Mike Fagerstrom

Mike grew up in the rugged highlands of northern New Jersey where he spent his formative years getting outside with biking, soccer, skiing and hiking along the Appalachian Trail. It was this fortuitous proximity to the AT that inspired him to “walk home” from Georgia and then onto Maine a year after attaining his undergraduate degree in history and environmental health. This 2,200-mile journey through the Appalachian Mountains was incredibly empowering and humbling, and reinforced Mike’s connection to the outdoors and his insatiable thirst for adventure. 

 

After serving as a ranger and naturalist for New York State Parks, Mike’s desire to explore the American West and greater calling to help others led him to Utah where he worked as a field guide for a young adult wilderness therapy center. It was in this role that Mike honed his skills as a positive mentor for youth in recovery and put into practice dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) modalities like mindfulness and interpersonal effectiveness. 

 

Over the last decade, Mike has grown professionally as an outdoor behavioral healthcare provider and has served as both a lead recreation specialist and experiential coordinator at co-ed treatment centers in Northern Utah. Most recently, Mike transitioned into his role as Outdoor Engagement Director at ROOTs and looks forward to providing fun, challenging and engaging outdoor recreation and community volunteer opportunities for all clients at ROOTs. 

 

Some of Mike’s other experience and credentials include serving as a PSIA/AASI certified ski and snowboard instructor for over fifteen years, American Canoe Association (ACA) kayak instructor, Leave No Trace master educator and Wilderness First Responder (WFR) among others. Mike also teaches several outdoor recreation courses for the University of Utah, and maintains a recreational therapy license. Recently, Mike completed his graduate degree coursework and will attain a Master of Science in Recreation in December 2026.