Nature Skills Courses - Wilderness Survival School

Welcome to Alderleaf Wilderness College, wilderness survival school, permaculture training and outdoor education center. Alderleaf offers courses on wilderness survival, wild edible & medicinal plants, permaculture, wildlife tracking, naturalist skills, and outdoor education in the Pacific Northwest.

Featured Program:

Essential Wilderness Survival Skills
(online course)
Learn the core skills of survival in a format that allows you to participate at home and at your own pace.
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Popular Courses:

Wild Mushroom Identification Class
Learn the skills needed to forage for wild edible mushrooms! Spend a day learning about these magnificent fungi.
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Weekend Wilderness Survival Course
Learn the most important skills for survival: shelter, water, fire, and food while gaining practical, hands-on experience.
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Weekend Knife Making Course
Forge your own knife while learning about steel selection, basic metallurgy, profiling, heat‐treating, grinding, and more.
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Wild Edible & Medicinal Plants Course
Learn how to utilize a diversity of native wild plants for food and medicine in the wilderness or at home.
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Wildlife Tracking Apprenticeship
Spend ten weekends learning to interpret and follow animal tracks & sign while visiting great tracking sites in the Northwest.
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More Courses and Events...

Watch a short video introduction to Alderleaf Wilderness College:

Testimonials on Alderleaf - Nature & Survival School:

"If you want to learn about wilderness survival and primitive skills from extremely knowledgeable instructors, Alderleaf Wilderness College is for you. I learned more than I ever thought possible at their classes."
-Casey Kafka

"Alderleaf Wilderness College is outstanding at developing and delivering wilderness skills programs, providing both a deep level of knowledge and context for the teachings."
-Ryan Whisnant

"I would recommend the Wilderness Certification Program to anyone wanting to reconnect with nature and a desire to live simply, with and for the land. Through this program I have become the change I was waiting for!"
-Jase Grimm

"Alderleaf provides a wide range of studies that will increase anyone's knowledge and understanding of the natural world."
-Seth Anthony

"Every course I've taken at Alderleaf Wilderness College has had a huge positive impact on my life and changed the way I look at, approach, and relate to the world around me."
-Tyler Shannon

"Alderleaf is a wonderful school for learning how to live with the earth and not just on it."
-Gianna Torres

"Alderleaf Wilderness College's staff uses teaching styles that allows for all kinds of learners to learn and have fun. I use this knowledge all the time. I would highly recommend this wilderness survival school to others."
-Rocco Gianni

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