The Earth Skills Correspondence Course
A Ten Block Curriculum Leading to Mastery of the Skills of Survival and Awareness

Created by Ricardo Sierra and Jeff Eckhouse, this course gives people who don't have access to wilderness survival workshops or classes a chance to study and grow in their skills in their own region, at their own pace.    

It consists of ten 'blocks' or booklets, which each contain lesson plans for studying shelter issues, fire skills, water gathering, important tools and crafts, cooking skills, plant and tree identification and hazards and safety information.  It is detailed, with required reading, journalling of each student's experiences and communication with the currrent leader of the course, Ricardo Sierra.   

Students receive mentoring in all areas of the course, which is designed to build skills that are practical, safe and effective, regardless of desert, mountain, canyon, forest of suburban terrain.  Each block is designed to be completed in an average month, with one weekend of camping in a shelter, doing the skills and then documenting them and reading throughout the rest of the month.    Some students complete the material in less than a month, but most others take about that time to work through the materal.

One of the ways that the course builds good skills is it's approach, which is foundational in nature.    We aim to give you all of the skills you need to be excellent, not just the basics or the flashy ones!     Every part of the shelter, or making fire or containers or learning trees and plants are emphasized, so that a person will grow over the whole course.    A strong foundation of skills begins with mastery and taking the time to learn each skill well.

The application process is ongoing, and you can call for more information to see if this course is right for you.

607-264-3910

You can also e-mail Ricardo at

Ricardo.J.Sierra@gmail.com

The course comes with a binder, a 325 question comprehension test to help determine where you current skills are at as well as times and ways to contact and begin a mentoring process.

The cost for the course is $500 for 2008, with a $50 discount if you pay in full for the course at the time of signing up.

Also, please note that you can take as long as you need to complete the course, so there is no time limit for participation and completion.   However, you are strongly encouraged to begin and grow through the course as soon as possible!

Fill out an applicattion as part of the brochure package below and get started!   Everything you need to know is included and we accept Mastercard/Visa for payments as well.

Download The Earth Skills Correspondence Course Brochure

Check out The Trailhead, our Earth Skills Correspondence Course Blog