True North Parenting Magazine June 2008
Family vs. Wild: Lessons from Coyote Trails
by True North Staff
You've seen the TV shows where a person is dropped into a forbidding environment and faces the task of survival, right? If you've seen those shows or read a news story about anyone lost and confronted with the wild, you have most likely asked yourself the question - "What would I do?" Well, for many people the lack of those survival skills may present a hurdle in their enjoyment and connection with nature, not to mention real potential difficulties if the scenario is actually at hand. These reasons alone are enough to motivate some of the uninformed to change their situation and gain the skills necessary to endure nature's torment through survival classes.
Anyone who's attended such training can attest that, while valuable and informative, they can be far from vacations. If you've had the pleasure of dining on grubs in the ambiance of drill sergeant style sermons warning that your life is very much at risk, you might think twice about subjecting your children to that treatment. And therein lies the dilemma, because the people who stand to gain the most from that very training are our kids. Beside the literal abilities that come with survival skills, the level of confidence and respect for the natural world multiply when submersed in primitive courses.
So, how do we give kids these important lessons and keep it light and fun? Take them with you in your outward adventures and hone your skills together through family friendly educational programs.
Enter Coyote Trails School of Nature
Coyote Trails is based in Bend with year round camps for kids, teens, parents, and grandparents. This unique approach to outdoor education separates areas of study into 5 fields or "trails" beginning with the Fox Trail where students are introduced to living in nature by making primitive shelters, creating fire by friction, and learning how to seek out nutrients and clean water. Subsequent trails progressively lead students from practical to philosophical studies and applications.
As students progress through the trails a sense of the curriculum's message develops, which is an individual's relationship with nature. That relationship can help in many ways. From the wilderness to the concrete jungle, our connection to the environment and our primitive history can compel us to conduct our lives with more deliberate action and reflective thought for the decisions that face us. With such important benefits and rewarding experiences it's no wonder that programs like these have seen dramatic increases in popularity over the last decade.
Class space is limited so plan your attendance well in advance. For more information on Coyote Trails School of Nature call 541-617-0439 or visit their website: coyotetrails.org.
Gusto Magazine
Summer Issue 2007
Bend Living Magazine June 2005
child & family
by Aimee McClinton
Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah ...
Fill up the kids' calendar with summer-camp activities
LlFE THROWS CHANGES AT EACH GENERATION, but summer camp has held its own: It is still, for many kids, a cornerstone of childhood. Although eating s'mores and telling ghost stories around the campfire are as popular as ever-and pioneer homes are still constructed with Popsicle-stick siding and pinecone-scale shingles-summer camp has evolved.
Kids today have a slew of interesting choices when it comes to filling their summer calendar. Here we describe a few of the programs available in Central Oregon; keep in mind that many of them began registering children in the spring, so check as soon as possible for availability. Gather the kids, weigh the options-and maybe get in some early practice toasting marshmallows.
Coyote Tracks West
At a young age, Tom Brown, Jr., understood what it meant to respect nature. Mentored by an Apache elder, he learned valuable outdoor-survival skills that he now shares worldwide. Brown has published 17 books, trained Navy SEALS and helped law enforcement locate missing children and hikers.
In 1978, Brown established his Tracker Schools to teach children and adults outdoor skills, with an emphasis on Native American philosophy. Bend's Joe Kreuzman, a friend and former student of Brown's, was inspired to bring the program to Central Oregon as Coyote Tracks West.
The camp is opening its first summer season with weeklong programs running from June 19 to August 19. Kids ages 7 to 17 may sign up at the beginner stage and work their way to intermediate and advanced levels. Camp is set in a southern Oregon wilderness area, where children learn how to build shelters of natural materials, start fires with homemade bow drills, track a variety of wildlife and make primitive pottery.
"This is a lasting experience for kids," says Kreuzman. "The program offers them a sense of confidence in who they are and where they stand in todays society." For further information, call 541/617-0439 or go to www. coyotetrackswest.org.
BEND LIVING • SUMMER 2005
Coyote Trails School of Nature: dba Coyote Tracks West
