Spring Residency
March 1st 2027-May 31st 2027
A 3-month immersion in wilderness living, ancestral skills, movement, and intentional community
For thirteen weeks, four to six residents will join us on our 120-acre wildland sanctuary in the mountains of British Columbia.
Together we'll learn traditional earthskills, track wildlife, work with wild plants, tan hides, practice firecraft, move and train our bodies, care for the land, and explore what it means to live in deeper relationship with ourselves, one another, and the natural world.
At the heart of this experience is a simple invitation: to step away from the familiar rhythms of modern life and spend a season participating in a different way of living.
Earthskills and Nature Connection
Throughout the residency, we'll dedicate three weekends each month to hands-on instruction in traditional earthskills and nature connection practices.
Our curriculum will include:
Wildlife Tracking: Learning to read tracks, trails, and signs, developing a deeper awareness of the animals we share the land with.
Wild Plants: Learning to identify, harvest, and work with the wild plants of our region, including their edible, practical, and medicinal uses.
Hide Tanning: Learning the traditional process of transforming animal hides into beautiful, useful materials.
Buckskin Sewing: Making custom, durable, garments from your hand-tanned leathers
Firecraft: Developing competence and confidence working with fire through traditional techniques including friction fire and primitive cooking.
Movement: Exploring martial arts, parkour, strength, mobility, and play to develop a more capable and connected body.
These practices are about more than acquiring skills. They cultivate attention, patience, curiosity, and a sense of belonging within the natural world.
And the learning doesn't end when the instruction does. Living on the land for three months gives us the opportunity to practice what we're learning and witness the unfolding of spring in one plac
Living in Community
One of the most meaningful aspects of this residency is the opportunity to experience the richness and complexity of living closely with others.
We'll share meals, responsibilities, stories, celebrations, and the ordinary moments that weave people together.
We'll also engage in intentional relational practices, including weekly heart circles, Art of Council, and circling. These practices offer opportunities to develop greater self-awareness, deepen our capacity to listen, communicate honestly, and navigate the inevitable challenges of community life.
We aren't interested in creating a community where everything is always comfortable or harmonious. We're interested in learning how to meet one another more fully, work through difficulty, and cultivate genuine relationships.
Stewardship and Meaningful Work
Living at Earthkin means participating in the care of the place that supports us.
Three days each week, residents will work together for five hours on projects that contribute to the health and development of the land and community.
Spring projects will include permaculture, gardening, firewood, ecological restoration, and forest stewardship, including FireSmart work and prescribed burning.
This work is an opportunity to develop practical skills, build relationships through shared effort, and experience the satisfaction of contributing to something meaningful.
We see stewardship as a form of reciprocity. As we receive from the land, we also take responsibility for caring for it.
Who Is This For?
We're looking for people who feel a genuine calling toward a life more deeply connected to nature, community, and meaningful work.
You might be interested in ancestral skills, considering community living, seeking a deeper relationship with the natural world, or simply wanting to experience a different way of life.
You don't need previous earthskills training, but some experience camping or living outdoors is important.
More than anything, we're looking for people who bring curiosity, humility, initiative, and a willingness to participate fully in the life of the community.
DETAILS
Dates: March 1st to May 31st, 2027
Location: Earthkin Wilderness School, Seton Portage, BC
Spaces: 4 to 6 residents
Tuition: $4,500 CAD for the three months (includes food and earthskills instruction)
Included:
Three weekends of earthskills instruction each month
Morning movement and training
Facilitated relational and community practices
Food, including organic meat, vegetables, and staple dry goods
Access to shared facilities, including an outdoor kitchen, showers, laundry, and Wi-Fi
Accommodation: Residents can bring their own shelter at no additional cost or rent one of our shelters:
Canvas wall tent with wood stove: $300/month
Furnished yurt with wood stove: $1,500/month
Community contribution: Three five-hour workdays each week, alongside participation in shared meals, cooking, and the everyday care of our home.
Application deadline: December 1st, 2026
To apply, complete the Earthkin Spring Residency Application and email it to info@earthkin.ca by December 1st, 2026.
To apply, open the document, select File → Make a copy, complete the questions, and email your finished application as a PDF to info@earthkin.ca by December 1st.
We'll follow up with applicants to arrange a video conversation and explore whether the residency is a good fit.
