I dream of a community where people are not reliant on escaping through their handheld devices and modern technology, but rather find entertainment in watching the birds and crafting useful items out of natural materials. Where instead of pulling out a cell phone and opening up the maps app, people are accustomed to using the sun, stars and flow of the river to navigate. Where people strive to understand the ecology of the forest around them and live in harmony with it. Where people befriend the plants and animals that share the land with them and understand their roles in the natural world. Where people aren’t afraid to push their bodies and minds to do hard things, knowing that it is worth every bit of the effort for the confidence and self-assurance that follows.
And I found it! In the courses at Jack Mountain Bushcraft School.
The only problem; I was the only woman there.
So I made it my mission to help this community continue to grow and specifically to make it feel more accessible to women who are searching for a similar experience.
Enter: the Women’s Bushcraft & Canoe | 3-Week Immersion, a course for women taught by women. This course is designed to make nature feel like a safe and accessible place for women of any skill level, empowering you to build confidence in your ability to live and thrive in the wilderness. I want every participant to leave with more than just new skills; I want you to leave with a deep sense of connection balanced with the self-reliance that comes from succeeding in a wilderness environment. I’ll be incorporating wellness practices like yoga and mindfulness throughout the course to help you connect with your body and mind. These practices are designed to not only support physical strength and wellbeing, but also foster emotional resilience and a positive mindset—qualities that, as I have learned over the last six months here, are just as important in the wilderness as any technical skill.
Three weeks seems to be the minimum amount of time that you need immerse yourself to learn these skills at the level of depth I am intending to teach. Anything less than that and it becomes a fun summer camp instead of a transformative learning experience that will stick with you for the rest of your life.
The Women’s Bushcraft & Canoe course will be divided into three distinct weeks, each focusing on different aspects of wilderness skills and outdoor leadership. Week one will introduce participants to the essential bushcraft skills needed to live comfortably and successfully in the northern Maine woods. These will include safe and efficient axe and knife techniques, wet and dry weather fire-making, making fire from friction, cooking over an open flame, rope and natural cordage making, essential knots, effective shelter building, edible and medicinal plant identification, composting and camp sanitation, introduction to solar power, and the basics of living off the grid for an extended period of time.. My goal for this first week is to ensure that every participant—whether they are a beginner or more experienced—feels confident and capable in the woodland camp setting. I believe that one of the most important aspects of teaching this course is helping people see that nature is not something to fear, but something to embrace. By breaking down skills into manageable steps and fostering a supportive environment, I want to make the wilderness feel like an accessible and welcoming space for every woman who joins, regardless of previous experience level.
In week two we will continue to develop camp skills as well as introducing all things canoeing. We choose to travel by canoe because it is the best way to access incredibly gorgeous and otherwise unreachable backcountry areas. Participants will learn the basics of paddling, poling, lining, and carrying a canoe, as well as how to plan and pack for canoe trips, meal planning, wilderness navigation. We start from the very beginning, so this skill becomes accessible regardless of prior experience or lack thereof. Throughout the week as new skills are introduced, we have a series of local lakes and rivers to practice on, with the difficulty increasing incrementally.
The third week will be a weeklong canoe trip on the nationally known gem; the Allagash River, where participants will put everything they’ve learned into practice. We will move camp daily and be fully immersed in life on the river, where through daily practice the skills of the woods life will become second nature. This trip will be an opportunity for the group to collaborate, problem-solve, and grow together as you navigate a real-world wilderness adventure.
With this course, I hope to attract seasoned female adventurers, as well as women who may not have much experience in wilderness settings but are interested in living more aligned lives and learning bushcraft skills and increasing their confidence in the wilderness. No experience is expected or assumed. We’re going to start at the beginning and build a solid foundation of skills and experience that will serve us well during the expedition and in our lives beyond the course. Our group size is limited to just 10 student which will create a very in depth learning experience for each student.
This project has been a major learning curve in terms of both leadership and business management. From writing the actual day to day course plans, to crafting my bio for the Jack Mountain website, learning how to market the course and set up communication channels with potential students, to creating my own website and social media platforms for the course, to recruiting help when needed; I’ve been gaining hands-on experience in what it takes to run a successful guiding business.
I requested to have another female instructor, Tessa, collaborate on the course as the responsibility of being a solo instructor sounded a bit too far outside of my comfort zone with the depth of learning I want to achieve with the students. A skill I have been developing during my time in Maine is recognizing my own limits and not being afraid to speak up for them. And in order to take on the trips I want to bring WB&C students on, it was important to me to have another experienced instructor to work alongside.
As I continue to work on bringing this course to life, I am deeply grateful for the mentorship and support Tim (JMBS founder) has provided, not only in terms of developing my skills as an instructor but also in fostering my independence, creativity, and helping me build the confidence I needed to take on this challenge.
The Women’s Bushcraft & Canoe course will take place July 20 to August 9, 2025 at the Jack Mountain field school which lies on a beautiful 89 acres of the northern Maine woods and we will visit many of the surrounding waterways, including the Allagash River. The field school is off-grid, we have a hand pump well for water, solar panels for power, and a wonderful composting toilet system. It is a lifestyle that puts you in a state of deep connection with the natural world around you and compels you to slow down and pay attention. This place has become so special to me, a home away from home, and I am so excited to share it with all of the women who decide to join me on this next adventure.
I am so excited to witness the first all women’s group at Jack Mountain Bushcraft School take on new challenges, develop new skills, and blossom into their most confident selves. And I am eager to witness the community of empowered women that develops as a result.