The Wilderness Program
“Nature’s Education”
Thursdays 9:00-2:00, Ages 6– 16
The outdoor program philosophy is influenced by native mentoring techniques and modern naturalist studies to help students ground themselves in nature, discover their talents and learn to be comfortable in nature. Students study tracking, native scout skills, edible plants, ecological relationships, firemaking, lostproofing, survival skills, tree identification, shelter building, and other naturalist skills. The outdoor program meets 22 times during the school year, 11 weeks in the fall and 11 weeks in the spring, in Andover, Vermont, about 10 minutes northwest of Chester.
This program is taught by Brian Robertshaw. Brian has been designing and instructing wilderness programs for over 20 years. The co-founder of Vermont Wilderness School and Director of the L.O.S.T. Foundation (Learning Opportunities & Sustainable Teachings), Brian has worked with many nationally recognized outdoor programs. He lives in Southern Vermont with his family where he continues to teach and advocate “learning opportunities and sustainable teachings”.
Young children interested in this program should be prepared to be in the woods all day and be able to hike and walk the outdoors without assistance. For those uncertain of their child’s “hardiness”, we offer a one month trial period.
