in the natural world builds authentic bonds, reduces isolation and stress, and develops a natural literacy in how to move through the world with confidence without ever asking someone to be less than who they are.
Explore
Guides lead nature-focused adventures all over SLO county. Nature experiences are a great path towards exploring self awareness and social connection. Collaboration is always encouraged and flexible thinking is emphasized.
Create
Besides the strong emphasis on Nature and adventure, Adventure Club SLO works with participants on numerous creative projects, such as movie making, music and art. Our film making has produced eleven features and numerous shorts over the last seventeen years.
Connect
We bring together diverse individuals in carefully matched small groups to help foster friendships and connect with the community and natural world. Together we work on clearly defined goals while exploring, collaborating and having fun!
Meet our Team
Meet the team of Guides that help make Adventure Club SLO friendly, creative, and fun!
JOhn gange
Director / Founder / Lead Guide
With a deep love for Nature, John ("Johnee") Gange has been guiding extraordinary individuals in SLO county for almost 35 years. He is dad to an amazing girl, an autism specialist, film maker, and Aikido black belt. He is also a musician and surfs almost every day. Johnee loves connecting and co-creating with the ACSLO community on every adventure.
NAncy Harper
Program Coordinator
Nancy has worked with neurodiverse individuals ages 6-60 in the outdoors, the classroom, on the job, in the gym, and in the home for 18 years. She feels the best environment for mental, physical and social health is the outdoors; learning growing and connecting with new challenges and experiences every day. She loves to travel, dance, read, practice yoga and play any paddle game- preferably all outdoors!
COLIN MOYNIER
Guide
Colin has been guiding with ACSLO since 2014. He is a Cambria native and enjoys sharing his knowledge of the natural wonders of the central coast. He enjoys very long hikes, gardening, shooting hoops and spending time with his friends.
EllioTT KWONG
Guide
Elliott really loves the outdoors. In this last year as a guide he has been stoked exploring all the beautiful parts of this area with the AC community and helping everyone have a great time. He enjoys working on improv short videos with ACSLO members and is a gifted photographer too. He enjoys watching movies, fencing and being creative.
Heather Tides, wOMEN’S ADVENTURE CLUB LEAD
Guide
Heather loves the being outdoors and sharing her nature connection with others. She has led nature-centered groups with various populations, and whole heartedly believes in the deep value of spending time outdoors. In addition to being an adventure guide, she is an herbalist and massage therapist and holds workshops in these fields.
BRI MADDELLINA
Guide
Bri is one of our newest guides. She has been a zoo keeper working with big cats and giraffes, a camp counselor and loves the outdoors. She is from northern California and is excited to set down roots on the beautiful central coast.
CAROLINE MAHER
Guide
Caroline is a Seattle native and has lived in the central coast for almost a decade. She has enjoyed leading kayak tours locally for years and is grateful and excited to be a new guide for adventure club! She has a ton of hobbies- when she’s not at AC she loves to kayak, bike, paint, teach dance classes, and bake cakes!
PROGRAMS
Take a look at our current offerings in 2026!
ACSLO CORE
This is our core day to day program, two four hour adventures Monday through Friday, AM and PM. We offer transport to locations, up to nine participants.
WOmen’s adventure cluB
WAC is a weekly Adventure Club SLO program that is focused on building connection between women in nature.
Click the FAQ button below to read some frequently asked questions about Adventure Club SLO.
Come join us!
Please contact us by filling out the form below if you're interested in joining Adventure Club or have any questions.
Van PICK up Location
San Luis Obispo Location:
SLO City Hall,
990 Palm St, San Luis Obispo, CA 93405