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250.547.2001
Riparian - Observations within an
Old Growth Forest Riparian Area
We invite you to watch this 30 minute video which examines the ecosystem held by an old growth forest located in an Inland Temperate Rainforest in British Columbia. This riparian area is now feeling the presence of clearcut logging as a road is built along its edge.
Don Elzer shares his thoughts and observations within this footage that we call “Riparian”
Wildcraft Forest School - Bushcraft Series
Stone offers grounding. Through primitive tool-making, carving, and the creation of expressive trail markers, participants engage with one of the most enduring materials on earth. Stone demands precision and respect. It slows the mind and anchors attention in the present moment.
Wood brings these elements together. Through shelter building and structural design, participants work with branches and natural materials to create forms that respond to wind, moisture, and terrain. These shelters are not just functional—they are expressions of relationship between human and environment.
Throughout the program, participants move through the full arc of creation: beginning, effort, refinement, and completion. This process fosters a deep sense of satisfaction—something increasingly rare in a world of instant results.
The experience also touches on ancient, archetypal relationships with the elements, including perspectives often associated with shamanic traditions.
These are shared not as belief systems, but as ways of understanding how humans have historically related to fire, water, wood, and stone as living forces within a larger system.
At its core, this program is about unplugging—not just from technology, but from patterns of distraction and disconnection. It offers a return to focus, to process, and to presence.
Participants often leave with more than skills. They leave with a renewed sense of balance, strength, and connection.
Who Should Participate
- Individuals seeking both challenge and reflection
- Those wanting to unplug from modern life and reconnect with nature
- Outdoor enthusiasts interested in deeper bushcraft skills
- Creatives drawn to hands-on, elemental processes
No prior experience is required.
1-Day Workshop
A focused introduction to elemental bushcraft and regenerative practices:
- Understanding the process of unplugging and reconnecting with nature
- Exploration of ancestral relationships with the elements
- Fire by friction demonstration and guided practice
- Water sourcing and purification basics
- Introduction to stone tools and simple carving
- Basic shelter concepts using natural materials
3-Day Retreat
A deeper immersion into elemental practice and creative process:
- Expanded Day 1 workshop and skill development
- Exploration of ancestral memory, early human innovation, and cultural relationship to the elements
- Advanced firecraft and sustained fire tending
- Water sourcing in varied environmental conditions
- Stone work projects and expressive creations
- Woodwork and branch-based shelter construction
- Experiencing the full creative cycle: concept to completion
- Reflection and integration sessions
- Opportunities for quiet observation and personal insight
Accommodation
Participants stay in comfortable, pre-built bushcraft shelters designed to offer an immersive yet welcoming forest experience.
- Primitive aesthetic with thoughtful comfort
- Forest-based setting
- Optional glamping-style upgrades available
Formats & Pricing
•
1-Day Workshop: $190
1-Day Workshop: $190• 3-Day Retreat: $545
What You Leave With
- Foundational skills in fire, water, stone, and wood
- Hands-on experience with primitive tools and materials
- Increased focus, patience, and problem-solving ability
- A deeper understanding of natural systems and elements
- A sense of accomplishment through creative, tangible work
- A renewed feeling of balance, clarity, and connection
A Few More Thoughts to Ponder
There is a different way of learning—one that does not rely on screens, speed, or abstraction.
It begins with your hands.
It is guided by the elements.
And it leads you back to a quieter, more grounded version of yourself.
Fire, Water, Wood & Stone is not just a program—it is an entry into another way of being.
2026 Dates
tba
Firecraft begins with friction—one of the oldest and most demanding methods of creating flame. It requires patience, rhythm, and focus. At first, it can be frustrating. But within that challenge is a lesson: persistence, attention, and subtle adjustment lead to breakthrough. When the ember finally forms, it carries with it a deep sense of accomplishment and clarity.
Water introduces a different kind of awareness. Participants learn how to locate, assess, and purify water in natural environments. These practices develop an understanding of landscape—how water moves, where it gathers, and how it can be safely used. Working with water cultivates adaptability and attentiveness.
Fire, Water, Wood & Stone
Unplugging from One World and Entering Another
There is a threshold most people rarely cross.
It is not marked by a sign or a gate—but by a shift in attention. A moment when the noise of modern life fades and something older, quieter, and more instinctive begins to take its place.
Fire, Water, Wood & Stone is an invitation to step across that threshold.
This immersive program brings participants into direct relationship with the elemental forces that have shaped human life for thousands of years. Through hands-on bushcraft practices, you will not only learn how to work with these elements—you will begin to understand them.
Fire, water, wood, and stone are not just materials. They are processes, teachers, and mirrors of human experience.
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REGULAR REGISTRATION
Fire Water Wood & Stone Experience
Regular Registration Cost:
- 1-Day Workshop: $190.00
- 3-Day Retreat: $585.00
Rates are in Canadian Dollars per person
You may register using these secure Paypal links:
You may also register by Interac or
Wells Fargo Transfer. Send us an email and we will send you instructions.
- Glamping Camp Accommodation is extra.
If you have questions please email us or call 250.547.2001
1-Day Workshop: $190.00
3-Day Retreat: $585.00
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