These are some of the many organizations and businesses that can provide further information, training and insight into this field. Additionally, there are links to the other work of Wilderness Reflections staff and the innovations they are part of in their professional lives.

 

Quest & Rites of Passage

 
The School of Lost Borders

Founded by Stephen Foster and Meredith Little, the “midwives of contemporary wilderness questing.” Many WR guides have trained with the School at some point and their staff continue to be our close allies and colleagues.

Animas Valley Institute

Founded by and based upon the soul-centric work of Bill Plotkin, numerous Animas guides have guided for or trained with WR, inspiring various aspects of our own evolving approach.

Earthways

Our local colleagues, with whom some of our guides work. EarthWays is committed to the restoration of our relationship to all of the living earth. Ancient and modern cross-cultural Rites of Passage bring people from all walks of life into direct interaction with the natural world.

 

For Adults & All Ages 

 
Wilderness Awareness School | Duvall, Washington

Wilderness Awareness School is a national not-for-profit environmental education organization established in 1983 dedicated to caring for the earth and our children by fostering understanding and appreciation of nature, community and self.

Dynamic wilderness education courses combine ancient and modern ecological wisdom, and empower people of all ages to become stewards, mentors and leaders.

Regenerative Design Institute | Bolinas, CA

The Regenerative Design Institute (RDI) is a nonprofit educational organization with the vision that all people can live in a mutually enhancing relationship with the earth. We envision a world in which people, inspired by nature, create and maintain healthy and abundant livelihoods that enhance fertility and biodiversity on the planet.

Art of Mentoring with Jon Young | California and International

Deep in all of our roots, there are stories of our ancestors living in healthy, regenerative communities—villages where people of all ages were in deep relationship with the land, each other and themselves. The Art of Mentoring is a week-long, experiential, nature-based program designed to help us remember these old ways and learn to apply them to our modern communities.

A Path That Fits, Career and Professional Coaching | San Francisco Bay Area
Adrian Klaphaak, Certified Life Coach

A Path That Fits is more than just a job. It is the direction in your career that fits who you are and aligns your strengths and purpose to maximize your contribution to the world.

 

for Kids & Youth

 
Camp Unalayee  | Trinity Alps, CA
Ages 10-17; summer camp

Unalayee has been taking kids on outdoor adventures since 1949. Located in Northern California’s Trinity Alps, Unalayee is a nonprofit, co-ed wilderness summer camp that provides meaningful outdoor experiences for children ages 10-17. Whether boating, backpacking, making crafts or learning leadership skills, campers learn how to safely enjoy a remarkably beautiful wilderness setting. Some of our staff have worked for Unalayee in the past and it is a great summer experience for a young on not yet ready for a coming of age program.

LifeWorks Learning Center | Mill Valley, CA
Tutoring and college prep for high school students.

Founder of LifeWorks Learning Center, Jai Flicker, started out tutoring in 1999 and has been working to help high school and middle school students thrive ever since. Out of his early recognition that teens need much more than just academic support, he developed an integrated approach to tutoring that blends content mastery with developmental models of growth. By helping students motivate from within, listening deeply to their needs, and supporting them in the cultivation of greater self-awareness, he and his staff have helped many students both increase their performance in school and transform the quality of their lives.

The Reikes Center for Human Enhancement, Nature Awareness Homeschool | Menlo Park, CA
Ages 2-18; year-round

Their homeschool nature programs are recognized internationally as being at the forefront of the nature connection movement. They utilize core routines of nature awareness and cultural mentoring techniques to connect kids to the land, themselves, and each other.

Stepping Stones Project | Bay Area
Ages 11-14; year-round

SSP’s Mission is to guide and support youth and families across the threshold from childhood into healthy adolescence through contemporary rites of passage. Stepping Stones Project addresses the developmental needs of today’s youth by providing extended group mentoring and nature based experiences, helping them to develop a strong sense of self, a solid internal compass to navigate life’s challenges, and a deep connection to nature. Focus is on middle school aged youth.

Tender Tracks | Marin County
Ages 3-5, year-round

Founded and run by the inspired, wise child-whisperer Wendolyn Bird, Tender Tracks is a 100% Outdoor Nature Awareness Preschool, designed for children ages 3 to 5. We at Tender Tracks believe that by guiding each child’s inherent awe and wonder about our Earth, they grow towards greater unity to self and all life. We can’t wait til our kids are big enough to be “tender trackers” with Wendolyn!

Trackers Bay

Trackers Bay is a part of the larger Trackers program which “exists to re-create a village of people connected through family and the land. We lead the way in education and collaborative organization. Our method is to revive outdoor lore and traditional skills, working to restore the common sense that is no longer common. Our vision is to help foster a deep appreciation for the natural world and community.”

 

Staff Affiliations

 
Beyond Boundaries

Beyond Boundaries is a hub for collaborative, intergenerational work supporting people and places that are dedicated to regenerative culture.

California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS) | San Francisco, CA

California Institute of Integral Studies is an accredited institution of higher education that strives to embody spirit, intellect, and wisdom in service to individuals, communities and the Earth. The Institute offers interdisciplinary, cross-cultural, and applied studies in psychology, philosophy, religion, cultural anthropology, transformative studies and leadership, integrative health, women’s spirituality, counseling, community mental health, and the arts. M.A.s and B.A.s available.

Hakomi Institute of California and its parent organization Hakomi Institute

Building on the original method developed by Ron Kurtz, over the past 30 years the Institute has enhanced, expanded and refined the Hakomi Method to create updated and highly effective trainings for professionals and graduate students.

The Hakomi Institute of California is a professional educational organization dedicated to providing high quality trainings in Hakomi Experiential Psychology to a wide variety of clinical and non-clinical professions.

The Ojai Foundation | Ojai, CA

An educational retreat center, sanctuary and community dedicated to the Way of Council and rites of passage programs. Several of our staff are affiliated with The Ojai Foundation and all have been influenced by the Council work and training of The Ojai Foundation.

Somatic Experiencing Trauma Institute | Worldwide

Several of our staff are trained in this ground-breaking method of trauma resolution. It is one of the inspirational pillars of our unique approach to healing through the body and Nature. The Somatic Experiencing Trauma Institute is a nonprofit, educational and research organization dedicated to the worldwide healing and prevention of trauma. They provide professional training in Somatic Experiencing® and outreach to under served populations and victims of violence, war and natural disasters. Training is available worldwide.

The WILD Foundation

As the heart of the global wilderness conservation movement, WILD is the only international organization dedicated entirely to protecting wilderness and wild-nature around the world. WILD’s vision is to protect and interconnect at least half of the planet, land and water, because wild-areas provide essential social, spiritual, biological and economic benefits – Nature Needs Half™. We envision a planet with abundant wildlife and wild places, which produces ample clean water, fresh air and natural resources that support all life. We believe that intact wilderness areas are an essential core element of a healthy modern human society.

 

Other Resources

 
The Meuse Design

Artist and web magician Kristin Meuser is our favorite designer. She brings both technical expertise and great creativity and artistic skill to her web and graphics work. The Meuse Design is a full service graphic design studio that connects individuals, businesses and non-profits by creating unique visual products that make you stand out in your chosen field.  Whether you’re a sole proprietor of a small business or service, a full size business or a non-profit organization, we’re here to work the magic.

Passageworks – Social Emotional Learning | Boulder, Colorado

The mission of the PassageWorks Institute is to support educators with practices and principles that integrate social, emotional and academic learning and create meaningful and rigorous relationship-based classrooms. Theeir practices and principles support the inner lives of teachers and students. By “inner life” we refer to that essential aspect of human nature that yearns for deep connection, grapples with difficult questions about meaning, and seeks a sense of purpose and genuine self-expression.