Firekeepers
A season of skills
5 Classes
Oct. 4th to Nov. 30th 2025
Kahnawake
Learn to thrive outdoors with knowledge of nature, simple tools, and your own two hands.
Modern outdoor culture seems to care more about gear than skills. Our goal is to bring back a culture based on skill and ecological knowledge, to help you feel at home in the woods even if your smartphone dies.
In Firekeepers, you won’t just learn how to build fires and set up shelters; you’ll develop a deeper connection with the land. You don’t need experience, but you will need a desire to challenge yourself and to learn from others.
We teach you the skills; you decide how you want to use them. Enrich your walks in nature, enjoy camping using skills not just things, confidently plan trips in wild places, or become a hermit on a mountaintop and dispense your eternal wisdom to wandering pilgrims – it’s all possible!
What It Looks Like
We meet every other Saturday (plus one Sunday) in a beautiful backyard forest in Kahnawake. Each class explores a different facet of bushcraft, wilderness skills, and survival:
- Learning to skillfully use sharp tools like knives and axes
- Getting really good at lighting fires in all conditions
- Crafting practical objects from forest materials: shelters, spoons, friction fire kits
- Building your mental toolkit: survival skills, ecological knowledge, and creative adaptability
This is experiential education and the concepts we cover all all grounded in actually doing or making something. You’ll leave each class with new skills and knowledge, mud on your boots, calluses on your hands, and a deeper understanding of the forest.
The Workshops
Register for the full course, or sign up for just one class
Fire skills
Saturday, October 4th
Fire is life. Learn what you need to carry, what you need to know, and what you can gather from the land so you’re never without a source of fire, even if it’s pouring rain. You’ll practice with both modern and traditional methods and make your own firestarters.
Tools and bushcraft
Saturday, October 18th
The axe, knife, and saw are our best friends in the forest, but they can also be pretty dangerous. Learn how to choose, use, and take care of these tools so they may take care of you.
Shelters
Saturday, November 1st
You can’t control the weather, but with some skills, you can make yourself at home and comfortable outdoors in most conditions. Learn the most useful outdoors knots and how to set up a tight rain tarp, as well as how to build shelters and beds using natural materials.
Useful trees and plants
Saturday, November 15th
The forest is full of plants offering useful gifts, often hiding in plain sight. Learn which plants and trees are poisonous, which are delicious, and which can be used for practical crafts.
Survival 101
Sunday, November 30th
Despite what you might see on TV, nature isn’t trying to kill you; the bush is neutral, full of both gifts and hazards. Learn the skillset, equipment, and mental toolkit needed to avoid and deal with wilderness emergencies. The focus is on short-term survival, where the goal is to get quickly rescued, not to live off the land.
How Much
- $600 for the fall season (5x full-day sessions). Possible to pay in two installments.
- $130 per class for drop-ins (if space allows).
Solidarity pricing
Are you a student, artist, single parent, or just need a break right now?
We offer discounted spots for folks who couldn’t otherwise attend. No long forms or explanations — just send us an email, and we’ll set you up.
When and Where
- When: Every two weeks, on Saturdays (and one Sunday) 10am–4pm
- Where: Kahnawake — 30 minutes from Montreal (we help coordinate carpooling). See below for full site info.
What’s included
- A tailored, small-group experience with significant 1-on-1 support.
A well-honed curriculum based on years of experience
- 6 classes in Kawisente’s incredible backyard forest in Kahnawake
- All craft materials and tools for class projects
- Special guest instructors
Interested?
There’s no fake urgency here, but spots are limited, and this usually fills up.
If it speaks to you, we’d love to have you.
Click here to register or reach out to figure out if it’s the right fit.
PS: Use code FIREBIRD for a 10% discount on the full course until September 15th
The site in Kahnawake
We are grateful to be able to host many of our programs on Kanien’kehá ka (Mohawk) territory, in our friend Kawisente Carole McGregor’s forested backyard. We share use of the site with Kawisente’s family, our colleagues at Coyote Programs, and many plant and animal neighbours.
Getting there
Driving: From Montreal, it’s a 20-45 minute drive to Kahnawake depending on your starting point and traffic. Morning traffic on the weekends is typically fine.
Carpooling: We set up an online carpooling sheet to help participants organize rides, and this works out quite well.
Other Options: In rare instances where carpooling doesn’t work out, we suggest renting a Communauto.
*Detailed directions will be provided upon registration
Amenities
The site is situated in a beautiful mature Eastern Hardwood forest that provides an ideal outdoor classroom.
Amenities are basic, but that’s where our bushcraft skills come in. We have a fire circle and log benches, large rain tarps if it rains, water jugs for drinking and handwashing, and an outhouse for bathroom duties. It’s like being in a wilderness base camp, right beside the city.
Please let us know if you have any specific accessibility needs.
Cultural Respect
Kahnawake is the territory of the Kanien’kehá:ka nation. Our host, Kawisente Carole McGregor, has generously invited us to offer classes at her home with the goal of cross-cultural learning and exchange.
As guests, it’s important to come with a respectful attitude and behaviour, both at classes and when visiting Kahnawake.
Wise Oak is not an Indigenous-run company. We do, however, have Indigenous instructors in class on a regular basis, and centering Indigenous knowledge systems is an important part of our work.
If you are Kahnawakehro:non, or Indigenous from another place and have questions or want to get involved, please reach out.
F.A.Q.
Not this season. Firekeepers trips will be back in 2026. The plan is to offer a level 2 course + trip in 2026. This course will qualify you for that.
Our workshops are primarily taught in English, but we are happy to translate into French or Spanish to help clarify concepts, terms and species names.
Our courses are meant to build on each other over a season, and the community and friendships that develop often turn out to be people’s favourite parts. We prefer small groups that go deep, and we feel that you’ll get more value this way.
That said, we get that you might want to try a single workshop before committing to a full course, or maybe there’s just one topic that interests you, so we do offer up a limited number of spots in each workshop à la carte. Join our mailing list to find out when these become available.
If one of our courses appeals to you but you know in advance you can’t make it to every session, get in touch and we can offer you a pro-rated price.
While we do allow a limited number of children at our other classes, Firekeepers is not an ideal class to bring kids to due to the danger (fire, knives, etc) and complexity of the skills we cover.
Our courses are accessible regardless of experience, age, and physical ability. That doesn’t mean they’re easy. Land-based learning is active and physical, and some of the skills we teach are hard work to master. Being outside can also be tiring. Expect some moderate physical and mental effort for most of the day, with 45 minutes of down time at lunch and some breaks throughout. We respect the group’s energy levels, and you’re always welcome to adapt or opt out of an activity if it’s not working for you.
Participants are also expected to help care for the site by splitting wood, carrying water, cleaning up after themselves, etc.
To see all of our policies including those for cancellations, liability waivers, privacy, and photo consent, Click here
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