The Wilderness
Learning Center is a full-time school devoted to teaching wilderness
survival skills; a school with a professional and dedicated staff who
sincerely enjoy what they do. Our year-round outdoor educational
programs are conducted right here on our own private 537-acre classroom
where we specialize in wilderness survival appropriate to our northeastern
climate; a climate that sees temperature variations from 98 degrees in the
summer to 40 below zero in the winter. We are also available for
programs at your site. Just contact us for details.
All of our programs here at the
school are seven days in length. We understand that,
although it is sometimes difficult or inconvenient for many to get away for
that length of time, there is a very important reason why we conduct
seven-day programs. You are here for the whole experience, not only
learning skills but also seeing how those skills would fit in a survival
situation. You can probably find another survival school that will
conduct a two- or four-hour seminar, or perhaps an overnight or weekend
crash course, but we know this is not a good way to learn hard
survival skills. There is just so much hands-on training that a short
seminar or workshop cannot sufficiently cover. Attending a seven-day
program allows you to not only learn the skills, but also gives you plenty
of time to practice them with the added benefit of having a qualified
instructor right here to help you with any problems or questions you may
have.
If you have an interest in the outdoors, our courses
will change your total outlook. You will learn how to become a part of
the wilderness and see that everything you need to live and thrive is right
there for you. You will discover how to utilize natural resources
available to you for shelter, fire, food, water, medicine, and tools.
Our courses will give you the knowledge and practical hands-on experience
necessary to be a good outdoorsman or outdoorswoman.
Nowhere
in any of our programs will you see or hear the words spiritual awareness.
We are here to teach you hard survival skills. We believe that if you
are in a survival situation, your skills, not your ancestors, will get you
through it. If you want mysticism, you won't find it here.
SCHOOL HISTORY
We first opened our doors to the
public in the spring of 1988. Prior to that for four years we taught select groups,
both civilian and military, including US Army, US Air Force, and Canadian
Army. We also taught college programs, boy scout leadership programs,
and corporate executive groups. Our founder, director, and chief
instructor, Marty Simon, also developed and ran a successful outdoor
leadership program through the US Department of Labor for at-risk,
last-chance youths between the ages of 16 to 24.
Marty has
been involved in outdoor education for over 45 years. You can learn
more about him and our other staff members by clicking on "Biographies."
You can also check out "Testimonials" to read what former students have to
say.
SCHOOL LOCATION
We are
located in upstate New York, right on the Canadian border. We're
approximately 55 miles southwest of Montreal, Canada, and 350 miles north of
New York City. Our 537-acre classroom is ideally suited to outdoor
education and survival programs. It encompasses rivers, streams,
fields, forest, swamps, marshes, and beaver dams.
Commercial
flights into Montreal, Canada; Burlington, VT; and Plattsburgh, NY; are
within a one- to two-hour drive from our location. Rental cars are
available if you fly into Montreal or Burlington. We can arrange
ground transportation if you fly into Plattsburgh.
Bus
service is available into Plattsburgh, NY, from anywhere in the US or
Canada. Amtrak is also available to Plattsburgh, NY. We can
arrange ground transportation if you arrive at Plattsburgh.
WHY TAKE A SURVIVAL COURSE?
Long before we were
here, our ancestors, regardless of race or ethnic background, knew how to
live in their environment and were independent of any outside sources. They
knew how to obtain food and medicine from the land. They could obtain
materials for clothing, cordage, shelters, tools; build fires without
matches; build and set traps and snares for food, clothing, and protection;
and wasted nothing.
Today, most people have lost their
connection with the land and nature. They have become part of a very
complex society that makes just about every aspect of their lives dependent
upon someone else in some form or another. Think of some of the many
things that you may take for granted: food, medicine, news, clothing,
education, transportation, entertainment, and so on. Do you ever give
a thought as to where they come from? Is it any wonder then that when
folks venture into the great outdoors they find themselves in a seemingly
strange, hostile, and unfamiliar place?
And if that's not
enough, now more than ever we find ourselves living in uncertain times.
Tragic events from 9/11 to the devastating tsunami in December 2005 continually make
us aware of not only how fragile our way of life is, but how it could be
taken away without warning. What would you do if your food supply was
suddenly cut off? How long could you and your family survive?
Could you find food, medicine, and other necessities? And what does
this have to do with taking a wilderness survival course? Well the
answer to that last question is simple--everything!!
Our
courses will teach you so many skills and techniques that you will have the
ability to take care of yourself, family or friends without having to depend on anyone else.
You will be exposed to a wide variety of hand-on training that you could
never get by reading a book or watching a video. Now we're not
suggesting that you don't read books or watch videos; there is a lot of
excellent material out there. But books and videos will never replace
having a qualified instructor right there to show you skills and techniques,
as well as answer any questions you may have. Every survival technique
taught here will be studied, discussed, and then practiced until you are
comfortable with your ability to actually do it. You will leave our
courses with more confidence and knowledge than you ever imagined.
Plus we guarantee you'll have a great time too.
You would be
hard pressed to find another school that offers as much as we do for
anywhere near the price. All of our courses include everything you
need to complete the program. We even provide all meals, which are
cooked right in our own field kitchen and range from excellent to WOW!
In our many years of business the only complaint we've ever received was
about the weather!
DISCLAIMER
In
all cases, the Wilderness Learning Center has tried to present an accurate
and true account of any and all articles, photos, and/or explanations of
events, techniques, and authors. as well as ensuring the authorship and
abiding by the laws of the USA. The reader is advised that wild foods
can be dangerous if identified incorrectly and that all due care should be
taken in the identification, gathering, and handling of all wild foods.
Only gather plants that you have POSITIVELY IDENTIFIED.
Most
of "folk medicine" may or may not have medicinal properties. This
site, its articles, and/or video productions are presented for academic
study only. The use of herbs or plants in any form is presented for
academic study only. Always use any wild herbs or plants in a safe
manner.
It should also be understood that any and all of the
survival skills taught by the Wilderness Learning Center can be of a
dangerous nature. Care should be used at all times.
IN CONCLUSION
It is our goal to give our students
the knowledge and skills needed so they can be better prepared when
venturing out into the wilderness. Our school motto, ALL-WAYS
PREPARED/PREPARED ALWAYS says it all. If you prepare for the unforeseen before you
venture out; then not only will you always be prepared but you will be
prepared all ways.
If you have any questions or concerns,
please feel free to call us at anytime, between 6:00 AM and 9:00 PM.
We are always happy to hear from you. We can be reached at (518)
497-3179. Or you can e-mail us at wlcwe@localnet.com.
