Professional Bushcraft, Wilderness Journeys And College-Level Immersion Programs Since 1999
Skill - Journey - Craft - Nature - Culture - Sustainability - Self
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Professional Bushcraft, Wilderness Journeys And College-Level Immersion Programs Since 1999 Skill - Journey - Craft - Nature - Culture - Sustainability - Self |
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If you're looking for information on how to get here go to the Travel Information Page. About The Field SchoolOur Bushcraft And Sustainability Field School is located on 41 acres in Masardis, Maine on the banks of the Aroostook River. Masardis is in Aroostook County, the northernmost county in Maine and larger than Connecticut and Rhode Island combined. Known as "The County", it's an area where the moose and black bears outnumber the people. Surrounded by Canada on three sides, it's a boreal forest biome characterized by thick woods and northern plant species. Our camp is rustic. Water is carried by hand from a stream, and we've got no electricity other than what's generated on-site. With a campsite on the river and and one in the woods, it's a perfect place for those seeking an authentic north woods experience. Directly across the only paved road on our side of the river is the North Maine Woods, a large (3.5 million acre), uninhabited working forest. The Aroostook River is the main artery of the area, and gives us water access to it's headwater lakes, St. Croix Stream, the Blackwater River, the Big Machias River, Munsungan Stream, Millinocket Stream, Mooseleuk Stream and Squapan Lake and stream. The Aroostook crosses into New Brunswick and joins the St. John River, which empties into the Atlantic at St. John, New Brumswick. We're a short drive from the Allagash, St. John and Penobscot (East and West Branch) Rivers. We can also get there by water, but the route is challenging. The next town downstream is Ashland, Maine, known as the gateway to the North Maine Woods. Ashland is home to several restaurants, a laundromat, and a grocery store. The nearest large town is Presque Isle, about an hour's drive, where there is lots of shopping as well as airline and bus service. For more information on Masardis, read the info page from the Presque Isle Area Chamber of Commerce. For more information on the North Maine Woods, check out their website at northmainewoods.org. You can download a map of the region, either in full size (27x34, 7MB) or single sheet (8x10, 5.4MB) format from their map page. Field School ProgramsThe field school is the home of our Yearlong Wilderness Bushcraft Immersion Program (fall, winter and spring terms), as well as our weeklong summer programs. Our StudentsOur students come from all age groups and walks of life. Slightly more than half have been college students, representing such institutions as Brown University, Oxford University, Green Mountain College, Evergreen State College, New York University, Colorado Mountain College, the University of Colorado, Duke University, Plymouth State University, the University of Saskatchewan, Harvey-Mudd College and Antioch New England Graduate School. The remaining students have come to us from diverse backgrounds, including truck drivers, commercial fishermen, soldiers, and organic farmers, amongst others. College Collaborations And CreditWe have an active collaboration with the Recreation and Leisure Services Program at the University of Maine at Presque Isle. Students studying with us can transfer credits earned through the field school into the Outdoor Recreation/Leadership program upon acceptance or as a current students. Read more about the collaboration on the UMPI site. Also, check out the Recreation and Leisure Services Program home page. Students are able to recieve undergraduate credit directly from Western State College through an articulation agreement we set up several years ago. For more information on our work with colleges, visit our college credit page. Sustainability And Homesteading Demonstration SiteAlthough still in its early stages, we're creating a sustainability and homesteading demonstration site at the field school. The goal is to showcase the technologies and skills that make a life without modern conveniences such as running water or electricity accessible to people, and to show that such a life doesn't need to be a struggle, but can instead be elegant in its simplicity. Housing, Meals And Other DetailsFor information on life at the field school, including housing, meals, etc., see the Field School Background Information page. Teaching AssistantsWe offer teaching assistant postions for our alumni in all of our programs. For more information see the Teaching Assistants page. InternshipsWe have internships available for motivated individuals. For more information see the Internship Opportunities page. Simple Rural TechnologyIn addition to being the base for our programs, our bushcraft and sustainability field school is also where we experiment with different technologies in order to achieve a simple, comfortable, rural life. It's a demonstration site, but not in the sense that we create alternative ways of doing things and then revert back to the common way when nobody's watching. Instead it's an experiment in living simply and providing for our own needs with simple technologies and minimal off-site inputs. As there is no electricity or running water, we improvise. Below are some of the projects we've completed, are working on, and are planning for the future. Shower
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