Wilderness Pathfinder
An earth-living walkabout following the moon-cycle
August 6 - September 4, 2013
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The Wilderness Pathfinder is the most comprehensive wilderness living course offered by True Nature, teaching you the skills required to develop a close and lasting connection to our home – Mother Earth. We will embark on our journey on the new moon and spend the next month in the wilderness, following the moon's cycle to its completion. We will be roaming in the lush alpine forests and deep desert canyons of the stunning Southern Utah Wilderness. During this comprehensive course you will develop the fundamental skills that are necessary to thrive in a wilderness setting, learn primitive survival & bushcraft methods and traditional tool-making techniques. |
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This journey has been carefully designed to allow you ample time to roam free, to independently practice wilderness survival skills and to develop a closer relationship with yourself as well as the local and global environment.
The course focuses on the four arts of wilderness living skills:
The Hunter-Gatherer skills, the Native-Living skills, the Wanderer skills and the Earth-Warrior skills.
The course focuses on the four arts of wilderness living skills:
The Hunter-Gatherer skills, the Native-Living skills, the Wanderer skills and the Earth-Warrior skills.
Hunter-Gatherer Skills
Learn and practice one of the most ancient arts of living - the life of the Hunter-Gatherer, the provider for the tribe. Open a door to a new world of self-sufficiency and expand your ability to provide for all your needs in a sacred manner.
☼ Atlatl & Darts: Make your own atlatl and dart and learn the technique of this ancient device that has great accuracy and force.
☼ Primitive Traps: Apply primitive survival trapping theories that will help you create your own snares, deadfalls, trigger mechanisms and cordage that will assist you in any wilderness or survival situation.
☼ Stalking Animals: Utilize sensory awareness (sound and smell) to navigate the landscape and connect to the Hunter Gatherer within.
☼ Animal Tracking: Learn to identify tracks to interpret animal age and behavior and use them to determine hunting location and trap placement.
☼ Foraging: Identify and gather edible foods, medicinal plants, nutritionally dense nuts, berries, roots and greens. Learn various primitive cooking methods to process and prepare foods, make flour, teas, poultices and more.
☼ Atlatl & Darts: Make your own atlatl and dart and learn the technique of this ancient device that has great accuracy and force.
☼ Primitive Traps: Apply primitive survival trapping theories that will help you create your own snares, deadfalls, trigger mechanisms and cordage that will assist you in any wilderness or survival situation.
☼ Stalking Animals: Utilize sensory awareness (sound and smell) to navigate the landscape and connect to the Hunter Gatherer within.
☼ Animal Tracking: Learn to identify tracks to interpret animal age and behavior and use them to determine hunting location and trap placement.
☼ Foraging: Identify and gather edible foods, medicinal plants, nutritionally dense nuts, berries, roots and greens. Learn various primitive cooking methods to process and prepare foods, make flour, teas, poultices and more.
Native Living Skills
Learn the art and science of primitive technology, hand-crafted tools and self sufficiency by acquiring some fundamental native-living techniques. Regain the connection to the land by careful harvesting of natural materials and turning them into useful works of art.
☼ Containers: Make and use clay or gourd pots for cooking, storage and water purification.
☼ Flint-Knapping: Learn the ancient art of Flint Knapping and create stone knives, arrowheads and other cutting edges.
☼ Fire Making: Make friction fires with locally harvested materials and learn Fire Plow and Hand-Drill techniques.
☼ Wood Craft: Safely use your knife to carve, whittle and craft various tools.
☼ Hunting Tools: Make bows, arrows, atlatls, fishing spears & primitive traps
☼ Tanning & Sewing: Learn ancient methods of traditional hide tanning and leather-work.
☼ Primitive Cooking Skills: Harvest and prepare wild food using clay and gourd pots.
Learn primitive cooking techniques such as rock boiling, steam pit, fire cooking, etc.
☼ Cordage: Use locally harvested plants and wild fibers to make rope and cordage.
☼ Containers: Make and use clay or gourd pots for cooking, storage and water purification.
☼ Flint-Knapping: Learn the ancient art of Flint Knapping and create stone knives, arrowheads and other cutting edges.
☼ Fire Making: Make friction fires with locally harvested materials and learn Fire Plow and Hand-Drill techniques.
☼ Wood Craft: Safely use your knife to carve, whittle and craft various tools.
☼ Hunting Tools: Make bows, arrows, atlatls, fishing spears & primitive traps
☼ Tanning & Sewing: Learn ancient methods of traditional hide tanning and leather-work.
☼ Primitive Cooking Skills: Harvest and prepare wild food using clay and gourd pots.
Learn primitive cooking techniques such as rock boiling, steam pit, fire cooking, etc.
☼ Cordage: Use locally harvested plants and wild fibers to make rope and cordage.
Wanderer Skills
Acquire the tools necessary to feel comfortable and capable in the wilderness with minimal to no gear. Wanderer skills give us the freedom to explore the land with greater ease and allow us to expand our comfort zone so that we can feel at home wherever we choose to roam.
☼ Land Navigation: Read the landscape, interpret maps, find water and learn how to navigate without the use of aids.
☼ Camp Selection: Learn to choose an ideal camp to meet your needs including food, water, firewood, building materials, safety and beauty.
☼ Shelters: Build human nests, scout pits and shelters for survival as well as camouflage.
☼ Fire as a tool: Use fire for warmth, cooking, tool-making and light.
☼ Minimalist Travel: Apply native skills to help you travel lightly. Know more, carry less!
☼ Scavenger Skills: Utilize common (natural and man-made) materials as helpful tools.
☼ Land Navigation: Read the landscape, interpret maps, find water and learn how to navigate without the use of aids.
☼ Camp Selection: Learn to choose an ideal camp to meet your needs including food, water, firewood, building materials, safety and beauty.
☼ Shelters: Build human nests, scout pits and shelters for survival as well as camouflage.
☼ Fire as a tool: Use fire for warmth, cooking, tool-making and light.
☼ Minimalist Travel: Apply native skills to help you travel lightly. Know more, carry less!
☼ Scavenger Skills: Utilize common (natural and man-made) materials as helpful tools.
Earth-Warrior Skills
Train and prepare your body, mind and spirit to reconnect with the natural world and learn to access your innate abilities as an Earth Warrior. Wilderness Pathfinder skills combine physical, mental and spiritual practices that will become an integral part of your life experience.
☼ The Way of the Caretaker: Cultivate land stewardship, harvesting & hunting ethics
☼ Stalking & Running Exercises: Strengthen body and mind
☼ Sunrise Meditation, Sensory Awareness & Sacred Listening
☼ Scout Skills – Learn the art of camouflage, shelter building and trail masking
☼ Tracker Skills - Track identification, interpretation and animal trailing
☼ Minimalist Hunting Skills
☼ Cultivate the spirit of gratitude and generosity
☼ Tribal Community Living
☼ Traditional martial arts skills & animal forms movement
☼ 24-hour Vision Circle Solo & Sweat-Lodge
☼ The Way of the Caretaker: Cultivate land stewardship, harvesting & hunting ethics
☼ Stalking & Running Exercises: Strengthen body and mind
☼ Sunrise Meditation, Sensory Awareness & Sacred Listening
☼ Scout Skills – Learn the art of camouflage, shelter building and trail masking
☼ Tracker Skills - Track identification, interpretation and animal trailing
☼ Minimalist Hunting Skills
☼ Cultivate the spirit of gratitude and generosity
☼ Tribal Community Living
☼ Traditional martial arts skills & animal forms movement
☼ 24-hour Vision Circle Solo & Sweat-Lodge
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Wilderness Pathfinder Guides:
Matt Graham
Survival & Traditional Living Skills Instructor
Matt was a climber and began studying primitive skills at age 17 in Yosemite Valley. At 20 he was doing search and rescue as a tracker in Sequoia while running and learning to travel the backcountry with no food or gear. Not owning a car, he travelled all over California and parts of Arizona on foot. At 23, he ran the length of California on the Pacific Crest Trail (1750 miles) in 58 days, a record at the time.
Matt moved to Boulder at age 24 and started guiding and teaching at Boulder Outdoor Survival School, teaching all the hunter/gatherer courses. Primitive hunting and living off the land became his passion. Three years ago, he walked off into the wilderness on the Winter Solstice and returned on the Summer Solstice. Living with the land for 6 months, Matt has been on many primitive walks and led about 50 hunter/gatherer courses ranging 4 to 33 days. He has been a consultant for “Survivor Man” and many other TV productions, was featured in "Wilderness Way" Magazine, "Trail Runner" Magazine, and is a leader in his field.
Survival & Traditional Living Skills Instructor
Matt was a climber and began studying primitive skills at age 17 in Yosemite Valley. At 20 he was doing search and rescue as a tracker in Sequoia while running and learning to travel the backcountry with no food or gear. Not owning a car, he travelled all over California and parts of Arizona on foot. At 23, he ran the length of California on the Pacific Crest Trail (1750 miles) in 58 days, a record at the time.
Matt moved to Boulder at age 24 and started guiding and teaching at Boulder Outdoor Survival School, teaching all the hunter/gatherer courses. Primitive hunting and living off the land became his passion. Three years ago, he walked off into the wilderness on the Winter Solstice and returned on the Summer Solstice. Living with the land for 6 months, Matt has been on many primitive walks and led about 50 hunter/gatherer courses ranging 4 to 33 days. He has been a consultant for “Survivor Man” and many other TV productions, was featured in "Wilderness Way" Magazine, "Trail Runner" Magazine, and is a leader in his field.
Kirsten Rechnitz
Survival & Traditional Living Skills Instructor
Kirsten's passion for earth skills began at age 19 when she was a guide for the outdoor recreation program at Vanderbilt University, where she led climbing, boating and walking trips through the Smoky Mountains.
At age 22, she began to extensively travel the world, visiting over 25 countries, and observing beauty in the people who use natural materials to sustain their lives. Upon her return, she continued instructing wilderness trips in North Carolina and Costa Rica, loving the connection that was growing within her to the natural world.
This led her to Boulder Outdoor Survival School, where she was able to be with people and students who were also wanting to explore the land and make the same connections.
Working hard to learn primitive skills so that she could become a better teacher, she took a personal journey and walked out into the desert alone for 25 days, honing the skills of friction fire, spear fishing, duff beds, shelter, and working with plant fibers. Coming to the realization that primitive living is to become her life-long journey, she is now an important part of the team at True Nature Farm.
Survival & Traditional Living Skills Instructor
Kirsten's passion for earth skills began at age 19 when she was a guide for the outdoor recreation program at Vanderbilt University, where she led climbing, boating and walking trips through the Smoky Mountains.
At age 22, she began to extensively travel the world, visiting over 25 countries, and observing beauty in the people who use natural materials to sustain their lives. Upon her return, she continued instructing wilderness trips in North Carolina and Costa Rica, loving the connection that was growing within her to the natural world.
This led her to Boulder Outdoor Survival School, where she was able to be with people and students who were also wanting to explore the land and make the same connections.
Working hard to learn primitive skills so that she could become a better teacher, she took a personal journey and walked out into the desert alone for 25 days, honing the skills of friction fire, spear fishing, duff beds, shelter, and working with plant fibers. Coming to the realization that primitive living is to become her life-long journey, she is now an important part of the team at True Nature Farm.
Course Information:
Course Dates: August 6 - September 4, 2013
Tuition: $3,250 Includes Instruction, Meals and Materials
Registration: We limit the size of this course to 9 participants.
To apply, please fill out the Medical Form and mail it to us. Then Sign Up for the course.
Or to find out more, please email [email protected]
Tuition: $3,250 Includes Instruction, Meals and Materials
Registration: We limit the size of this course to 9 participants.
To apply, please fill out the Medical Form and mail it to us. Then Sign Up for the course.
Or to find out more, please email [email protected]
