In our Trails to Empowerment community with the Institute for Human Potential, we live by our Six Principles of Nature Connection, Nature Conservation, Personal Development, Self-Sufficiency, Empowerment and Consciousness and Awareness. These are some of the ways we study, practice and implement our Six Principles in our community:
Nature Connection
We spend a lot of time in a wilderness environment where nature’s challenges and opportunities provide a different perspective to life in a town or city. Some ofthe ways we connect to nature are:
- Tracking wildlife
- Harvesting wild edibles
- Climbing to the top of a mountain
Nature Conservation
When we spend a lot of time in a wilderness environment, we are motivated to conserve it so that it can be protected and conserved into the future. Some of the ways we contribute to conservation are:
- Wildlife sightings forms
- Annual wildlife population counts
- Invasive species removal
- White bark pine monitoring
- Working with other land users
- Education
- Land plans
- Referrals
- Violation reports.
Personal Development
In a wilderness environment, there are always opportunities to grow and evolve, by facing and overcoming challenges and sharing successes. Some of the ways we experience personal development are:
- Learning new skills such as animal care, back country living or equipment repair
- Learning new mindsets such as a solution-orientated mindset
Self-Sufficiency
Living a wilderness lifestyle is all about becoming more self-sufficient. This includes:
- Tangible skills such as gardening, canning, animal care, fire-making, wilderness survival and equipment maintenance
- Mindsets such as problem-solving skills, how to think outside the box, commitment and independence.
Empowerment
When we have successes and overcome challenges, we feel empowered. Empowerment is the feeling of knowing we can do something and trusting in our abilities to work out problems or situations that we haven’t faced before. In our community, we feel empowered by:
- Shoeing a horse
- Learning to drive the big equipment
- Solving problems in the office
- Guiding pack trips
- Cooking meals for a large group in the kitchen
Conscious and Aware
We know that the journey of human potential is a lifelong process and we are always becoming more conscious and aware of ourselves, the people and animals around us and the environment. We become more aware of ourselves as we learn about:
- Our strengths and weaknesses
- How we handle challenges
- Where we still have room for growth
We become more aware of other people and animals by learning:
- More about them
- Their interests and abilities which makes us a more cohesive team as we can call contribute different skills and ideas
We learn more about the environment as we learn
- New wild edibles
- Become more aware of animal tracks on the ground
- The direction of the wind and how this influences animal behaviour
- The best place to make a shelter when spike camping
Develop Your Skills in Our Six Principles
For ways to develop your skills in all of our Six Principles, check out our Self Study options to get you started. Or if you’re ready for the next step, sign up for an Online Training or Field Practice training program:
