Stephanie and Kester combine many years of experience in nature school and wilderness settings across Western Canada. Their passion is to offer mentoring that supports the inherent gifts in each individual. As the founders of Fianna Wilderness School, they are excited to offer programs on Vancouver Island, Gabriola, the Sunshine Coast and Lower Mainland. Grounded in a relationship of reciprocity with the land and our communities, we honour a commitment to mentoring as a way of life: closer to the land, closer to each other.
Where we work:
As settlers, we gratefully acknowledge the unceded traditional territories of the Snuneymuxw, Lyackson, E’iksan, Pentlatch, K’omoks, Tla'amin, Tsleil-Waututh, Squamish, Sto'lo, and xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam). It is on their land that we live and work, seeking to uphold their example of stewardship for all future generations. We carry reconciliation as a deep value in our hearts and honour the traditions and cultures that have been imbedded in this land since time immemorial.
Take an experiential dive into 8 Shields “Coyote” Mentoring as a way to connect with nature, and support deep connection with your kids and students. We’ll be sharing, and experiencing, a set of “core routines” from the 8 Shields model that facilitate connection to land, self and other.
Date and Time: July 8-9
Where: Green Haven Farm, Merville
Cost: $139
This is a monthly gathering to share our ancestral stories and to look into the layers of understanding and teachings that they offer. Each month, I will send you a myth to read prior to our gathering and will also invite you to bring your own myths over the course of the series.
Date and Time: Monthly on Saturdays (Gabriola) and Sundays (Comox Valley), 2-5pm
Where: Gabriola Island and the Comox Valley
Cost: sliding scale $15-25
Black Creek
The Fianna Farm program is an offering to bring children onto the land, practicing our nature connection routines and following a seasonal c...
Black Creek
Courtenay
The Fianna Farm program is an offering to bring children onto the land, practicing our nature connection routines and following a seasonal c...
Courtenay
Japanese Historic Park - Cumberland
Kids will gain knowledge in earth-based technologies (ie. Bows and arrows, Traps, etc), carving, edible and medicinal plants, mammals, track...
Japanese Historic Park - Cumberland
Whalebone Beach - Gabriola
Kids will gain knowledge in earth-based technologies (ie. Bows and arrows, Traps, etc), carving, edible and medicinal plants, mammals, track...
Whalebone Beach - Gabriola
Whalebone Beach - Gabriola
An exciting nature connection program that emphasizes wonder, play, and experiential learning. We spend our days on the land, making new dis...
Whalebone Beach - Gabriola
"Stephanie’s nature-based programs have opened my son’s eyes to so many subtle elements present in the natural world. He has developed confidence in identifying native plants, building fires, carving and making shelters. Her story telling has captured his imagination and enriched his access to myths that originate in the West Coast landscape. She weaves parents into the journey seamlessly, by providing detailed weekly summaries of their child's activities. Having this knowledge has lead to wonderful parent/child conversations for us at home. Stephanie is a gifted teacher with a unique ability to meet the child where they're at. My son always looks forward to her sessions with joy and enthusiasm. We are so grateful for her amazing offerings…"
~Zoe Lamb, Gabriola Isl.
"Kes Reid brings an inviting, magical style informed by many years of experience fostering deep relationships between people and the land. His influence has had a profound impact on how we design our programs, both for participants and for our staff team. Kes will always be welcome to bring his inspiring stories, deep game play and beautiful energy into the forest with us and our participants."
~Erin Nicolardi, Rivers to Ridges, Whitehorse YT
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