Greetings. My name is Rachel Edwards and I have just begun the Wolf Camp Earth Skills Teaching Apprenticeship. I just drove up from California where I have been living in San Luis Obispo working as a naturalist at a residential outdoor school for fifth and sixth graders. I learned about Wolf Camp in 2007 while living in Seattle going to college. Being a lover of the great outdoors and the desire to live in harmony and deeply connected with all our beautiful earth has to offer has called me to want to immerse myself in the world of earth skills. To truly be proficient at earth skills takes awareness, dedication, and practice. All of which I am committing myself to. I am here to learn and grow. I have the intention of walking away from this experience with an abundance of skills that I can carry into the wilderness and share with the children I teach in the future.
The first week here has been full of prepping the day and overnight camps for the summer. I felt welcomed from the moment I arrived and am surrounded by beautiful and quite entertaining other instructors who all have great personalities full of humor. Prepping for classes entails discussions between the lead and assisting instructors about the vision for week and what you want the kids to experience. Then comes careful planning of activities and a hour by hour details. At times I found it challenging when unsure of the environment where the camp would be held. For example, planning an herbal week long day camp but not knowing the plants that are growing there. After a week full of prepping herbal and tracking camps we ended with two days at the Washington Homeschool Convention. I had tons of fun working with kids learning to make baskets, weaving cattails, and making cordage. I am looking forward to the day camp next week at Wolf Haven where training will begin.
NOTE: See the WOLF COLLEGE SUMMER RESIDENTIAL APPRENTICESHIPS and the ACADEMIC YEAR ETHNO-ECOLOGY APPRENTICESHIPS for more information.
