“In every bioregion, one of the most urgent tasks is to rebuild the community of naturalists.”
— Richard Louv, “The Nature Principle”
Learning friction fire-making alone in the woods can only get us so far. We are faced with modernity while trying to uphold earth-based culture. Right now, for Melina and me, that looks like gathering consistently in the same place—Sintra-Colares, Portugal—where we practice wilderness skills, study naturalist knowledge and share stories of the animals and creatures who live around us. Knowledge of place takes time to develop. Curiosity, consistency and community are three of the most powerful factors to build relationship. Which tree offers good tinder and where is it on the land? How does the wind shift when winter arrives? Which member of the weasel family is killing your chickens and how can you find out?
This winter, we’re continuing to ask people to come together in a learning space where we move beyond introductions into competence and confidence. Where the child tracking a wild boar teaches the adult to question their assumptions, and the adult telling her story inspires a teenager to feel safe in the forest.
A catalyst of our modern nature connection movement said,
“We cannot protect something we do not love, we cannot love what we do not know, and we cannot know what we do not see.” — Richard Louv
When we gather outdoors in community, we pattern on nature instead of Instagram feeds and AI videos. We can watch each other learn, and in turn, learn more deeply ourselves (thanks, mirror neurons!). Melina and I bring wilderness survival, permaculture, and nature connection mentoring, but the real teacher is the place itself. Shelter and fire, tracking and bird language, wild foods and awareness and much more will unfold. Earth-based learning leads to nature-connected living. We start on November 23rd. Bring your curiosity, your kids if you have them, and your willingness to get to know the land a little bit more.
✴︎ Wilderness Skills Community Days | Sintra-Colares, Portugal:
✴︎ Instructor Training Day at TUFO | Mafra, Portugal — Sat 13 Dec, 9AM-5PM
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