Wolf College Apprenticeships History

Celebrating 10 Years

Nikki was the first Wolf Camp apprentice in 2000 after starting our adult classes in 1999. She became our most advanced student ever, and a lead instructor by 2001. She grew to develop many of the new programs we now offer and was the pilot student for most of the residential programs we now have. Would you like a sample of past apprentice achievements? Click here for a Written Message from Nikki that will blow your mind. In 2004, she went on sabbatical to test her primitive living technology skills and survival skills for a year and a half before emerging from the wilderness safely this past autumn, probably as one of the most skilled people anywhere in the field of earth skills.

Kate Hedges was the only graduating apprentice in 2001. She lived the program fully, including staying up every night to journal everything we did each day. She integrated the skills she learned here into her original job serving youth, and also started her own Blue Skies earth skills program back home for which she recently purchased 20 acres of land. She also continues to use the Wolf Journey Handbook for Students & Teachers and her notes from here summer here in most lessons, which is a testament to the power of journaling.

Here's a few selections from some of the many classic notes we received from Kate after her first year of training at Wolf Camp. She sure followed through on her intention to return home and start her own earth skills school after receiving training here..... Hope yous are well. I'm doing good, and am trying to immerse miself in the world of schoolwork as I remember that I'm still a student and not a natralist for a few more painful weeks. so, i'm doing intensive 'environmental education workshops' which is my research method- visiting groups of young peeps. went to the lake district (n.w. england) to do a first aid course last w/e. had mad adventures as I scrambled over heathery hillsides in the dusky evenings. saw loads of wildlife- buzzards, kestrals, a perigrine falcon or merlin, deer, fox, oh, an' went to sleep every night to the sounds of owls hooting. found some bone and harvested some birch bark fae a very dead tree which will be good for holding tinder, some hazel for fire kits and lots of slate. it's great mi room and whole house for that matter is constantly filled with wood chips and bits of stick. i'm making lime 'bast' at the moment which is cordage fae the inner bark of short-leaved lime trees- apparently the strongest natural fibre........ i had a pretty life changing week. i saw mi classes in print in the programme with folk booking onta courses and everything. is sooo good, but also a little scary. but then i met a teacher. yep this REALLY old guy who lives just a few miles away is a primitive fire making expert. he became an archaeologist and is involved in reconstruction work. he's been studying fire for over 20 years. i finally got to meet him and got fire with flint and steel, using a torch as a magnifying glass, iron pyrites (fools gold), egyptian bow drill and bow drill. i even got fire with a reconstruction of tooten karmen's fire kit that was buried with him to take to the next world. and used hazel (spindle) and pine (fire board), a limpet shell as a handhold and mi Bucke farm bow to get fire. that night i lit mi first proper fire in scotland up at tentsmuir where i sent you some photos of using bow drill. lots of tips...pretty exciting....... Spent the long weekend up at tentsmuir on the pretense of writing mi literature review, but had some pretty magical nature experiences. stalking deer, hanging out with seals, watching herons build a nest in the trees, watching red squirrels play, listening to owls calling at night, experimenting with funguses as tinder and tracking rabbits. wowwee. seriously blissed out after that........ But guess wot? i do have a question. mi one omission in mi rediculously thorough journaling was the sweat lodge. i'm thinking of doing one with mi survival residential group just before their survival trek, and maybe another one with the beltane group before that. I will obviously have to go with the feel of the group and wot they are up for, but i would be greatful if you could refresh mi memory on the rounds of prayer. (wowee.. "i would be greatful..." is such a british-ism!)

Otherwise in 2001, one apprentice dropped out because she realized she required better accommodations despite being cautioned a number of times about camping, though we have since improved our facilities considerably. The other dropped out because she didn't understand our teaching style, which prefers the art of questioning and experiential education over spoon-feeding answers to students. In 2002, we had four apprentices who received excellent earth skills education, but none of them finished the summer due to their unwillingness to follow camp rules, which taught us a lot about setting appropriate Teaching Apprenticeship expectations, such as emphasizing that the youth at camp are the focus during the summer.

Krista Rome graduated from her apprenticeship in 2003 and was lead instructor for Mystery of the Drum, Wild Chefs & Healers, and Games of the Forest Dweller during the summer of 2004. She is currently working as an environmental consultant, specializing in wetland surveys.

Ryan Tarbell graduated from his apprenticeship in 2003 and was lead instructor for Future Survivors Fun, Wildlife Tracking & Birding, and Games of the Forest Dweller during the summer of 2004, and returned to teach all summer in 2005. In 2006, he graduated from Warren-Wilson College and started his own sustainable forestry program.

Two other 2003 graduates of our apprenticeship have gone on to become very successful in the earth skills field, including Rebecca Bruhn who went on to teach at other earth skills schools around the country, and Micah Fay who completed a 2 year Primitive Living Experience with Nikki (see above link) in February of 2004. His feats were amazing, and everyone enjoyed Micah's diligence, sensetivity, humor, intelligence, and all-around personality while he was here, so we hope that we will be able to hire him to consult with Outdoor Living Experience participants in the future.

Bill "Griz" Chambers is our first former-camper-turned-instructor. He first came to camp in 2001, completed an entire summer in our Youth Mentoring CIT program in 2003, and then the apprenticeship program in 2004. Bill taught a variety camps for us in 2005 and assisted with the apprenticeship program in 2006. He is currently studying emergency rescue and laying the foundations to start his own programs back home.

Rachel Rothman graduated from the apprenticeship in 2004 and then spent the next full year studying at Oregon State University to receive a Masters in Education. She also continues to be an integral part of Aprovecho Research Center with her husband Jeremy Roth, while now working as her school district's special education teacher.

Lorien MacAuley and Scott Fanello were our first couple who graduated from the apprenticeship program. They both practiced their earth skills at other venues before completing the apprenticeship in 2004. They stayed at camp during the off-season to participate in the Wolf Journey Naturalist Survey and they have provided incredible support during our transition to the new camp property. Lorien specializes in birds and other tracking skills, while Scott is also excellent with plants and various survival skills. They each managed to lead day camps for us toward the end of their apprenticeship period, and they both taught several camps for us in 2005 and 2006 before returning home to start their own earth skills programs.

Here's what Scott had to say after a year at Wolf Camp: I came here wanting to learn new Earth Skills. I got them. I came here wanting to help children learn them and to love nature as I did. I helped them. I came here seeking a community of like-minded people who loved the earth and wanted to live with her, not on her. When I arrived, these people were there, smiling. This year my teaching style emerged thanks to the many teachers and apprentices that I've worked with at Wolf Camp. I have gained solid skills in relating to students as well as organizing class schedules based on age groups and the natural progression of a lesson. My influences were many but they all started back in training with (visiting waldorf teacher) Janet Jewell. Janet gave me a clearer understanding that different aged children have totally different needs, from the youngest needing simple stories and experience without nagging questions, to the oldest who need autonomy and reason for what they do plus exciting stories of the teacher's adventures. Later I began to learn from Carol how to keep a class in control by constant learning and loving discipline. Carol's classes also opened me to the spiritual side in Wolf Camp and how it can seamlessly integrate itself into the classes if the students are ready. After Carol my attention was drawn to Ryan and Krista who gave me both the framework to teach daycamps and how to deal with a younger, more rambunctious age group. Once again, I saw a loving sternness and keeping everyone on task by keeping the tasks coming. Later I studied with Kate who showed me how perfection means demanding perfect practice and perfect mistakes, or rather by learning everything that was missing to lead to a mistake. Kate also taught me something that I feel is one of Chris' main strategies. They taught me to have a bag of tricks or extra prepped activities ready on hand or in mind to do when things go wrong like rain, or trees blocking the road.

Chris "Huck" Anderson served as our camp nurse and graduated from the Teaching Apprenticeship in 2005, when he also co-taught our Rock Climbing course and assisted with several day and overnight camps as well. In 2006 he ran the GeoTRIP, and he taught a variety of camps for us in 2007. He comes to us with a plethora of previous experience, including as an ambulance driver EMT in his home of Phoenix, AZ. He is a gifted musician, and is multi-talented enough to be our summer camp director. Huck founded Lost & Found Adventures after returning home from his apprenticeship, and you can contact him through us or visit his website directly at www.lostandfoundadventures.com or telephone 602-228-0211 to find out about attending one of his great courses or to arrange a custom-designed program.

Jason Patterson came to us with a lot of previous experience and although he went through the Teaching Apprentiship in 2005, we can't take credit for improving his already-excellent earth skills. He continues to teach for us each summer.

Glen MacKay first came to camp in 2002, and he returned at age 16 as part of our Youth Mentoring CIT Program in 2004, then completed his Teaching Apprenticship during the summer in 2006. He graduated from high school this year, and for his senior project, he did a solo survival trek and is completed a senior thesis about it. You can read a summary by clicking on Survival Trek Log. He is now attending Oberlin College in Ohio on a full-ride scholarship!

Megan Damofle and Laura Donohue successfully completed the Teaching Apprenticeship in 2006 but took leave of the ongoing educational requirements and written work required for graduation in favor of moving on to study at a variety of other educational venues during their college years. Some of their endeavors included Megan helping pilot our new Wild Healers Herbal Exploration last year, while Laura visited Kate at Blue Skies in Scotland during the summer. Megan is now a regular lead instructor at Wolf Camp.

Andrew Twele was the only one to complete the Earth Skill Teaching Apprenticeship in 2007 although he shed the required written work in favor of focusing on a Primitive Living Experience he is embarking on here at Wolf Camp. He has been here since March 2007, and as you can see on our Staff Bios page, he already came to us with good experience teaching hide tanning and other earth skills. We had two takers for the Outdoor Living Experience in 2007, and one, Andrew Twele, spent the fall constructing his primitive camp and learning to hunt and fish so that (after spending time with family this winter) he can start hard core next year. Here's what Andrew had to say about his program the day he completed his summer apprenticeship (Aug 9, 2007):

My Current Situation, by Andrew Twele: Six months ago I flew across the country, leaving behind everyone I’d known and loved. I came to Wolf camp for two basic reasons. The teaching apprenticeship and primitive living programs offered here.

I just completed the earth skills teaching apprenticeship program at Wolf Camp. It is so nice to have some quiet time, something I yearned for during the summer camp season. There was two or three different camps going on at any given time during the week: A day camp, consisting of children ages approximately 6-11, and an overnight camp of ages 10-16 which is typically divided into two classes, one for beginners (1st year campers) and advanced (2nd years.) As the sole surviving intern I was responsible for much of the behind the scenes work. The other instructors were all great folks. One of them, named Jason, is my look alike. Kids always were getting us confused. He is well practiced in many primitive skills and I learned a great deal just being around him.

Nikki is amazing. She is one of a very few people who have actually spent an entire year living primitively. I came here in part to follow in her footsteps by embarking on the same type of adventure. Unfortunately the first week she was here I was sick as a dog and the second was so consumed by my role as a lead instructor that I had very little chance to pick her brain.

A great tracker named Dan was also here instructing for a week. On an off day he took me for a hike up into the mountains. We waded through a beautiful clear mountain lake. And climbed up beyond the tree line to the highest point which was probably around 5,000 feet or more. It was the highest I’ve ever been with my feet still on the ground. The habitat was like no other I’ve experienced. It is so beautiful up there I’ve vowed to return to the higher elevations for a solo trek.

Carol is a great teacher and counselor. She was quite appreciative of my help and assured me of my teaching abilities. Of the Instructors I seemed to get to know Huck the most. He is in his early twenties and from Arizona where he works as an EMT and Search and Rescue volunteer. The southwest is on my list of places to experience and would very much like to take him up on his invitation to visit.

Chris Chisholm, the Camp founder and Director has found himself burnt out as a result of years of trying to run the school himself, which is the work of at least two or more people. He plans to step back his role here in coming years and I think this summer he was testing the waters a little. (I'm already rested up and will be back raring to go in June, though! Hopefully with Huck and Jay co-coordinating programs with me :) - CC, Dec 1, 2007)

I picked up some valuable teaching tools from the experienced instructors here and discovered much about my own abilities. I have served many roles, some simultaneously, including cook, gopher, janitor, assistant, lead or co- instructor, the general go-to guy, first aid (band aid dealer) and counselor for the boy overnight campers. So summer for me was hectic and difficult at times but a great learning experience.

Everyone I have met through Wolf Camp has turned out to be pretty cool. I would do it all over again. In fact I hope to be asked to return as an instructor next year.

I have gathered my gear together and am preparing to move across the lake to primitive camp for the remainder of the fall season. I have a cache of food, sleeping gear, some tools, a bow, a few arrows and warm wool clothes. I will attempt to become self sufficient before my food rations run out. I will need to hunt, fish, trap and forage for sustenance.

This is what initially drew me here. The opportunity to live off the land in the simplest and most direct manner. To learn the ways of the natural world and to live them. The ultimate goal being to spend an entire circle of the seasons living primitively. This will be my first adventure into such a realm of existence. I have been fascinated by, studied and practiced many wilderness living skills in the past five years. What has been a passion, hobby and profession will soon become everyday life. I will intimately experience nature at a level deeper than all but a relatively few humans today have an understanding of.

I miss my friends and family and always look forward to Christmas when we will be reunited. Beyond that time I have no definitive plans for the future, only dreams. In the past I have read of great naturalists and other characters with a similar lack of commitment and have dreamed about having such freedom. That was of course at a time when I felt stuck in the path that society had paved for me. I have since managed to disassociate myself from such expectations.

Now I am free from the chronic depression I suffered as a result from my dissatisfaction with the goals and ideals of American culture and my inability to meet them. I will never be happy working a city job. I have found a greater calling. I am answering it as I write this now. Unlike too many people I know I shall live my dreams. They are becoming a reality. I take steps towards them almost everyday.

Having been removed from domestic life I have liberated myself from my prior nicotine addiction and other negative habits. By leaving for the woods I have achieved what most spiritual people aim for which is to be guided not by temptation and bad influences but by a higher spirit. This is fairly simple in my current circumstances. I suppose the real challenge will be to achieve these things while living in society.

Three others who studied with us during the off-season between March-June of 2007 departed as camp began in order to focus on their own earth skills, despite originally planning to enroll in the Teaching Apprenticeship. That experience caused us to return the apprenticeship to its original, successful schedule of starting adult students in June rather than in early spring. During the spring, this group acheived incredible earth skills accomplishments through the excellent programs we designed for them, but we learned that it's best to send prospective instructors through the summer apprenticeship sooner than later in order to help them determine asap whether they are really interested in focusing on the needs of kids at camp or just their personal desires.

In the end, you never know about people until you experience them for at least a couple seasons, and no matter how wonderful a program is, it may or may not be what you need. It is also important to remember that there a balance between "going with the flow" which is something we can do a lot when we have few responsibilities, and "pushing through the pain" which is something we need to do in order to learn the value and rewards of honoring commitment. Knowing which to choose in any situation is a key to success. Whatever your choice - whether or not to commit to this program and/or complete the summer with us - we will respect your decisions as long as they are in the best interest of your higher self and of the world community. So once you commit (which is symbolized by your non-refundable tuition) then endeavor to follow-through (as most do) because we love hearing participants gradually realize over the course of the summer how indescribably wonderful the experience unfolds to be.

Chelsea Toone, Andy Russo, Patrick Wiley, Morgan Tidd and Indigo Tidd all finished their apprenticeships in 2008, the latter 4 being returning campers who previously completed the Youth Mentoring CIT Program in previous years!

Charlie Borrowman, James Helms and Aldin Huff all finished their apprenticeships in 2009 during our new-apprentice-off summer as we were moving to Puyallup.

Rachel Edwards was our first new apprentice in Puyallup in 2010. She was wildly successful piloting our location before we open up to new apprentices as a Teaching College in 2011.

Notes from Chris

I’m looking forward to receiving your application, but feel free to call or email me so I can clarify any questions you have. There is so very much to gain and to give in this program, so I'm looking forward to sharing it with you.

Until then! - Chris Chisholm

In 2011, all of our Summertime Residential Apprenticeships run June 10th - August 20th, with optional stay until September 10th. Program Capacity will be limited to 10 students between all our apprenticeships in Summer 2011 which include the Earth Skills Teaching Apprenticeship, the Herbalist & Ethnobotany Teachers Training, the Wildlife Trackers Instructor Training, and the Traditional Technologies & Survival Instructors Training. The Youth Mentoring CIT Program for ages 13-17 has a different application process.

Employment: We only need instructors with experience running camps and teaching in the field of Earth Skills Education, including skills of the Neighborhood Naturalist, Traditional Herbalist, Wildlife Tracker, Survival Scout, Ancient Artisan, Honorable Hunter, Permaculture Pioneer and Environmental Educator. Apply to become an instructor through one of our Earth Skills Teaching Apprenticeships.