Upcoming Programs & Dates for 2012

Managed forest & Stewardship Plans – Year Round – Muskoka and Surrounding Area

Wild Deer Earth Skills & Mentoring Apprenticeship – Toronto – Running Jan – June 2012

Run Wild Muskoka – Youth Skills Sessions – Huntsville – Jan – May 2012 –

March Break Nature Retreat for Teachers, Educators, Families & Nature Lovers – Dwight – March 12 – 15, 2012

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Announcement!

We have officially teamed up with the non-profit organization, p.i.n.e. project, and started the Muskoka branch of the acorn tree!

Please visit the new Muskoka page on the p.i.n.e. project site and watch the video below to get a better idea of what we are all about.

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Welcome to Chris Gilmour’s Earth Mentorship Programs. I specialize in creating a variety of customized programs designed to help participants learn valuable and comprehensive knowledge of the natural world through experiential activities, story telling and the application of ancient wilderness skills and bush craft.

Programs can be created for all age groups from young children to adults. Past groups and events I have designed training for include: Friends of Algonquin Park, Ganaraska Conservation Authority, Local public and private schools, various outdoor education centres, outdoor conferences and many more.

I also work closely with 2 of Ontario’s top Wilderness Skills Schools:

Sticks & Stones Wilderness School – Wilderness Skills & Stewardship Training for Adults

The PINE Project - Not for profit with a focus on children and youth nature connection experiences through summer camps, after school and home school programs

I am also a Forestry Technician and help implement land stewardship projects and write/approve Managed Forest Tax Incentive Program (MFTIP) plans.

My programming specialties include:

Custom Programs for Groups & Events

Professional Training

School Groups & Youth Mentoring

Open Enrollment Wilderness Skills Programs

Survival Training for Transition Towns and Other Groups

Staff Training for Outdoor Education Centres, Wilderness Outfitters, Resorts and Teachers

Combined Yoga & Naturalist Retreats

Educational Retreats for Teachers & Parents

Wildlife Tracking & Ecology

Wilderness Crafts

Please browse our site for more information on our programs and philosophy. Feel free to e-mail us with any questions or comments at: chris@earthmentorship.com

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Below is a message from Earth Mentorship Programs founder and lead mentor Chris Gilmour:

I work as a Wilderness Guide and Outdoor Educator in and around Southern and Central Ontario. I live in a little town just north of Huntsville, Ontario. I am fortunate to be surrounded by some of the most diverse mixed woods forests in Canada. I also live half an hour from Algonquin Provincial Park.

I have had a strong love for wild spaces since a little child and have spent the majority of my adult life living and playing in the wilderness. I have and/or still do work as a contracted guide for companies such as Outward Bound Canada, Northern Edge Algonquin, Chocpaw Expeditions (Dog Sledding) and Northern Tier (Boy Scouts). I am also a WMA trained Wilderness First Responder.

One of the most influential observations I have made since working in the outdoor education industry is that very few people are observant of natures cycles and the ways that they effect every aspect of our lives. Many people feel like a separate entity from the natural world and know very little about it even though nature gives us everything we need to partake in our modern lives, from wood for our homes, food for our bellies, or metal for our cars, tools, and toys.

I am very passionate about my studies of the natural world. I love practicing ancient ways such as: tracking, nature observation and wildlife studies, learning about edible and medicinal plants and practicing primitive living skills such as: Starting fires without matches, bow and arrow making, container making, hide tanning, navigation without modern tools, and many many other skills.

I run a number of different programs and am always developing new ones. Programs help people re-connect with the ways of the natural world, increase their knowledge of nature, and become more comfortable and at home in the woods.

My specialty is using primitive living skills such as harvesting wild plants for food and medicine, making fires with ancient techniques, forest crafts, sense awareness exercises, and much more to help participants grow as individuals and form more meaningful relationships with the land that supports us. Please browse this site to learn more about my programs and philosophy.

Sincerely,

Chris Gilmour