Living Wild Survival Teen Monthly, for ages 13-17
7 exciting weekends
leading up to a 5-day Survival Expedition

Living Wild is a deep nature connection and wilderness program for teens wishing to explore their own wildness and develop their survival skillset in a fun environment with like-minded people, guided by experienced mentors.

We meet monthly for an overnight on Salt Spring Island (usually at our base near Ruckle Park), with some off-island weekends, and will be working towards our final five day survival excursion. 

Most of the weekends are one overnight (Friday- Saturday), as well as two longer sessions (Friday – Sunday), and the final five day trip (Monday-Friday in July).

By committing to an ongoing season of weekend adventures, teens will develop deep friendships and co-create unforgettable experiences that anchor them into their fullest selves. 

The program is designed for teens to be closely supported and guided by highly skilled and passionate mentors all season long, and will culminate in a 5 day survival excursion using only basic gear and what we have crafted and harvested ourselves.

Living Wild provides the spaciousness for teens to unplug and unwind from the pressures of school and peers, while opening to nature and a culture of connection that generates full aliveness.

We are offering this course because we want teens to experience:

• A place to be fully themselves and build strong healthy friendships

• Real adventure and edge expanding experiences: Awakening the wild within all of us

• Skill building and competence in outdoor survival and interpersonal skills

• Caring support from experienced, inspring, compassionate mentors

• True safety and resilience through knowledge, awareness, and skill building

• Deep connection and a feeling of being at home in nature

• Play, laughter, creativity, music, and just an overall awesome time!

Each month we will focus on one of the core survival needs; Shelter, Fire, Water and Food. Each time we get together we will be building the skills and creating the gear we need for the final survival expedition where we will put everything we learn to the test.

Imagine walking into the wilderness with only the things you have made, some basic tools, and a group of people that you trust, knowing that you have the skills to take care of yourself and those around you.

Over the course of the year, you will learn or deepen your skills in:

• Shelter building

• Fire lighting and cooking (with lighters and matches, and without)

• Navigation

• Finding and purifying water

• Edible and medicinal plants

• Fishing and harvesting wild foods

• Safe and effective tool use

• Crafting and making our own survival tools

• Leadership, self-awareness and self-confidence, teamwork, problem-solving

• Community building and peacemaking skills

While there are no prerequisites for this course, it is requested that participants have a basic level of comfort being outside in all weather conditions and have an interest and drive to learn the subject matter.

The final survival expedition is designed to expand participant’s comfort zones and will be challenging at points. We will be working together with the group to help everyone feel prepared and comfortable enough, and participants must be willing and interested in learning these skills.

We are excited to work with any teens that are interested and committed, and will meet them where they are at.

If you have any questions about the program and if it is a good for your teen, please contact us!

*Animal processing is a critical part of the program that will be woven into the weekends during the year, and is a big part of the 5 day Survival Expedition. We will harvest and preserve meat and seafood for much of the food we’ll eat on the year end trip. Eating meat is not required, and though we will harvest and preserve plant foods, a level of comfort and openness to at least being around respectful and ethical animal processing is important. Please chat with us if you have questions or concerns about this.

PROGRAM DATES November 2026 to July 2027

November Fri 20 – Sun 22  (2 nights)
NOTE: Time for this session (only) is from Fri at noon to Sun at 11am

December Fri 11 – Sat 12

February Fri 5 – Sat 6

March Fri 12 – Sun 14 (2 nights)

April Fri 9 – Sat 10

May Fri 7 – Sat 8

June Fri 11 – Sat 12 

July Mon 19 – Fri 23 Survival Expedition

Most monthly weekends (except in Nov) begin Friday at 5:00pm and end Saturday or Sunday at 4:00pm.

Drop-off and pick-up locations on Salt Spring Island may vary, but will often be at our base camp on private acreage near Ruckle Park.
Note: Some sessions may take place off-island. 

We can provide optional home study activities to be completed between our meetings for teens that are interested.

All dates are subject to change due to extreme weather or other circumstances, however changes are rare.

The program runs November – July – no partial or drop-in participants.

AGES : 13/14  to 17 years old

The Living Wild Teen Program involves healthy levels of challenge adapted to meet each teen where they are at, though the nature of the program involves a level of physical and emotional maturity. The activities can be physically demanding at times.

The emotional container is designed to support teens in this unique phase of their life, and we intend to create a space where teens can show up fully as themselves, be welcomed and supported by each other, and given the space to connect and share with each other authentically.

While the program is generally geared towards mature teens 14 and up,  13-year-olds are welcome to apply and be accepted on a case by case basis through a conversation to ensure it is a good fit.

COST : $2400

Various Payment Plans (including monthly) are available when registering. 

Cost includes all ferries, off-island transportation, park admissions, specialized gear and materials, a hearty dinner on Friday/Saturday (gluten-free and vegetarian options available), and some food for the survival excursion.

Participants provide their own: Breakfasts and Saturday/Sunday Lunch, as well as two Breakfasts and Lunches on the survival expedition.

Wisdom of the Earth is registered with various distributed learning programs, such as Heartwood, Navigate NIDES, and SelfDesign, and can accept funding through them for this program