Nature Connection Organizations Directory

Welcome!

This is the result of several months of work surveying the field of nature connection organizations who self-identify as being influenced by 8 Shields and or the Art of Mentoring. (Gratitude to White Pine Programs nature connection Alumnus Niall Motson for his passionate work on this.)

The founding belief of 8 Shields is that we can return children to the same intimate relationship to the natural world as was held by our ancestors. With active mentoring, ceremony, ancestor awareness, the arts of tracking and survival, these children will grow up to consciously appreciate and be actively willing to protect and nourish the natural world and the human world. (Gratitude to the founder of 8 Shields, Jon Young, for his spirited endeavor of love, connection and healing.)

What we learned:

  • there are at least 73 nature connection organizations in North America
  • Collectively this group serves upwards of 50,000 unique people annually
    • 34,810 unique youth each year
    • 15,892 unique adults each year
  • Alumni now number half a million

We invite you to take some time to explore the map and get to know the nature connection organization near you.

Click here to take the survey and potentially put your program on the map!

 

Click here to put your program on the map!

Nature Connection Programs By Region

North East

Earth Arts Ithaca
Address: Ithaca, NY
Contact Name: Julie Nichols Kulik, Owner & Director
Email Address: earthartsithaca@gmail.com
Phone Number: 607.279.4144
Website: www.earthartsithaca.org

EarthWalk Vermont
Address: EarthWalk Vermont PO Box 21 Plainfield, VT 05667
Contact Name: Angella Gibbons, Director & Founder
Email Address: angella@earthwalkvermont.org
Phone Number: 802.454.8500
Website: www.earthwalkvermont.org

Flying Deer Nature Center
Address: 5 Abode Rd. New Lebanon, NY 12125
Contact Name: Devin Franklin, Programs Director
Email Address: info@flyingdeernaturecenter.org
Phone Number: 518.794.6687
Website: www.flyingdeernaturecenter.org

Institute for Natural Learning
Address: 1037 Western Ave, Suite 7, Brattleboro, VT 05303
Contact Name: Mark Morey, founder
Email Address: info@ifNaturalLearning.com
Phone Number: 802.254.5800
Website: www.IfNaturalLearning.com

Maine Primitive Skills School
Address: 716 Church Hill Rd. Augusta, ME 04330
Contact Name: Michael Douglas – Adult Programs
Email Address: staff@primitiveskills.com
Phone Number: 207.623.7298
Website: www.primitiveskills.com

Merrohawke Nature School
Address: 54R Merrimac St. Newburyport, MA 01950
Contact Name: Kate Yeomans, Co-founder & Executive Director
Email Address: kate@merrohawke.org
Phone Number: 978.463.2233
Website: www.merrohawke.org

Mindful Tracker
Address: P.O. Box 466 Marlboro VT, 05344
Contact Name: George Leoniak
Email Address: george@mindfultracker.com
Phone Number: 802.257.6918
Website: www.mindfultracker.com

Northwood Natural Learning
Address: Paridae Grove: 573 Waning Road, Unity, Maine, 04988
Contact Name: Trevanna Frost Grenfell, Director
Email Address: trevanna@northwoodnaturallearning.org
Phone Number: 508.404.8956
Website: www.northwoodnaturallearning.org

Roots and Trails
Address: 449 South Prospect Street, Burlington, VT 04501
Contact Name: Jessica Rubin (formerly Yaffa) becoming Yepeth Perla
Email Address: yepeth@gmail.com
Phone Number: 802.839.8286
Website: www.rootsandtrails.com

Sacred Earth Network
Address: 93A Glasheen Road, Petersham, MA 01366
Contact Name: Billa Kgari, Executive Director
Email Address: billa@sacredearthnetwork.org
Phone Number: 978.724.0114
Website: www.sacredearthnetwork.net

Sagefire Institute
Address: Mt. Kisco, NY
Contact Name: Michael Trotta, Co-founder and Owner
Email Address: michael@sagefireinstitute.com
Phone Number: 914.438.3330
Website: www.sagefireinstitute.com

Sassafras Earth Education
Address: 5 Church Street, Aquinnah, MA 02535
Contact Name: Saskia Vanderhoop, Founder
Email Address: saskiav@mac.com
Phone Number: 508.645.2008
Website: www.sassafrasmvy.org

Tamakoce Wilderness Programs
Address: Albany, New York
Contact Name: Dan Yacobellis
Email Address: miye_yelo@yahoo.com
Phone Number: 518.928.7897
Website: www.tamakocewildernessprogams.com

Two Coyotes Wilderness School
Address: P.O. Box 711 Monroe, CT 06468
Contact Name: Justin Pegnataro, Executive Director
Email Address: justin@twocoyotes.org
Phone Number: 203.843.3112
Website: www.twocoyotes.org

Vermont Wilderness School
Address: P.O. Box 2575, Brattleboro, VT 05303
Contact Name: Sam Stegeman, Director
Email Address: sam@vermontwildernessschool.org
Phone Number: 802.257.8570
Website: www.vermontwildernessschool.org

White Pine Programs
Address: Cape Neddick, Maine
Contact Name: Dan Gardoqui, Executive Dirctor
Email Address: dan@whitepineprograms.org
Phone Number: 207.361.1911
Website: www.whitepineprograms.org

Wild Earth
Address: 29 South Chestnut St., Suite 201, New Paltz, NY 12561
Contact Name: David Brownstein, ED
Email Address: david@wildearth.org
Phone Number: 845.256.9830
Website: www.wildearth.org

Wolf Tree Programs
Address: P.O. Box 44 Montague, MA
Contact Name: Neill Bovaird, Director
Email Address: info@wolftreema.com
Phone Number: 413.210.9361
Website: www.wolftreema.com

South

Ancestral Knowledge
Address: College Park, Maryland
Contact Name: Bill Kaczor
Email Address: ak@ancestralknowledge.org
Phone Number: 240.832.5435
Website: www.ancestralknowledge.org

Earth Native Wilderness School
Address: 137 Woodview Lane, Bastrop, TX 78602
Contact Name: Dave Scott, Founder
Email Address: dave@earthnativeschool.com
Phone Number: 512.299.8870
Website: www.earthnativeschool.com

Forest Floor Wilderness Programs
Address: Asheville, NC
Contact Name: Clint Corley, Founder & Executive Director
Email Address: wildmentor@gmail.com
Phone Number: 321.536.5615
Website: www.ontheforestfloor.org

Human Nature School
Address: Traverse City, Mi, 49684
Contact Name: Kriya Miller, Program Director & Co-Founder
Email Address: kriya@humannatureschool.org
Phone Number: 231.642.5575
Website: www.humannatureschool.org

Natural Mystery School
Address: 370 Leigh Farm Rd, Durham, NC
Contact Name: Sarah Haggerty, Founder & Director
Email Address: sarah@naturalmystery.com
Phone Number: 919.923.1821
Website: www.naturalmystery.com

Nature Connect
Address: Wilmington, NC
Contact Name: Brinkley Hutchings, Founder & Facilitator
Email Address: brinkley89@gmail.com
Phone Number: 251.747.7846
Website: www.natureconnectnc.org

The Eco-Institute at Pickards Mtn
Address: 8519 Pickards Meadow Rd. Chapel Hill, NC 27516
Contact Name: Megan Toben, Director
Email Address: pickardsmountain@gmail.com
Phone Number: 919.619.5475
Website: www.eco-institute.org

The Living Earth School
Address: 101 Rocky Bottom Ln. Afton, Va 22920
Contact Name: Kate and Hub Knott
Email Address: info@livingearthva.com
Phone Number: 540.456.7339
Website: www.livingearthva.com

Wild intelligence
Address: P.O. Box 1441, Athens, GA 30603
Contact Name: Sarah Hubbard, Program Director or Shannon McBride, ED
Email Address: sarah@wildintelligence.org
Phone Number: 706.255.8937
Website: www.wildintelligence.org

Midwest

Glen Helen Outdoor Education Center
Address: 1075 State Route 343, Yellow Springs, Ohio 45387
Contact Name: Michael J. Blackwell, Director
Email Address: mj7.black.well@gmail.com
Phone Number: 540.922.2175
Website: www.glenhelen.org

The Wild Nature Project, LLC
Address: Bloomington, Indiana
Contact Name: Kevin Glenn, Founder and Lead Instructor
Email Address: registration@wildnatureproject.com
Phone Number: 812.361.3471
Website: www.wildnatureproject.com

White Pine Wilderness Academy
Address: 841 West 53rd St. Indianapolis, IN 46208
Contact Name: Matt Shull, Founder
Email Address: contact@whitepinewilderness.com
Phone Number: 317.774.6360
Website: www.whitepinewilderness.com

Wild Harvest Nature Connection
Address: Madison, WI
Contact Name: Heather Hutchinson & Alex Britzius, Co-Founders
Email Address: info@wildharvestnatureconnection.org
Phone Number: 608.286.9087
Website: www.wildharvestnatureconnection.org

West

8 Shields
Address: Santa Cruz, CA
Contact Name: Jon Young, founder
Email Address: Contact@8shields.org
Phone Number:831-420-7987
Website: 8shields.com

8 Shields PDX
Address: Portland, OR
Contact Name: Abby Wyers and Calen Kennet
Email Address: 8shieldspdx@gmail.com
Phone Number: 503.415.9773
Website: www.8spdx.com

Alderleaf Wilderness College
Address: 18715 299th Ave SE, Monroe, WA 98272
Contact Name: Jason Knight, Director
Email Address: info@wildernesscollege.com
Phone Number: 360.793.8709
Website: www.wildernesscollege.com

Central Coast Village Center DBA Outside Now
Address: P.O. Box 15918, San Luis Obispo, CA 93406
Contact Name: Susan Pendergast, Director
Email Address: info@outsidenow.org
Phone Number: 805.541.9900
Website: www.outsidenow.org

Common Ground Center, UC Santa Cruz, Kresge College
Address: 1156 High St, Santa Cruz, CA 95064
Contact Name: David Shaw, Founder
Email Address: daveshawlistens@gmail.com
Phone Number: None
Website: www.kresge.ucsc.edu/commonground

Early Ecology
Address: 568 A Athol Ave. Oakland, CA 94606
Contact Name: Joanna Ferraro, Director & Founder
Email Address: earlyecology@gmail.com
Phone Number: 831.234.7858
Website: www.earlyecology.com

Earthroots Field School
Address: P.O. Box 504 Trabuco Canyon, CA 92678
Contact Name: Jodi Levine-Wright, Founding Director
Email Address: admin@earthrootsfieldschool.org
Phone Number: 949.709.5777
Website: www.earthrootsfieldschool.org

Greenplay Cooperative
Address: Maple Valley, WA
Contact Name: Sarah Schumacher, Board President
Email Address: sarah@greenplaycooperative.org
Phone Number: 206.778.2466
Website: www.greenplaycooperative.org

Hawthorn Farm
Address: 17340 NE 195th St, Woodinville, WA 98072
Contact Name: Alexia Allen
Email Address: hawthornhealstheheart@gmail.com
Phone Number: 425.286.5640
Website: www.hawthornfarm.org

Manzanita School & Institute
Address: 1717 Old Topanga Canyon Rd., Topanga, CA 90290
Contact Name: Paul Astin, Founder and Executive Director
Email Address: paul@manzanitaschool.org
Phone Number: 310.455.9700
Website: www.manzanitaschool.org

Out Side in Nature OSIN
Address: PO Box 172, Petaluma, Ca, 94953
Contact Name: Peter Bergen, Sole Proprietor
Email Address: pjbergen@yahoo.com
Phone Number: 707.225.2404
Website: www.outsideinnature.com

Outside Now
Address: San Luis Obispo, California
Contact Name: Sam McRee
Email Address: Sam_mcree@yahoo.com
Phone Number: 805.459.5328
Website: www.outsidenow.org

Parks Plus Creation – Spire School
Address: 4224 California St STE 107, San Francisco, CA 94118
Contact Name: Megan Dusablon or Ilana Israel, Co-Founders
Email Address: parkspluscreation@gmail.com
Phone Number: 415.941.7994
Website: www.parkspluscreation.com

Queer Nature
Address: Boulder, CO
Contact Name: Pinar & So Sinopoulos-Lloyd
Email Address: queernature.info@gmail.com
Phone Number: 802.698.3577
Website: www.facebook.com/queernature

Ravenwood Outdoor Learning Center
Address: P.O. Box 1314 Whitefish, MT 59937
Contact Name: Brett Holmquist, Executive Director & Co-Founder
Email Address: brett@ravenwoodolc.org
Phone Number: 406.260.8620
Website: www.ravenwoodolc.org

Riekes Center for Human Enhancement
Address: 3455 Edison Way, Menlo Park, CA 94025
Contact Name: Ken Clarkson
Email Address: kclarkson@riekes.org
Phone Number: 650.823.4346
Website: www.riekes.org

San Francisco Waldorf School
Address: San Francisco, CA
Contact Name: Raleigh Campbell, Outdoor Education Coordinator & Lead
Email Address: mraleighc@gmail.com
Phone Number: 707.509.9210
Website:

Tribal Edge
Address: Blyn, Washington
Contact Name: Ben Sanford
Email Address: mail@tribaledge.info
Phone Number: 360.683.7641
Website: www.tribaledge.info

Twin Eagles Wilderness School
Address: 433 Cedar Springs, Sandpoint, Idaho 83864
Contact Name: Tim Corcoran & Jeannine Tidwell, Co-Founders & Co-Directors
Email Address: tim@twineagles.org
Phone Number: 208.265.3685
Website: www.twineagles.org

Vashon Wilderness Program
Address: P.O. Box 712, Vashon Island
Contact Name: Stacey Hinden, Executive Director
Email Address: stacey@vashonwildernessprogram.org
Phone Number: 206.651.5715
Website: www.vashonwildernessprogram.org

Ventura Wild
Address: 9998 Creek Road, Oak View, CA 93022
Contact Name: Heather King, Founder, Director & Lead Instructor
Email Address: hking68@gmail.com
Phone Number: 805.310.1461
Website: www.venturawild.com

Vilda
Address: 6 School St. Suite 260, Fairfax, CA 94930
Contact Name: Mia Andler, Executive Director
Email Address: mia@vildanature.org
Phone Number: 415.747.4840
Website: www.vildanature.org

Weaving Earth Center for Relational Education
Address: Sebastopol, CA
Contact Name: David Hage, Co-Founder
Email Address: info@weavingearth.com
Phone Number: 707.228.8942
Website: www.weavingearth.com

Web of Life Foundation, W.O.L.F.
Address: 717 Richmond Dr. SE, Albuquerque, NM 87106
Contact Name: Elke Duerr, Interspecies Communicator & Educator
Email Address: elke@weboflifefoundation.net
Phone Number: 505.288.9183
Website: www.weboflifefoundation.net

Wild Whatcom
Address: 1208 Bay Street, Suite 202 Bellingham, WA 98225
Contact Name: Chris Wiebe, Program Manager
Email Address: chris@wildwhatcom.org
Phone Number: 360.510.3585
Website: www.wildwhatcom.org

Wilderness Awareness School
Address: 20410 320th Ave NE, Duvall, WA 98019
Contact Name: Warren Moon, Executive Director
Email Address: warrenm@wildernessawareness.org
Phone Number: 425.788.1301
Website: www.wildernessawareness.org

Wilderness Torah
Address: 2095 Rose Street Suite 202
Contact Name: Zelig Golden, Founding Director
Email Address: zelig@wildernesstorah.org
Phone Number: 510.926.4648
Website: www.wildernesstorah.org

Wilderness Youth Project
Address: 5386 Hollister Ave. Suite D, Goleta, CA 93111
Contact Name: Dan Fontaine, Executive Director
Email Address: danf@wyp.org
Phone Number: 805.964.8096
Website: www.wyp.org

Canada

Ancestral Skills Initiative
Address: 388 Jocko Point Rd, North Bay, On, Canada
Contact Name: Camille Glodeck
Email Address: glodeckz@hotmail.com
Phone Number: 705.243.1406
Website: www.ancestralskillsinitiative.com

Awakening Wild Canada
Address: PO Box 356 Manson’s Landing, BC
Contact Name: Arnaud Gagne & Josea Tamira Crossley
Email Address: info@awakeningwild.ca
Phone Number: 250.202.3506
Website: www.awakeningwild.ca

Camp Kawartha Environment Centre (Camp Kawartha)
Address: 2505 Pioneer Road, Peterborough
Contact Name: Craig Brant, Manager
Email Address: craig@campkawartha.ca
Phone Number: 705.652.3860
Website: www.campkawartha.ca/environment-centre-day-camp-2011

Jumping Mouse Nature Education
Address: Peterborough, Ontario
Contact Name: D’Arcy Hutton
Email Address: jumpingmouseprograms@gmail.com
Phone Number: 705.931.3139
Website: www.jumpingmouseprograms.org

Living Libations
Address: Haliburton, Ontario
Contact Name: Aaron Rose
Email Address: aaron.michael.roaen@gmail.com
Phone Number: 416.951.0835
Website: None

Nature Alive
Address: 4706 54 Ave, Barrhead, Alberta, Canada. T7N 1K9
Contact Name: Dale Kiselyk, Owner, Instructor & Guide
Email Address: 05raven1968@gmail.com
Phone Number: 780.305.6921
Website: www.naturealiveprograms.com

Nature Mentoring Resources
Address: Fall River, Nova Scotia
Contact Name: Brian Mertins, Creator, Mentor & Author
Email Address: brian@nature-mentor.com
Phone Number: 902.860.0444
Website: www.nature-mentor.com

Programmes Coyote \ Coyote Programs
Address: Montréal, Québec, Canada
Contact Name: Stefanie Dimitrovas and Steve Leckman, Co-Directors
Email Address: programmescoyote@gmail.com
Phone Number: 514.213.8691
Website: www.programmescoyote.com

Soaring Eagle Nature School
Address: North Vancouver, BC
Contact Name: Jenna Rudolph
Email Address: jenna@soaringeaglenatureschool.org
Phone Number: 604.365.7669
Website: www.soaringeaglenatureschool.org

The Guelph Outdoor School
Address: 88 Cooks Mill Rd. Puslinch, Ontario. N0B 2J0
Contact Name: Chris Green, Director & Facilitator
Email Address: ckillamgreen@gmail.com
Phone Number: 519.400.9507
Website: www.theguelphoutdoorschool.com

The P.I.N.E. Project
Address: 720 Bathurst St. Toronto, Ontario
Contact Name: Andrew McMartin, ED; Evelyn Lurz, Office and Program Coordinator
Email Address: info@pineproject.org
Phone Number: 416.792.2772
Website: www.pineproject.org

Wisdom of the Earth Wilderness School
Address: 115 Forest Ridge Road, Salt Spring Island, BC, V8K 1W4, CANADA
Contact Name: Ingrid Bauer, Administrator
Email Address: info@wisdomoftheearth.ca
Phone Number: 250.653.9122
Website: www.wisdomoftheearth.ca

Woodsrunner School of the Wild
Address: Robert’s Creek, BC, Canada
Contact Name: John Gasparich, Founder and Mastermind
Email Address: jtgasparich@gmail.com
Phone Number: 403.771.9152
Website: www.woodsrunner.com