Choosing camp instructors7thMay
7th
May
Raising Kids by Tony Deis on May 07, 2009
I realized I could do something very important with today's blog. I want to better inform parents about how we choose the instructors responsible for the well being of their children. Here are some important things to know about the people we hire. The ones we all trust to protect and care for our kids. Getting in is hard, nigh on impossible Everyone, even people we already know well must interview with each person working with TrackersKIDS. This means everyone. The seal of approval can't…
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Middle Earth Cascadia style6thMay
6th
May
Storytelling by Tony Deis on May 06, 2009
In the beginning pages of Lord of the Rings you find a map. One etched in mythic lines, divided into iconic lands with a timeless past. The world of Cascadia is another fantastical landscape that extends from Northern California into Alaska. Throughout it lies great mountains, vast deserts, rugged coastlines and a lush green valley. In reading…
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The obsidian knife28thApril
28th
April
Wilderness Survival by Tony Deis on Apr 28, 2009
What is the purpose of a blade made from black volcanic glass? When you flake pieces from obsidian, removing bits to find an arrowhead or knife, you fashion edges up to one molecule thick. It would shatter if you tried to carve wood with it. No, this edge is meant to cut something else. A much more visceral part of survival. As we butcher…
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Walking backwards28thApril
28th
April
Raising Kids by Tony Deis on Apr 28, 2009
As a teen I once walked barefoot in my garden. Dirty feet and hands. The smell of garlic in the sun. My non-high school tenure was a three-quarter acre Eden blossoming from my parent's backyard. Every day, for all day no one told me what to do. For hours I would sit, step slowly and listen for what was coming next. Each action and movement…
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Beyond a Sense of Place23rdApril
23rd
April
Village Life by Tony Deis on Apr 23, 2009
As an outdoor educator I've had the slogan "sense of place" drilled into me years ago. But I've learned that sense of place is not enough. I know plenty of people that can identify tracks, spot a bird, measure water quality and even make a bow drill fire. What this leads to is a willingness to help enact policy or an appreciation that your…
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Experts and critics: no difference16thApril
16th
April
Village Life by Tony Deis on Apr 16, 2009
When we first started TrackersNW many people told all of us to get a real job. Now those same people look at Trackers as a leader in the field. To them we were simply scrappy kids trying something silly and different then what they do. To us we were desperate to find a way of doing things that actually took care of our family and the families…