What If You Could Read the Signs of Nature Just Like Your Ancestors?

Imagine when you stepped outside you knew where the coyote had just crouched down, when the hawk was going to fly overhead, which wild bulbs were ready to harvest, who had been feeding on the carcass that was cached, when the weather was going to change for the worse, and which tree was the best to build a shelter against?

When you join the Naturalist Training Program, you'll learn this and much more! You'll stop scratching your head trying to 'figure out' nature and its secrets, and instead learn how to engage with it so that you know how to locate wildlife and understand animal behavior, decide which plants are edible or otherwise useful, decipher birds' calls and their movements, and know what actions to take to stay safe in the backcountry. 

You'll start engaging with what nature has to offer so that you no longer feel like an outsider, but instead feel comfortable in your surroundings and can handle whatever comes your way. Over time, you'll begin to realize YOU are part of the vast unfolding story occurring around you, leading to the ultimate feeling that you belong!

Sure, you can skip learning these essential skills and carry on as you do now, continuing to miss out on everything that's going on around you and greatly limiting your enjoyment of the natural world as well as potentially putting your well-being at risk. But do you really want to remain a stranger in your own environment, estranged from all that nature has to offer and the knowledge that your ancestors depended upon?

Or is it finally time to enhance your awareness and start tuning into the animals, plants, and clues all around you that are beckoning for your attention. This is your chance to reclaim your RIGHTFUL place in the nature by acquiring these time-honored skills, sharing them with friends and family, and in the process forever changing your relationship to the world just outside your doorstep.

How Different Would Your Outdoor Experiences Be If You Knew How to...

✅ Locate and observe large and small animals by being able to recognize and follow their trails

✅ Properly prepare before venturing into the backcountry to avoid the most common mistakes that can lead to dangerous survival scenarios

✅ Identify and harvest wild plants both as an emergency food source and as valuable material resources in survival situations

✅ Interpret bird behaviors and alarm vocalizations that reveal important information about animal whereabouts and impending predator attacks 

✅ Read a map, use a compass, and navigate virtually any terrain to avoid getting lost and safely get to your destination

✅ Move through a landscape stealthily with the ability to sneak up on animals without them knowing you are there

✅ Procure water, make fire, build shelter, and signal for rescue if you became injured or lost in remote country

✅ Identify big predators in your vicinity area by confidently identifying the tracks of bears, lions, wolves, coyotes, and other potential threats

✅ Process and store wild foods to supplement your normal diet using the proper equipment, techniques, and other know-how

✅ Select the most important survival gear for both short and long-term expeditions so you could feel secure in exploring mountains, deserts, and forests

NOW is the Time to Reconnect with Nature!

You only have so many hours left to spend outside...why not get the most out of them?

No more overlooking tracks that indicate a majestic animal is nearby, not recognizing a plant that is a highly nutritious food source, ignoring a bird alarm that signals a predator on the move, or not being able to start a fire when you are on the verge of becoming hypothermic.

You CAN learn to put into practice the same skills that humans used not only to survive, but to thrive in harsh environments for thousands of years. It's part of your human heritage, your birthright that you are uniquely qualified to tap into.

So take advantage of the opportunity that awaits you so that you no longer miss out on all that nature has to offer. It doesn't matter whether it's your backyard or a nearby wilderness, either way there's a whole world that awaits your discovery! 

Weekly Lessons 

You'll receive instruction each week in one of the following topics:

Wildlife Tracks & Sign

Knowing how to recognize animal tracks and sign is key to understanding the wildlife that is in the area, including perceiving what it was doing and when it was there, and how to find (or avoid) it. Just as indigenous peoples are taught at a young age how to interpret the clues left behind by animals, you too will learn the skills to be able to confidently identify, age, and follow a wide variety of mammal, bird, reptile, and amphibian tracks and trails through:

• Understanding track morphology, features, and characteristics
• Reading gaits and interpreting associated behaviors
• Aging tracks and sign
• Following animal paths and trailing wildlife
• Interpreting scat and pellet, and predation remains
• Recognizing other animal sign like feeding, bedding, marking etc.

Bird Language & Animal Communication 

People of virtually every hunter-gatherer culture understood the meaning behind songbird vocalizations and other communications, and how to tune into the messages that were being broadcast about what was happening on the landscape around them. You will learn how to increase your situational awareness through interpreting the meaning behind what birds and other animals are ‘saying’ by:

• Knowing how to distinguish between baseline and non-baseline behaviors
• Deciphering alarm calls and identifying potential aerial threats
• Identifying the whereabouts and movements of dangerous ground predators
• Understanding methods to conceal your presence while hunting and get close to wildlife
• Recognizing the true nature of silence in the forest and how to use that to your advantage
• Interpreting the communication web that exists between all animals

Wilderness Survival

Learning essential survival skills is necessary to dealing with emergency situations in the outdoors that could threaten your safety and those with you. Like the famous scouts, pioneers, and mountain men of of the past who old had an intimate knowledge of the natural world that allowed them to subsist on the land and thrive in hostile conditions, you'll learn a variety of techniques that will enable you to handle adversity whether it happens on a nearby hiking trail or deep in remote country including:

• Avoiding dangerous survival situations
• Starting fire, finding/purifying water, and building emergency shelters
• Navigating using a compass and topographical map
• Getting lost and methods for finding your way out or signaling for rescue
• Staying warm and avoiding heat exhausting/ dehydration
• Making cordage, tying knots, and using a knife

Foraging for Wild Plants

Eating 'off-the-land' entails a lot more than just finding a few leafy greens that are edible or locating some ripe fruit; a true naturalist knows the ins and outs of getting access to plant resources that are available at their fingertips when they need them. You'll learn to avail yourself of nutritious wild foods present in your own back yard, nearby green space, or wilderness by:

• Learning the most essential staple foods indigenous people relied upon
• Knowing correct habitats to locate desired species
• Identifying plants using appropriate characteristics/keys
• Avoiding dangerous lookalikes that are poisonous
• Recognizing what time of year to harvest particular species
• Understanding steps required in processing what you bring home

Other Skills

A well-rounded naturalist draws upon a wide array of skills that he or she can call upon as the situation demands. There is no limit to the amount of useful knowledge that can be acquired, and hence some additional topics that may be referenced during weekly lessons (among others) include:

• Selecting backcountry gear and clothing recommendations
• Setting up campsites and choosing overnight locations
• Predicting the weather based on 'in-the-field' observations
• Maintaining your physical health and well-being in remote country
• Keeping a positive attitude and good psychology when things go wrong
• Performing sense meditations & other routines that enhance your outdoor experiences

Frequently Asked Questions