Traditionally by the age of 12 it was expected that you could survive on your own and begin your life as a provider. By this age each child held ancient knowledge that was passed down from generation to generation. This knowledge was shared every day since birth and by the age of 12, without ever knowing what they learned, they held an important role in their families and communities survival. These skills were taught through wilderness exploration, games, natural crafts, and necessity.
The Wilderness Skills Rites of Passage program is designed to teach boys and girls ages eleven to fifteen the responsibilities needed to enter the next stage of growth and development. As our society tries to keep dumbing our youth down with video games and television, we will help open there eyes to life and what it really means to live. Everyday our children are denied the natural growth and development lessons which have been replaced with digitally produced pseudo life experiences. Over time they will lose their passion to explore, learn, and discover their relationship with the earth, which is our natural birthright.
This unique nature based program is designed to teach our youth the ancients skills of tracking, awareness, and primitive skills required to live. While naturally becoming self-sufficient problem solvers, we will build a bridge from the past to the present. Our ancestors were in tune with the ebb and flow of creation, possessing the power of purity, knowing how to survive in the wild places and understanding their role within their environment. During this program our time will be spent living these skills, not just researching them. While participating in several camp outs, participants will build a small village preparing for their final exam, a semi survival weekend in the Shenandoah Mountains.
Each student will gain hands-on experience learning what it takes to really survive and be able to provide themselves with the four elements of survival. These elements include shelter, water, fire, and food. Even in modern times these are still the keys to our comfort, safety and security.
As we move through this program each skill will be refined, perfected, and tested to the best of their ability. This program is designed to establish a kinship with the earth and all things by learning how to live within the natural laws of survival. By the end of this program they will learn and experience the most powerful and useful skills in the world, primitive skills.
Topics covered during this program include:
Survival shelters
Fire by friction
Water collection
Primitive Hunting and trapping
Wild Edibles
Primitive food storage
Primitive cooking
Fiber technology
Trapping
Hide tanning
Tracking
Caretaking
Primitive pottery
Animal processing
Stalking and movement
Primitive hunting tools
Aidless navigation/lost proofing
Stone & Bone tools
Primitive fishing
And much more…
Program information
Dates: March 20, April 10, May 22, July 12 & 14, August 21, & Sept 18 Camp out dates: June 19-20, Oct 16-17
There are two camp outs at our near Harpers Ferry WV at our Private Wilderness Sanctuary.
Times: 10am-4pm.
Location: Greenbelt, MD.
Program Cost: $500 (bring a friend and receive 10% off of your registration fee)Eligibility: Anyone 12-18 years old. Any skill level is welcome (some 11 year olds will be accepted into the program based on outdoor experience and maturity)
Enrollment: limited to 12 participants to ensure quality instruction.
Study/research/dirt time: It is expected that each participant do additional research and practice what they have been learning. Assignments will be given to further the learning experience.
Program Registration Form
Registration deadline is one week prior to the start of this program.
Do you need financial assistance?
