FAQS
What is THE fox walker cURRICULUM?
As a Fox Walker, your child 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, Fox Walkers exposes 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.
At Fox Walkers, we weave Grandfather’s philosophy of Earth-living into all the skills we teach. Our Fox Walkers curriculum subtly engages students in a spontaneous flow of interactive learning opportunities that:
As a result, Fox Walkers 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, 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”. They 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 Fox Walkers classes. Some of these include:
At Fox Walkers, we weave Grandfather’s philosophy of Earth-living into all the skills we teach. Our Fox Walkers 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, Fox Walkers 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, 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”. They 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 Fox Walkers classes. 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)
Are there Sibling Discounts or scholarships Available?
4E 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 (4E) 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 4E 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. that enable us to offer scholarships to families needing financial assistance. For more information on our scholarship program CLICK HERE.
As an educational non-profit organization, 4 Elements Earth Education (4E) 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 4E 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. that enable us to offer scholarships to families needing financial assistance. For more information on our scholarship program CLICK HERE.
What are the Program DROP OFF and Pickup guidelines?
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 4E staff member. After the first day, parents may "drop-off" their older child(ren) (NO Young Fox Walkers) 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.
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 4E staff member. After the first day, parents may "drop-off" their older child(ren) (NO Young Fox Walkers) 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.
As a parent or caregiver, what is the Orientation we will receive?
You are welcome to join us as a new Parent for a portion of the first session or for the entire first session. This will give you an idea of what we are about.
General Guidelines for Parent Orientation:
* note for Young Fox Walkers* - for children ages 4-6, please make sure kids are potty trained.
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* - for children ages 4-6, please make sure kids are potty trained.
Can I be a parent Volunteer?
Let the instructor know of your interest and sign up through our SUPPORT US page. We will review the role of a volunteer at an agreed upon time.
General Guidelines for Parent Volunteers:
General Guidelines for Parent Volunteers:
- Be sure to sign in each day you volunteer at the VOLUNTEER clip board sheet in the Yurt.
- 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.
What are the Fox Walker guidelines?
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.
In the event of unsafe or distracting 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.
- Safety: students must be safe from harming themselves, each other, and the land.
- Listening: To make sure this happens, students must listen to explanations about safe use of tools at Fox Walkers. 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 distracting 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.
What are Earth Skills? Why should they matter to us and our children?
“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
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
Who Are We?
Four 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, Four 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.
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, Four 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.