For Returning Participants

A healthy human village is deeply in tune with the cycles of the more-than-human world – its hazards and delights, its larders and lacks, its changes in weather and season, its stories and mysteries. Our ancestors needed to be profoundly connected to all these aspects of their places, in order to thrive within nature’s challenges year after year after year… and so do we!

We know that in a thriving mentoring culture, every member of the community is both learning at their growing edge and helping others to do the same. These two core elements of practice– deep nature connection and a culture of lifelong mentoring – come together in the Earth Skills Immersion Program at the Vermont Art of Mentoring.

So, come join us for a week of full immersion and integration by embarking on a journey of deep nature connection, traditional earth living skills, village life, and so much more! We’ll continue adding to our baskets of skills and experiences in ways that feel regenerative and nourishing by building on our existing knowledge and capacity in the wild. As part of this deep dive, you as a member of our Earth Skills group will be invited into a three day/two night excursion up the mountain which includes a supported solo overnight experience. By following your senses through your awareness practices, you will find a spot out on the land where you will spend time alone and in close connection with yourself, your place, and your growing edges. Some may choose to keep a fire going the whole night, while others may choose to sit with the darkness as the night unfolds.

This experience is crafted by the individual with the support of your team of generous and experienced Earth Skills mentors, who along with the whole Art of Mentoring village will be holding a container within which you can deeply explore. This is a highly customized program that is always specifically tailored to the goals, interests, and learning edges of its participants… If you’re interested in receiving mentoring in order to grow your capacity as a mentor yourself, as a leader, and/or as a contributing member of regenerative human community as a whole, please join us for this gorgeous opportunity to learn and share together. In order to ensure that this program can work for you, Earth Skills staff will be in touch just prior to the experience to connect about your intentions and to set the stage for a transformative journey with one another and the wild.

Skills may include:

• Advanced fire by friction- hand drill and bowdrill
• Advanced cordage
• Bone work- awls, needles, knives, etc.
• Cooking with Fire
• Hide tanning
• Basketry- Hlaiting, coiling, twining, and/or bark.
• Tarps and knots for effective shelter
• Sensory Awareness and more
• Wandering and Navigation
• Plant I.D. and Ethical Harvest

Pre-requisite: the Adult Nature Immersion Program at any Art of Mentoring around the world or similar training (such as Anake Outdoor School or Weaving Earth Immersion).