White Pine Wilderness Academy was founded in 2014 and rapidly grew into the largest forest school in the midwest. We were faced with an urgent need for competent wilderness mentors and guides. Experienced educators and skills practitioners stepped forward with enthusiasm, ready to teach and plug in. Each new Wilderness Mentor followed the same cycle – enthusiasm – drawing upon their strengths – coming face to face with their fears (gaps in their wilderness skillset) – and finally – seeking acknowledgment for their strengths within the community in order to find the confidence to work with their fear.
The process described above is the heart and soul of Community health. We all seek to become the best versions of ourselves for our communities while being supported by that community. This dichotomy can easily become the breaking point for any practitioner on their journey. Without community acknowledgement and support, one’s practice will stop evolving and as a result so will the community. Experimenting with this process for over a decade is what gave birth to Shikari. The operating system you are reading has helped thousands of students reclaim their birthright of health and deep connection to community, nature, their own ancestry and themselves. Throughout this process Shikari has become the most comprehensive wilderness training system available.