Ways of the Wild Guild
Nature Awareness, Outdoor Skills & Self-Reliance Mentoring
Way of the Wild is a focused small group mentoring Guild committed to helping you:
- Build confidence and competence in the outdoors and be better prepared in our quickly changing world.
- Feel more deeply connected to the land and more knowledgeable about the natural world.
- Develop foundational self-reliance skills to navigate the wilderness and modern world.
The Guild meets in person monthly to practice hands-on skills and cultivate deeper nature awareness. There is ongoing mentoring between sessions through online calls, videos and a community chat app. (See details below)
Enrollment:
This is an intimate and focused small group program. Previous outdoors experience is not required, but you should be physically able to spend entire days outdoors in all weather conditions and can hike through the snow, up hills and off the trail.
If you are interested, please fill out the short survey below you would like to apply to join. I will be taking a limited number of participants.
Logistics:
Cost: TBA (Approx $1250 + HST)
Location: Dwight, Ontario
Dates & Times: Summer/Fall 2024 dates will be announced soon
Mentoring Topics: See Below
The Ways of the Wild is for YOU if:
- You love the outdoors and crave spending more time on the land, learning and connecting.
- You see the value and benefit of being highly skilled in the outdoors, from survival to navigation to wilderness travel.
- You are fascinated by ecology and want to deepen your naturalist knowledge and expand your awareness.
- You have concerns about the direction the world is heading, and know that building your skills and knowledge is a proactive way to prepare for the unknown.
- You want to be part of a friendly and inclusive community open to ALL genders, ethnicities and religions.
Ways of the Wild Foundations:
Nature Awareness &
Personal Growth
Outdoor/Survival Skills & Self-Reliance in a Quickly Changing World
Naturalist Knowledge
& Land Stewardship
They Say
What They Say
Learning to read the landscape in the way has been incredible...
Professionally, his course contributed to my ability to run outdoor education programs. I was more confident when teaching and had a lot more value to add for participants! On a personal level, learning to read the landscape in the way has been incredible. I notice patterns I never would have before. Chris is a talented educator who cultivates a warm and thoughtful learning community where participants are challenged to engage and think critically about nature's many mysteries.
- Emily Beaton - Past student
“
"Chris was an incredible mentor who truly believes in practicing what you preach. As a newbie in the world of nature connection, there were so many ideas that felt overwhelming and too big to conquer but Chris was able to break them down into manageable pieces. I'm so thankful for Chris and his program; they changed the way that I think about and interact with the natural world"
Ana kiiskinen
“
" I had the pleasure of working with Chris in a program that taught me so much and helped me along my path to deeper nature connection. His enthusiasm for outdoor skills and understanding of the wild help to make him the passionate teacher he is. I appreciate his knowledge and humility - it's a mix that makes for a natural mentor, one I'll never forget."
Laura Rutherford
Winter 2024 ~ Dates & Topics
IMPORTANT: The Summer/Fall Guild dates and themes will be announced in Spring 2024.
In the meantime, have a look at our winter weekends schedule to get an idea of the kind of activities we get up too!
Sat/Sun, Feb 10/11, 2024 ~ 9:00am - 4:30pm
Winter Survival & Outdoor Skills, Intro to Trapping for Food & Fur, Wildlife Tracking & Winter Ecology
Sat/Sun, March 2/3, 2024 ~ 9am - 4:30pm
Advanced Winter Skills, Intro to Ice Fishing, Winter Medicine Making with Laura
Sat/Sun, Apr 13/14, 2024 ~ 9am - 4:30pm
Spring Ecology & Nature Awareness, Backcountry Navigation and Continued Skill Development
Sat/Sun, May 11/12, 2024 ~ 9am - 4:30pm
Specifics to be determined, but it will be badass and super fun 😉
I left this last weekend open to gauge the groups' interests. A few possibilities include natural basket making, invisibility & stealth movement skills & spring trout fishing.
Every Other Monday 7 - 8:30pm EST ~ Optional
Virtual Campfires: Tracking & Ecology Zoom Calls
These calls are deep dives into topics such as wildlife tracking, species identification, bird language and more.
At Your Own Pace/On Your Time ~ Optional
Reading Nature's Language Online Course
A video based course on wildlife tracking and bird language. See course details here.
Weekly
Community Communication & Learning Prompts
Through a phone app, you can connect with the other participants to keep each other inspired and share your stories and questions. I will also be sending out short weekly prompts and mini lessons to keep the motivation and learning going in between sessions.
Meet Your Guide...
Chris Gilmour
Lead Mentor at ChrisOutdoors.ca
I've always loved the outdoors, but it wasn't until my early twenties that I realized how little of nature's language I was aware of.
After meeting a few mentors, I realized I enjoyed nature more as a spectator and tourist than an active and aware participant in nature's story.
I wanted to build deep relationships with all the amazing species we share this planet with, to know them like friends and family.
This sent me on a 20+ year (and counting) journey of rediscovery. I traveled North America studying wilderness survival, tracking, bird language, foraging and more from dozens of teachers.
I learned to read and interpret the tracks, trees, bird calls and other signs like words in a storybook. A story full of wonder that is all around us. And a story that many (myself included earlier in life) did not even know existed.
This new way of relating to the natural world completely changed my life. One of my biggest passions is sharing this with others, which I have been doing for the past two decades through Chris Outdoors and other organizations