This section has links to several useful resources. The first section includes web page links and brief descriptions. The second section has a list of other resources such as: correspondence courses, books, movies, etc.
Friends and Associates:
Brooke teaches yoga classes in Peterborough, Ontario.
Run by seasoned tracker, naturalist, and wilderness guide Alexis Burnett, Earth Tracks specializes in Nature Education and Outdoor Adventures.
This is a week long gathering on Vancouver Island focused around rekindling ancient knowledge. I have been once and it was a life changing experience. They have an incredible community there and I highly highly recommend checking in out if your on the west coast in July.
Green Side Up Environmental Services (GSU)
An ecological contracting company specializing in natural resource management and the environmental science industry including MIFTIPS, Ecological restoration and landscaping, native planting supply's, forestry, and remote wilderness training.
This is a great page that posts jobs and news from Canada's outdoor adventure industry. It should be bookmarked for any wilderness guide or outdoor educator!
Kate Hood is a very talented and creative friend of mine who designs web pages, does professional photography, graphic design and printing, and has a great talent for internet marketing. Please see her webpage for more information.
Kate Jones is a talented musician and artist available for bookings. Please visit her webpage to learn about her new album "The Confession", find out about upcoming shows, and sample some of her music and art work.
An incredible off the grid nature and self awareness retreat center. They run guided canoe trips into Algonquin park, sea kayaking trips on Georgian Bay, yoga retreats, wilderness arts courses (ie: tracking, survival, edible plants, etc), and introductory and advanced Shaman and journeying training.
A school in wilderness leadership development offering many training opportunities and certifications for youth and adults.
Located on Vancouver Island, Windwalker run programs in nature awareness, primitive living skills, tracking, scout skills, and wilderness philosophy. Check out the “Natural Journeys” link on their page for info on their tracking club and primitive skills club.
A beautiful and cozy hostel and nature retreat center on the western border of Algonquin Park. This is also the home of many of Sticks and Stones Wilderness Schools courses.
Learning Resources:
Primitive and Wilderness Skills:
Forums on all kinds of topics related to nature and specifically awareness and primitive skills.
Archives on wilderness living skills. Great Site! Created by the same person that runs learning herbs.com
An giant archive of articles and wilderness skills and philosophy. I have learned several primitive skills with the help of this page. This sites creator lives in Southern Ontario.
Plants, Medicine and Healing:
If you are serious about learning herbal medecine and connecting with plant communities this site is for you. It is a pay site, but is full of amazing information including video, audio, articles, and tonnes of herbalist resources. You won't find anything else like it on the net!
Tonnes of great easy to understand information on herbal medicine. Don't forget to sign up for the free e-mail herbal course.
North American Native Plant Society (NANPS)
A non-profit involved in lots of restoration project. They have a great native seed bank open to all members and do rare plant rescue missions from sites being developed.
Birds:
All About Birds – Cornell Lab of Ornithology
This is the best birding resource I have ever come across on the net. My favorite part is that it has vocalizations you can listen to for every bird profile along with all kinds of other useful information.
Caretaking the land:
Credit Valley Conservation Authority
Protecting and caretaking a very significant watershed in Southern Ontario.
A webpage dedicated to the healing and caretaking of the earth.
Kawartha Lakes Conservation Authority
Protecting and caretaking lands in the Kawartha Lakes region of Ontario.
Involved preserving, protecting, and restoring natural areas in Muskoka, Ontario.
North American Native Plant Society (NANPS)
A non-profit involved in lots of restoration project. They have a great native seed bank open to all members and do rare plant rescues from sites that are being developed.
A great site for people actually getting together do caretake the earth. This page has lists of local events, and lots of permaculture information. The group is currently designing a forest garden to be planted in Ontario.
Tracking:
Bear Trackers Animal Tracks Den
Tracking info on specific animals.
International Society of Professional Trackers
Tracking Quiz's at Wildwood Tracking
A great way to test and increase you tracking knowledge. This page has a series of tracking quiz's ranging from east to quite challenging. I highly recommend checking it out.
Wildlife Tracking in North America
A very well accomplished tracker that has done huge things for gaining professional credibility for the professional tracking community. Mark Elborch has written some of the best tracking books I have ever come across.
Lots of tracking articles and a link to a great on-line tracking quiz!
Publications:
Society of Primitive Technology
Publish an awesome magazine on primitive living skills. Tonnes of very useful information.
Wilderness Schools:
On-Point Tactical Tracking School
Great school if you have a passion for tracking and moving invisibly through the landscape.. Specialize in Search and Rescue tracking, Scout skills, Law Enforcement training, and Military tracking skills. They are based out of New Jersey and run programs all over the U.S.
Sticks & Stones Wilderness School
SSWS is an Ontario based school focusing on Tracking, Awareness, Ancient Wilderness Living Skills, and Land Stewardship. I often partner with them to run programs such as Empowering Ancient Ways.
Possibly one of the most famous and most intensive primitive living schools in North America. If you haven't read a Tom Brown Jr book yet, it is about time!
Creators of the life changing Kamana Naturalist Training program and host of some amazing other programs including tracking, primitive skills, and mentoring workshops and a residential learning program.
Along with a list of other great programs they run a week long tracking trip in Ontario's Algonquin Park in February.
A list of 80+ wilderness schools in North America
Dog Sledding/Mushing
All kinds of links to the mushing worls such as race results and info, jobs, handling opportunities and much more.
Homepage for the 1000 mile internaional race that is arguably the toughest dog sled race and test of winter survival skills in the world.
Jobs in Canada related to Environment
HTTP://www.planetfriendly.net/gw.php
A great link for “planet friendly jobs” in Canada. Always lots of listings and some amazing opportunities.
Other Learning Resources:
Correspondence Courses:
Kamana Naturalist Training Program
Author: Jon Young and other teachers from the Wilderness Awareness School
This is a 4 level naturalist and tracker training course that has changed the lives of thousands of people around the world including myself (Chris Gilmour). The course is done at home on your own time and teaches awareness skills, knowledge of place, weather interpretation, ecological interpretation, taxonomy, botany and so so so much more. I Highly recommend checking this out. If you have any questions please e-mail me at: chris_gilmour@hotmail.com with the subject line Kamana or contact the school directly: HTTP://www.wildernessawarenessschool.org
Tracking Books:
Animal Tracking Basics
Author: John Young
This book is full of very useful exercises to greatly increase your ability to interpret the story that tracks leave behind.
Mammal Tracks and Sign; A Guide to North American Species
Author: Mark Elbroch
The most comprehensive tracking book I have every come across. Full of great pictures, measurement, and a great section on gait interpretation.
Nature Observation and Tracking
Author: Tom Brown Jr.
Another one of my favorite books.
The Art and Science of Tracking
Author: Tom Brown Jr.
Focuses primarily on pressure releases and very gaining very specific information from individual tracks such as speed of travel, which way the head was facing, emotional state, etc.
Tracking and the Art of Seeing
Author: Paul Rezendenz
An awesome book that should be on all trackers bookshelves. This book is great for deeper forest tracking where actual footprints don't register often. It focuses on signs other then tracks left by animals.
Skulls and Bones
Author: Glenn Searfoss
Did you know an animals skull can tell you tonnes of information about its lifestyle and behavior. Check this book out to learn more. Lots of skull and bone pictures as well.
Survival and Primitive Living Skills Books:
Participating in Nature
Author: Thomas Elpel
A very fun book with lots of great primitive skills and some adaption for the modern hunter gather. A bit of philosophy as well. My favorite write up in it is “the art of nothing” at the end of the book.
Wilderness Survival
Author: Tom Brown Jr.
This book as all the essentials.
Living with the Earth
Author: Tom Brown Jr.
Geared towards longer term wilderness living.
Other Nature Study Books:
North American Wildlife; Illustrated guide to 2000 plants and animals
Author: Readers Digest
Mammals of the Great Lakes Region
Author: Allen Kurta
Long informative write ups very specific to our bio-region.
Peterson Field Guides
Author: Different for each field guide
Great ID guides for all kinds of area of study from edible plants to rock to mammals to the weather.
