This will be a three-day canoe camping experience on the lower Wisconsin River through the Driftless region. Using canoeing as our quiet travel mode we will immerse ourselves in the wildness, biodiversity, and timelessness of this landscape and in this old way of dynamically moving through it. Our endeavors will be daily paddling and making of camps on sandbars, learning of the plant and animal communities along the river, learning wilderness skills like weather forecasting, tracking, foraging, and firemaking, and functioning and cooperating as a team. There will also be some down time daily for reflection, journaling, and deeper observation of and connecting personally to the land. Group size will be kept small and some physical fitness will be important for this trip.
This experience is open to inexperienced paddlers with the understanding that they may be positioned according to ability in the canoes. The emphasis is on canoe travel as a mode of movement, and on learning and skill building with canoeing, but we will not be pushing for big miles with the paddling.
Dates: Thursday through Saturday, July 25 - 27
Time: 9:00 am Thursday to 4:30 pm Saturday
All meals included: Meals begin with lunch on Thursday, and end with lunch on Saturday
Ages: Adults only
Location: The lower Wisconsin River (Likely Muscoda to Woodman, WI. Additional details to be provided closer to the date.)
Canoe rental costs are included in the ticket price. A discount is offered at $60 per person for providing their own canoe, if appropriate for this trip. If providing your own canoe, please use the discount code CANOE60 to receive the discount.
Instructions — Participants will need to provide their own gear; typical summer camping equipment should suffice. Tents need to be watertight and be able to handle wind, so more compact tents, like backpacking tents, are preferred. Canoe rental is included in the ticket price. Some equipment may be available for loan for this trip, tents and sleeping bags particularly. Please inquire if this makes the trip more possible for you.
A follow-up communication will be sent to participants with further details…
Sliding Scale Course Fee Guidelines
Supporter Level Ticket: $680
If you move through the world with financial ease and the means to fulfill many of your wants as well as your needs – you are able to eat out when you want, abundantly meet your needs through employment or can comfortably not work, have access to family wealth, own property, etc. – consider paying at this level, which will help us ensure the long term sustainability of our programs while keeping our offerings accessible to those with access to fewer resources.
Sustainer Level Ticket: $585
If you are able to meet your needs with relative ease while budgeting your educational and entertainment spending – for instance, you are able to take classes and eat out occasionally as long as you are mindful – consider paying at this level, which will help sustain the work of the Folk School at a modest level.
Supported Level Ticket: $480
If you struggle to fund your basic needs and have limited access to resources in your family and community, or if you would not be able to access this offering without a discounted payment option, consider paying at this level. We value your presence and contributions to our community and do not want any economic circumstances to be a barrier to attendance!
Instructor Bio — Nicholas WazeeGale
Nicholas WazeeGale has been a lifelong student of Nature, traditional culture, and sustainability. He is passionate about Nature observation, living closely with the Earth and natural rhythms, hunting and gathering, craft and handwork, and community. He resides in the Driftless region with his wife and children and has taught for DFS, the Kickapoo Valley Reserve, and independently for almost 20 years. He is a certified wilderness guide and is a level 4 Track and Sign certificate holder through TCNA/Cybertracker. He and his wife Kindred earn their livelihood teaching outdoor skills and hand craft, running summer camps, and selling fine handcrafts through their business, WildRoots HandCrafts. (Instagram: @wildroots.handcrafts and/or @naturalnuances)