Founded in 2004, Trackers Northwest offers outdoor education for children via activities such as summer camp, adventure series during spring or winter breaks, and after-school programs. The organization also developed numerous programs for adults that foster wilderness skills, homesteading crafts, and survival capabilities. In each of its curricula, Trackers Northwest focuses on enhancing individual outdoor skill proficiencies and promoting personal talents that can be used to benefit the overall community.

Trackers Northwest allows campers to explore competencies that enable them to gain critical skills needed by a nature-based village. Campers strive to understand the functions of various guilds and then continue to master the expertise needed for the guild they choose to join. Rangers serve as hunters and scouts, relying on their aptitude for silent tracking to protect the community and identify resources. Wilders, on the other hand, nurture the land and animal resources held by the village; they farm the land and take care of stock. Building boats, fishing, and navigation fall under the responsibilities of the Mariners. The Mariners learn to utilize star positions to chart their courses and wind and paddles to propel them. The final guild, the Artisans, includes artists, musicians, and actors. They maintain history, tell stories, and create artistic pieces that drive contemplation. Such work cultivates a society’s sense of self.

With adult and youth facilities in Portland, Oregon, and California’s Bay Area, Trackers Northwest also operates a youth camp in Eugene, Oregon. Having originated outdoor education programs for such organizations as the Audubon Society of Portland and Portland State University, founders Tony and Molly Deis established the Trackers courses to complete their vision for a wilderness environment that stripped away the distractions of modern life to help campers enrich their self-awareness and recognize their unique abilities to contribute to the world.

For more information about Trackers Northwest, visit TrackersPDX.com.