Testimonials
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“This program taught me so much. I went in thinking I would learn a lot about plants and I did, so much. But I also learned a lot about myself and who I am and the way I think. The safe space that Alexis has created for his students is unlike anything that I have experienced and I would recommend this course to everyone.”
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"I learned so much about who lives in the woods from Alexis. It is clear that he has spent many hours getting to know his many neighbours in Southern Ontario; the coyotes, deer, moose, wolves, fishers, foxes, beavers, muskrats, minks, meadow voles, short-tailed shrews, long-tail and short-tail weasels, black bears, bobcats, pileated woodpeckers, blue jays, kingfishers, Sandhill cranes, ravens, crows, nuthatches, red-tailed hawks, cooper's hawks, yellow-bellied sapsuckers, turkeys and ruffed grouse to name a few. I am glad to have had the chance for him to share all the memories from his walks in the world by taking me on more walks with him. It is rare today that someone can take you to all their favorite nooks and crannies in the bush and tell you stories about each one. My skin and feet are stronger, my lungs fuller, heart lighter, eyes sharper and ears softer from his learning. You would be lucky to get a chance to track with him.”
Wildlife Tracking Apprenticeship Program
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“The Tracking Apprenticeship is an opportunity to thoroughly immerse yourself in the ways of the animal world. In wandering through the forests and fields, spotting birds nests, bear scratches and deer trails we have grown closer to the mammals, birds and trees. Studying tracking has been an exercise in self-awareness, attention to detail, research skills and sensory consciousness. Studying mammals has given me a deeper understanding of our own species. By decoding the stories that have been left behind by wild animals, we are better able to know the wild within ourselves.”
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“Alexis helps you learn to view the landscape through the eyes of the animals you're tracking. This really makes the forest come alive in ways you never expected. Fascinating, and loads of fun.”
Wild Plants Apprenticeship Program
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"This [wild plants apprenticeship] was a powerful experience for me, building my knowledge of and experience with plants on so many levels, and giving me a deeper connection to and respect for the land around me. I loved the all-day outdoors immersion of getting know plants in their own habitats in three seasons and the way that the course structure honoured the natural plant life cycle and ecological framework. From the foundation of building good identification skills, to learning about safe and sustainable harvesting practices, to tree identification and stewardship, to an exploration of the spirit the moves through plants, to the practical and traditional use of plants for natural rope and basket-making, to hands-on practice in making medicinal teas, tinctures and salves, this course was thorough, immersive and intensely informative! … Getting to know plants out in the field with a great mentor, and seeing at first hand the complex relationships between all living beings, is a far richer experience than learning in a classroom (although the two modes could complement each other). I would recommend this course to all herbalism students, organic gardeners, permaculturists, environmental educators, nature interpreters, and anyone who wants to know the land around them in a deeper and more grounded way."
Find out more about our upcoming workshops and apprenticeship programs.
