Youth will gain hands-on instruction in the ancient arts of wilderness survival, animal tracking, and nature awareness. Led by founder Rick Berry and the 4EEE Instructor crew, our programs expose children to the stories and teachings of Grandfather Stalking Wolf, a Lipan Apache elder who wandered the western hemisphere for 60 years and handed down his teachings to the well-known author and teacher Tom Brown, Jr.

We weave Grandfather’s philosophy of Earth-living into all the skills we teach. The 4EEE curriculum subtly engages students in a spontaneous flow of interactive learning opportunities that:

Strengthen powers of concentration, observation, and endurance

Provide access to deep reservoirs of self-confidence and self-knowing

Cultivate intimate, respect-full relationships between students, the Earth, and all who dwell upon her

Empower, inspire, and prepare students to become active, responsible caretakers of the Earth

As a result, participants experience a different type of education. Encouraged to sit and read nature like an open book, they are rewarded by the magic of the natural world.

At Pata Panaka Village in California, they learn how to care-take a home – where the bedroom is the bark hut and the living room is outside. They refer to going up and down the hill as “upstairs” and “downstairs”.

The youth begin to have a deep understanding that the Earth is our home, that our home is much bigger than they once thought, and that care-taking this home is a great honor and responsibility. Many Earth-skills are shared during our program sessions. Some of these include:

Fire-making - More fire making, hand-drill, group drill, pump-drill, no knife....

Shelter building - Other shelter designs

Animal tracking - More animal tracking, track casts, naturalist studies, bird language

Camouflage - Advanced camouflage

Rock work - Get into pressure flaking obsidian

Stick and dart throwing - Atal Atal spear throwing

Bird language - Quickie Bow and Arrows

Awareness games - More awesome Awareness games and adventures

Food prep, Acorns and Mazanita - Carving figure four trap and baited t-bar snare (non-lethal)

4 Elements Earth Education, a non-profit 501(c)(3) educational organization, was founded by Rick Berry to guide children, families, and teens toward a pure connection to the Earth through direct experiences in nature.

Rick's own mentor, also known as 'The Tracker,' Tom Brown, Jr. learned the ancient arts of wilderness survival as a child from a Lipan Apache elder named Stalking Wolf. Rick studied with Tom for years and spent a decade as director of Tom's Children of the Earth Foundation in New Jersey.

In 2010, Rick started his own program, 4 Elements Earth Education, on the West Coast. Throughout 4EEE's programs, Rick and his instructors use outdoor adventure, storytelling, and hands-on experiences to teach nearly forgotten wilderness survival skills.

As students' practical survival skills build, so do their powers of concentration and observation, as well as their sense of responsibility as stewards of the Earth and all her systems.

Our program is giving the power back to young people through building their own relationship with nature. Nature is our teacher and we as instructors only guide and facilitate learning. To do this effectively and well, we have some ground rules.

Safety & Respect

Safety: students must be safe from harming themselves, each other, and the land.

Respect:

Listening: To make sure this happens, students must listen to explanations about safe use of tools. We use knives, axes, shovels, files, rasps etc., and students must show that they fully understand and can operate their tools safely.

Distracting: To make sure students are safe and can listen, students are given two warnings if they are distracting the group to the point that others cannot listen to the directions.

In the event of unsafe or disrespectful behavior students are given 2 warnings and on the third, a call will go to you to pick them up for that day. We will then speak with you about your child's behavior, and go from there.

Each Session we go over rules with students so they all can become aware of them.

Our instructors work very long days guiding, engaging, and ensuring the safety of your children. They spend their hours before and after program preparing lesson plans, gathering materials and supplies, sharing successes and pain points, and seeking creative methods to meet the unique needs of ​each participant. These activities are critical to the success of the program, and when instructor time must instead be spent supervising a child dropped off early or picked up late, the program may suffer.

Arrival:

Parents/guardians should arrive with their child(ren) no more than 10 minutes prior to the scheduled start time, and they must remain in supervision of their child(ren) until the session start time or until an instructor invites participants to get started. On the first day of a new session, we ask parents to walk up toward camp and check-in with a 4EEE staff member. After the first day, parents may "drop-off" their older child(ren) (NO Young Fox Walkers/Coyote Tracks) from the parking lot ONLY IF the group can be seen gathered and the child is comfortable walking up alone. Instructors are typically gathered near the pear tree in the front meadow. If it's raining, they are more likely gathering under tarps near the pond.

Departure:

You are welcome to meet up with us 5-10 minutes before the session ends and join us at ending circle. Frequently, we will be near the pond or in the meadow. There are occasions that we do our ending circle other places and your child will meet you in the parking lot or meadow area at the end of the session.

If you are running late (over 15 min); we will call the phone numbers listed on contact sheet. We will stay with your child in the meadow /pond area until you arrive. If this happens more than once we will speak with you about charging you a late fee per minute you are late.

Our request is simple. Don't be early, and don't be late.

“Earth Skills are a blend of the ancient arts of tracking, wilderness survival, and nature awareness. Earth Skills immerse the student into the environment, giving them first-hand experience of how to “read” the landscape as a steward of the Earth.

Through our programs, a re-thinking of our relationship to Nature begins to occur; Nature is not simply a “resource” that we control as a product, but a relationship we must cultivate.

Students are introduced to the world of the unseen and eternal, tapping into ‘the spirit that moves in-all things’ as awareness and skills are woven together to serve as a foundation for creating visionary leaders.”

Rick Berry

Executive Director, 4 Elements Earth Education

As students' practical survival skills build, so do their powers of concentration and observation, as well as their sense of responsibility as stewards of the Earth and all her systems.

4EEE programs offer a sibling discount of 10%, available to all subsequent registrations from the same family after one child is registered at full price. For each session or season, one child from the family must pay full price, and all additional siblings are eligible for the 10% sibling discount ticket.

As an educational non-profit organization, 4 Elements Earth Education (4EEE) is committed to its mission and determined to make our programs accessible to everyone.

We are grateful for the financial contributions from friends and supporters around the world that allow 4EEE to maintain a Scholarship Fund strive to meet the needs of our community and ensure that financial resources are not a barrier to participation for anyone.

4 Elements Earth Education and its Fox Walkers and Coyote Tracks Youth Programs offer partial scholarships for families seeking assistance.

For more information on our scholarship program CLICK HERE.

You are welcome to join us as a new Parent for a portion of the first session. This will give you an idea of what we are about.

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General Guidelines for Parent Orientation:

Turn off cell phone. Be a part of what we are doing.

Do not distract away from the group.

Please be aware of our Coyote Teaching principles, as these are somewhat different than most "institutionalized" educations systems.

Please help with supervision in general and taking trips to the out house with kids.

* note for Young Fox Walkers/Coyote Tracks* - for children ages 4-6, please make sure kids are potty trained.

​Let the instructor know of your interest and sign up through our SUPPORT page. We will review the role of a volunteer at an agreed upon time.

General Guidelines for Parent Volunteers:

Be sure to notify the Program Director of days you are available and if you won’t be able to attend, we rely on consistent presence to facilitate our programs.

Turn off cell phone. Be a part of what we are doing.

Do not distract away from the group.

Please be aware of our Coyote Teaching principles, as these are somewhat different than most "institutionalized" educations systems.

Please help with supervision in general and taking trips to the out house with kids.

Missed Days Due to Vacations, Sickness, Snow/Rain, Power Outages, Wildfire Smoke, Air Quality, Scheduling Conflicts, Personal Choice etc...

If you planned time away from your 4EEE day program, advise the office AT THE TIME OF REGISTRATION.

We can not provide make-up classes at any time.

If your child becomes ill contact the office.

We can not provide reimbursements for the rare event that heavy snow/storm/smoke requires program cancellation, or if parents/guardians opt to not bring their child to program due to weather conditions.

Credit/debit card at time of registration for deposit or payment in full. If paying deposit only with a credit card, balance is due on or before the first day of the program - either online with a card or by cash/check only on-site. (We cannot accept cards on site!)

Deposits by cash or check are expected at our office within 5 days of registration in order to hold the space. Make checks out to 4EEE and mail to PO Box 1823, Nevada City, CA 95959. Include your child's name and program name/day to ensure proper credit. Full tuition balance is due on or before the first day of program at the start of class.

Charter School families with pre-approved funding from the school select the Charter School Funding option during registration, and select the Charter School Checkout payment plan at checkout. A $20 administration fee is required. Parents or Guardians are responsible for all tuition and fees not paid by their school.

For all youth day programs, please ensure your child has appropriate clothing for the weather conditions, our programming is done 100% outdoors rain or shine.

Come with a water bottle, snacks and hearty lunch in a small backpack is all that is required to assist with everyone having a pleasant experience.

All class materials and tools are provided.