Important News

Changes for Comox Valley Programs

Dear Fianna Families,

We want to take a moment to express our deepest gratitude for the incredible years of learning, adventure, and connection we’ve shared with all of you. It has been an honour to explore the wonders of nature together, and we are so thankful for this community.

As of June 2025, Fianna Wilderness School will no longer be running programs in the Comox Valley. However, we are excited to share that Kes Reid, Fianna’s co-founder, will continue offering nature-based programs in the area under a new company. We fully support Kes in this next chapter and wish him, and all the families in the Comox Valley, the very best.

If you have any questions or need more details, feel free to reach out to Kes at kes@fianna.ca — he’d be happy to connect!

Do you want to stay connected?

To ensure continuity for our Comox Valley families, your contact information will be transferred to Kes’ new organization so you can stay informed about upcoming programs. If you would prefer not to have your contact details shared, please let us know by June 13 by completing the opt-out form below (Completion time: 20 secs).

Please Note: if you do not complete this form, your contact info will be transferred to Kes’ new school.

Opt-Out

Youth Programs Comox Valley: Yearlong 2024/25

Fianna Wilderness School is offering forest and farm programs for kids throughout the mid-island and on Gabriola Island. Our programs are for kids ages 4-6 and 7-12. We offer yearlong nature-based mentorship in the 8-Shields model, an approach to education that was developed by Jon Young at the Wilderness Awareness School. The 8-shields “Coyote Mentoring” approach formalizes the child-led, experiential schooling methods apparent in nature-based cultures. This approach cultivates our children’s curiosity and innate wisdom, guiding them into personal and collective learning experiences that reveal their gifts and support their development towards healthy maturity and wholeness.

Your kids will learn about responsible harvesting, medicinal and food plants, natural materials, wild crafting, navigation, tracking and stalking, bird language, ancestral heritage and local ecology. With strong core routines of gratitude, circle sharing, singing, storytelling, mindful “sit spots”, and mentoring of each other, they will experience and incorporate a nature-connected culture, grounded in relationships of respect and reciprocity.

We are committed to low student/staff ratios for quality mentoring of your kids. Our programs have a ratio of 1 staff for every 6/7 kids.