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Rivers and Roots supports teachers, mentors & parents in offering nature-based learning that cultivates deep nature connection for children. Our methodology naturally  fosters healthy and resilient communities with an eye to future generations.

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Our nature-based mentorship pushes you to go deeper into the wonders of each season while you hone your naturalist, outdoor, survival, ancestral, mentoring & creative skills!

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You will gain access to individualized mentorship, support & guidance, as well as access new research on nature connection, gain first-hand knowledge of an approach to outdoor education that has its origins in various indigenous lineages, Coyote Mentoring (from Jon Young) -and deepen your appreciation, understanding and respect for nature-based cultures, sowing the seeds for our future. 

earth roots apprenticeship 2018

Are you interested in starting your own program?

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Do you work as a nature mentor, outdoor educator forest school practitioner?

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Do you want to deepen your naturalist skills, increase your in field awareness, try your hand at ancestral skills?

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We'll create a supportive mentorship environment where we share our stories and experiences. We will problem-solve and re-inspire each other to push our edges and regenerate as human beings, so that we can bring out the best of ourselves in service to community!

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This program is being developed in partnership with Earth Path. See www.earthpath.org

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Join educators from Earth Path and Rivers and Roots for an inspiring journey that will deepen your connection to nature while developing your naturalist, wilderness and mentoring skills, giving you greater confidence to share earth wisdom with your students, children, and friends.
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nature mentor
teacher training

Program Overview

  1. Over the course of four weekends (1 weekend/month) from March to June, we will deeply immerse ourselves in nature, learning the ways of the wild- from edible/medicinal plants and animal tracking, to fire-making, shelter-building, and reading the landscape- all the while discovering the "Art of Mentoring", methods that inspire profound connection with the natural world. We will be engaging with nature in ways that foster respect, gratitude, and ethical stewardship.


Over a 4-month period, Earth Roots participants will receive focused mentoring in the subject areas listed below. Please note that the depth in which we study each subject will vary depending on student interest, weather, and unexpected gifts that nature presents. There is also an optional self-study component to the course, following the Kamana Naturalist Training Program (Level 1 or 2), which gives participants the option of deepening their practice further.

​Subject/Skill Areas:

  • Naturalist skills - plant & tree ID; reading the landscape; bird lives & language; wildlife tracking and ecology

  • Wilderness & ancestral skills - edible & medicinal plant harvesting/preparation; shelter-making; fire skills and making fire by friction (bow and hand drill) in various weather

  • Hazards in nature

  • Nature awareness - tuning your senses into the 'baseline'; sensory awareness techniques

  • Creative mentoring and community building - using songs, stories, and games to deepen connection- to nature and each other; learn more about the important cultural skill "The Art of Mentoring", including the natural cycle of learning and the 8 Shields model

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2018 Program Dates, Times and Location:
​Weekend times are generally: Fridays 6:30 pm - 9:00 pm, Saturdays 9:30 am - 6:00 pm, and Sundays 10:00 am - 4:30 pm (with breaks for lunch). 1st and 4th weekends are retreat weekends, involving two overnights each. Times may vary slightly. 

  1. March 23-25  -  Retreat weekend away (wilderness cabin 20-30 minutes from Wakefield, QC)

  2. April 20-22 - Non-retreat weekend (some activities in east Ottawa, some in Wakefield, QC)

  3. May 25-27 - Non-retreat weekend (same as previous)

  4. June 14-17 - Retreat weekend away (wilderness cabin 20-30 minutes from Wakefield, QC). Option to join on June 15.


Food:
Participants will need to bring their own food for all weekends.

Price: $895 (Payment plans available)

Core Presenters:
Isabel Diaz - Rivers and Roots / Earth Path
Pierre Blin - Rivers and Roots / Earth Path
Bryarly McEachern - Earth Path
Cole McLaughlin - Earth Path
Various guest mentors

Have questions or want to register for the Earth Roots Apprenticeship? Please contact our Training Manager, Isabel Diaz, at Isabel@EarthPath.ca, or 819-593-0846

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