Background And History Of This Website
Eight years ago I was searching for something deeper in my life. My experiences had led me to consider that the way I had been living wasn’t right for me. I didn’t really know what I was looking for but I still had this feeling that there was something out there for me.
My desire to find my path in life led me to try out many different things like Buddhism and various philosophies for self-growth & personal development. I had learned & changed a lot but I still hadn’t found anything that really clicked with me in a way that was truly a part of my long-term path.
With nowhere to go and without any sense of what I should be doing I decided to try my hand at university.
My desire to find my path in life led me to try out many different things like Buddhism and various philosophies for self-growth & personal development. I had learned & changed a lot but I still hadn’t found anything that really clicked with me in a way that was truly a part of my long-term path.
With nowhere to go and without any sense of what I should be doing I decided to try my hand at university.
Discovering Ecopsychology
When I was at university I came across a field of study called ecopsychology. I read through a number of case studies and got really interested in the descriptions of psychologists who would take people into nature for extended immersion programs. During this immersion into nature the participants would be alone & quiet in one place sometimes for as long as a week. There was a big emphasis placed on settling in and being present with the natural world.
At the end of their solo time participants would describe their experiences by saying things like “I felt at one with nature” or “I experienced deep peace and vibrant connectedness”. Even people from the inner city who had never spent any time with nature were being impacted by their experiences.
I was struck by the consistency with which participants would access deep states of consciousness in nature. Even more striking than this was the personal and spiritual insight that seemed to emerge from these experiences for people.
This was a therapeutic process that was actually producing measurable & permanent change with the life issues & challenges that people brought to the programs with them. They were coming away in a new state of mind with which to see life.
I immediately saw the potential to start getting some answers to the deeper questions I had and I decided to seek out anything and everything I could find that related to connecting with nature. It wasn’t long after that when I discovered the works of a man named Tom Brown Jr.
At the end of their solo time participants would describe their experiences by saying things like “I felt at one with nature” or “I experienced deep peace and vibrant connectedness”. Even people from the inner city who had never spent any time with nature were being impacted by their experiences.
I was struck by the consistency with which participants would access deep states of consciousness in nature. Even more striking than this was the personal and spiritual insight that seemed to emerge from these experiences for people.
This was a therapeutic process that was actually producing measurable & permanent change with the life issues & challenges that people brought to the programs with them. They were coming away in a new state of mind with which to see life.
I immediately saw the potential to start getting some answers to the deeper questions I had and I decided to seek out anything and everything I could find that related to connecting with nature. It wasn’t long after that when I discovered the works of a man named Tom Brown Jr.
Tom Brown and Jon Young
Tom Brown is a tracker, naturalist and mentor who has written a number of books based on stories from his childhood growing up close to the earth. I was very inspired by his descriptions of what’s possible as far as deep connection to nature.
He talked about how our path in life is a journey of vision and when we cultivate deep awareness in nature it allows us to see that vision and follow a path that gives us purpose and meaning.
Where ecopsychology talked about the power of short intensive immersion experiences Tom Brown was saying that our lives day in and day out could be enhanced and more meaningful with ongoing connection to nature.
It made me think about my own connection to the natural world. I had spent a lot of time outside when I was young but the whole time I was out there I never realized the value of awareness and paying attention to anything going on beyond my own bubble of interest.
Around this same time when I started reading Tom Brown’s books I came across another tracker with a similar connection to nature and one of my future mentors named Jon Young.
Jon Young talked about the process of connecting with nature in a whole new light and detail than what I had encountered thus far. He helped me to understand that our connection to nature can be cultivated intentionally and predictably with the practice of certain routines… and that this process can be facilitated and progressively deepened with strategic mentoring.
He really emphasized that having a mentor who watches over your learning process & asks you good questions helps people to develop this connection in a deeply integrated way by going through what is essentially a process of transformation.
Instead of an isolated experience that is linked to a two-week immersion, we can facilitate the total transformation of a person into a more complete & self-actualized being. Through long term mentoring in nature we can learn our place in the world & understand how to step fully into our gifts for the earth.
He talked about how our path in life is a journey of vision and when we cultivate deep awareness in nature it allows us to see that vision and follow a path that gives us purpose and meaning.
Where ecopsychology talked about the power of short intensive immersion experiences Tom Brown was saying that our lives day in and day out could be enhanced and more meaningful with ongoing connection to nature.
It made me think about my own connection to the natural world. I had spent a lot of time outside when I was young but the whole time I was out there I never realized the value of awareness and paying attention to anything going on beyond my own bubble of interest.
Around this same time when I started reading Tom Brown’s books I came across another tracker with a similar connection to nature and one of my future mentors named Jon Young.
Jon Young talked about the process of connecting with nature in a whole new light and detail than what I had encountered thus far. He helped me to understand that our connection to nature can be cultivated intentionally and predictably with the practice of certain routines… and that this process can be facilitated and progressively deepened with strategic mentoring.
He really emphasized that having a mentor who watches over your learning process & asks you good questions helps people to develop this connection in a deeply integrated way by going through what is essentially a process of transformation.
Instead of an isolated experience that is linked to a two-week immersion, we can facilitate the total transformation of a person into a more complete & self-actualized being. Through long term mentoring in nature we can learn our place in the world & understand how to step fully into our gifts for the earth.
“If you trust the process and give it the time that it takes
You will eventually find what you’re looking for.”
You will eventually find what you’re looking for.”
I knew this was a path I wanted to walk so I started doing all the practices and routines outlined in the books and audio recordings of Jon Young and Tom Brown.
It felt real… Sensory and deep, but I knew that I still needed more.
I’m not the kind of person to do things halfheartedly and I decided that if I was really going to go to the depths of what this had to offer me that I would have to immerse myself. I saved up my money & moved to the other side of the continent to our neighboring country to a small town in western Washington to attend the Wilderness Awareness School.
It felt real… Sensory and deep, but I knew that I still needed more.
I’m not the kind of person to do things halfheartedly and I decided that if I was really going to go to the depths of what this had to offer me that I would have to immerse myself. I saved up my money & moved to the other side of the continent to our neighboring country to a small town in western Washington to attend the Wilderness Awareness School.
Wilderness Awareness School
Living in Washington was my chance to go fully into my learning journey with nature. In addition to time spent with my classmates practicing bird language, tracking, exploring, & learning… It was my time to really get into some solid routines for myself.
I was there for one reason and one reason only… to cultivate my awareness to the deepest level in nature that I possibly could. I learned about how to blend with the natural flow of the landscape and by moving intentionally and listening to the birds, I could get close to wild animals and witness events taking place in nature that I could have never even imagined.
I would spend hours out on the land at my sit spot or wandering & exploring... I made fire by friction and slept in shelters made with my own hands. It felt like I was making up for all the free timeless exploration & experience that I missed out on as a kid.
I was surrounded by a community of learners and mentors who helped me to connect with nature and gain some amazing skills. I’ll be forever grateful for what I received in that community. It was such an amazing time of growth & discovery and for the first time in my life I felt that I was finally home.
After two years of being immersed in this way eventually the day came when it was time for me to leave. I knew I was coming away from this experience a changed person. I had many new tools, techniques and experiences under my belt but I had no idea what to do with it all.
I headed back to Canada with only the memories and hope of being able to share what I had learned with my friends and family. I knew the value of what I had gained & I knew my path was leading me to bring this experience to other people… but how?
I had gone west to seek a vision of my path and though I had made a lot of progress I still couldn’t see what was next for me. It seemed that for the moment I was right back where I started before I left. I didn’t know what to do but I kept remembering the words from my past…
I was there for one reason and one reason only… to cultivate my awareness to the deepest level in nature that I possibly could. I learned about how to blend with the natural flow of the landscape and by moving intentionally and listening to the birds, I could get close to wild animals and witness events taking place in nature that I could have never even imagined.
I would spend hours out on the land at my sit spot or wandering & exploring... I made fire by friction and slept in shelters made with my own hands. It felt like I was making up for all the free timeless exploration & experience that I missed out on as a kid.
I was surrounded by a community of learners and mentors who helped me to connect with nature and gain some amazing skills. I’ll be forever grateful for what I received in that community. It was such an amazing time of growth & discovery and for the first time in my life I felt that I was finally home.
After two years of being immersed in this way eventually the day came when it was time for me to leave. I knew I was coming away from this experience a changed person. I had many new tools, techniques and experiences under my belt but I had no idea what to do with it all.
I headed back to Canada with only the memories and hope of being able to share what I had learned with my friends and family. I knew the value of what I had gained & I knew my path was leading me to bring this experience to other people… but how?
I had gone west to seek a vision of my path and though I had made a lot of progress I still couldn’t see what was next for me. It seemed that for the moment I was right back where I started before I left. I didn’t know what to do but I kept remembering the words from my past…
“If you trust the process and give it the time that it takes
You will eventually find what you’re looking for.”
You will eventually find what you’re looking for.”
I realized that I couldn’t rush the process of discovering my way. I felt that on some level there was a deep integration taking place of all that I had learned.
All I could do is trust the process and continue to engage as best as I could. I kept in touch with my mentors and continued doing the routines of nature connection. Slowly but surely something started to form in my mind.
All I could do is trust the process and continue to engage as best as I could. I kept in touch with my mentors and continued doing the routines of nature connection. Slowly but surely something started to form in my mind.
The Vision Of This Website
When I track back through my life there is one thread of interest that follows me and has consistently been the focus of my attention. That thread is storytelling.
When I was a kid I loved listening to stories… I love stories of all kinds. I believe stories have the power to change, the power to heal and some of our most incredible learning resources come in the form of stories.
This is who I am. I am a storyteller. I sit with people & I share my stories and through this dynamic sharing process it begins to awaken their stories. If I can inspire people to look at their own life a little more deeply, or help people find joy in connecting with nature then my stories will have been a success.
I hope that what I share will inspire hope and confidence in people that life can be a journey of discovery for all of us. Love for nature is one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself in life & if you allow it to… it will awaken within each of us a story of transformation.
I hope you will find my stories as instructive, inspiring and fun as it was creating and experiencing them for myself…
Thank you!
Nature Stories Blog
Mentoring Services
Home
Wilderness Awareness School Homepage
When I was a kid I loved listening to stories… I love stories of all kinds. I believe stories have the power to change, the power to heal and some of our most incredible learning resources come in the form of stories.
This is who I am. I am a storyteller. I sit with people & I share my stories and through this dynamic sharing process it begins to awaken their stories. If I can inspire people to look at their own life a little more deeply, or help people find joy in connecting with nature then my stories will have been a success.
I hope that what I share will inspire hope and confidence in people that life can be a journey of discovery for all of us. Love for nature is one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself in life & if you allow it to… it will awaken within each of us a story of transformation.
I hope you will find my stories as instructive, inspiring and fun as it was creating and experiencing them for myself…
Thank you!
Nature Stories Blog
Mentoring Services
Home
Wilderness Awareness School Homepage