February
2 - May 2, 2003 and September 1 - November 21, 2003
"The
ESSP is an experience without compare; in looking for a course
that gives a full and cohesive curriculum of primitive and
wilderness skills, this is the only one that fulfilled my
requirements. And the experience of those twelve weeks lived
up to and surpassed all my expectations. I have learned more
practical knowledge, and had more fun doing so, than in any
of my university semesters." - Jessica G., ESSP 2002
Introduction The
ESSP (Earth Skills Semester Program) is a twelve-week experiential
learning course in traditional wilderness living and wilderness
travel skills. It is designed to teach self-sufficiency and
creative thinking through living in close contact with the
natural world. Students take numerous camping, snowshoe, and
canoe trips to gain practical experience in the woods and
on the water. The active nature of the course gives students
the setting and time to fully experience what they are learning.
Student
Ryan Grindle stretching his brain-tanned hide.
When
students are not in the field, they live in a shelter made
of materials from the landscape. They are given ntensive instruction
in traditional skills and naturalist studies, learning how
to move beyond their preconceived limitations. They learn
how to build shelters, how to make fire without matches, how
to find wild foods and medicines, how to make baskets, pouches,
pottery, clothing, instruments, soap, and anything else required
to live well. At the same time students learn how to take
care of the land so that it becomes a healthier environment
for plants, animals, and people.
Educational
Philosophy
One is not taught to swim in a classroom. Swimming is learned
only by getting in the water. Similarly, to learn about and
understand the wilderness one must spend considerable time
in it. In the ESSP, much of the time is spent in the bush,
developing experiences and techniques to a degree unavailable
elsewhere. Hence, our educational philosophy is to develop
competence and mastery of a broad spectrum of traditional
skills through gentle guidance, experimentation, and time
immersed in nature.
Background
The ESSP is designed so students "live" the skills
they are learning. For example, during the course students
live in
well-insulated natural shelters heated by wood fires. Early
on students learn how to make fires without matches, and from
then
on will light the shelter fires with primitive fire-making
techniques. Some may imagine that a shelter made of natural
materials must be cold and damp. In a well-made shelter, students
may encounter the problem of how to keep the fire low enough so
that they are not overheated.
Students
taking a nap in the shade on an island in the Florida
Keys.
On
numerous trips into the north woods, students live and learn
the skills of the bush. From a ten day snowshoe trip, to canoeing
northern rivers, to a north woods walkabout and solo survival
experience, students will be constantly refining their knowledge,
while at the same time expanding their understanding of what
is possible.
Starting
in late winter and going until late in the spring, ESSP students
will begin by learning skills suitable for snow country and
will transition to skills that can be learned in shorts and
bare feet. This spectrum ensures that we cover a wide range
of skills that can be used in all climates. It also invites
a variety of recreational activities from snowshoeing, sledding,
or skiing in the local woods, to heating up in the large wood-fired
sauna, to playing tracking games in the sand on a warm, sunny
beach. Little by little
students will add to their repertoire of survival skills,
until, by the end of the course, they find they have acquired
a wealth of experience and knowledge.
The
most important lesson taught is to think creatively and to
throw out the word "impossible." By the time they
leave, students who arrived with little knowledge of wilderness
survival will know how to find food and shelter on almost
any landscape. They
will be able to produce fire quickly by friction or percussion.
They will be able to apply abilities and confidence gained
in the wilderness to problems in everyday life, turning challenges
and difficulties into strengths and opportunities.
Student
Portfolios
Throughout the program, students keep a daily nature journal
and logbook to record what they've done. These, along with
crafts they've made, projects they've worked on, photographs
they've taken, and everything else they've done during the
program, are assembled into individual student portfolios
to be put on display at the Earth Skills Symposium.
Earth Skills Symposium
The Earth Skills Symposium takes place at the end of the course.
It is a forum open to the public in which ESSP students present
what they've learned and accomplished. In addition to displaying
their portfolios, the students organize and teach workshops
on research topics of their choice, and give demonstrations
of various skills and techniques. Past topics at the symposium
have included the edible and medicinal uses of wild plants,
traditional leather tanning, making fire by friction, percussion,
and compression, advanced awareness and movement techniques,
and more.
Student
Ray Vilanon with an edible crab he caught in the Everglades
creek to his left.
Environmental
Ethic
Throughout the course, students will be living and learning
in a low impact, ecologically sustainable manner. We compost
all organic refuse using a simple and efficient thermophyllic
composting system. We purchase paper products made from recycled,
unbleached paper. We eat organically grown food when possible,
emphasizing products that have been locally or regionally
grown.
College Credit
We work with students and colleges to arrange college credit
for the course as an independent study. College credit students
must complete daily journal entries, a final paper, a portfolio
of crafts and writings, and present their work at the Earth
Skills Symposium. Currently we are unable to grant college
credit directly, but are working towards this goal and hope
to be able to soon.
Class Size
The program is limited to ten students per semester. We review
applications in the order they are received.
Tuition
Tuition and board for the February-May 2003 course is $6500.
Beginning with the September-November 2003 course, tuition
will be $7000. Students should have their own health insurance.
ESSP
student Ray Vilanon doing a deer dance. Later Ray processed
the hide into brain-tanned buckskin.
Internships
We have intern positions available each semester open to those
who have gone through the program. Contact us for more information.
About
the Instructors
The instructors for the ESSP are Dan Fisher and Tim Smith,
both of whom are Registered Maine Guides. Tim owns and operates
Jack Mountain Bushcraft & Guide Service. More information
about Tim can be found at Jackmountainbushcraft.com. Dan is
the owner and head instructor of Beartraks. To learn more
about Dan you can go to "about us" on this web site.
The ESSP also incorporates the talents of numerous part-time
instructors, who add a wealth of knowledge on various specialized
topics.
To Apply
Print and fill out the application and medical form, then
send a hard copy to us through the mail.
The ESSP is open to anyone aged eighteen or over and interested
in learning the old ways. No previous outdoor experience is
required or assumed.
No alcohol, illegal drugs, pets, or weapons are permitted.
Download
the new ESSP Poster
The new ESSP poster is finally finished, and you can download
it here. You'll need Adobe Acrobat reader to view it,
which you can download for free by clicking on the Adobe graphic
below if you don't already have it.
February
2 - May 2, 2003 and September 1 - November 21, 2003
