Wild Teens Expeditions (8 Weekends)

The Wild Teens Expeditions Program is a deep nature connection and wilderness immersion program for teens who seek adventure, and want to develop skills and explore their own wildness, with awesome people in amazing places! 

The Wild Teens Program gives teens the opportunity to live the core routines of nature awareness guided by experienced mentors, and to practice the wilderness and community building skills that bring us fully alive.

By committing to an ongoing year of weekend get-aways, teens will develop deep friendships and co-create unforgettable experiences that anchor them into their fullest selves. The program is designed for teens to be closely supported and guided by highly skilled and passionate mentors all year long. It provides the spaciousness for teens to unplug and unwind from the pressures of school and peers, while opening to nature and a culture of connection that generates full aliveness.

Each weekend, we will explore a different focus, set of skills, and location as we discover the beauty of our Pacific Northwest bio-region throughout the seasons.

Wilderness skills, exciting challenges, music, reflection, connection, and incredible adventures await you! We’ll practice wilderness and leadership skills that connect us deeply to nature, to ourselves and to each other, and have a whole lot of fun in the process!

Over the course of the year, you may learn or deepen your skills in:

• Wilderness and Survival Skills like friction fire-making, shelter-building, navigation, tool use, natural crafts, and more

• Naturalist Skills: knowledge and relationship to the animals, birds, and plants of the bio-region

• How to understand and interpret the language of the birds

• The basics of tracking and mammal ID

• Edible and medicinal qualities of wild plants

• Safety and well-being on and off trail, and near/on the water

• Leadership, self-awareness and self-confidence, community building and peacemaking skills

PROGRAM DATES 2023-24 not yet available

Fall : TBD

Spring : TBD

All dates are subject to change due to extreme weather or other circumstances, however changes are rare.

Most weekends begin Friday at 6:00pm and end Sunday at 4:00pm, though some weekends to further locations will begin earlier on Friday due to longer travel time. Drop-off and pick-up locations on Salt Spring Island vary. Off-island youth can meet us at ferry terminals.

AGE

14-17 years old.

COST

TBD

Cost includes all ferries, off-island transportation, park admissions, specialized gear and materials, and hearty Saturday dinner, lunch on Sunday and snacks.

Participants provide their own breakfasts and Saturday lunch.

Can be paid in 2 or 3 installments.

Wisdom of the Earth is registered with Heartwood and SelfDesign distributed learning programs, and can accept funding through them for this program.

The program runs September to June–no partial or drop-in participants.