Mission Statement:

Wild Awake seeks to rekindle environmental and cultural resilience through the (re) learning of Ancestral and Traditional skills in nature.

We do this by facilitating connective experiences in nature for youth and adults from all walks of life. In our work with young people. Our organisation is grown from the belief in the need to preserve wildness, in ourselves, our landscapes, and in our cultures. We hold great respect for our ancestors and believe that it is in looking to the past that we can find sustainable, creative solutions for the future. We envisage a world where people live in supportive, caring communities and hold deep reverence and compassion for the earth and the more-than-human world.

A changing earth

We’re really, really concerned about the future of our planet and all its inhabitants. We recognize the importance of small individual changes but ultimately that it is big corporations and governments that are the driving force in this climate crisis. The actions that we choose to take are; connecting people to nature in the hope that they develop resilience and skills that will help them during this time of climate crisis, sponsor the planting of one native tree for every booking that comes to us, attend climate marches and support those who protect our planet on the frontlines. We realise that we cannot do everything and that, as individuals, we cannot ‘Save the Earth’. In the vein of Joanna Macy’s work “The Three Dimensions of the Great Turning”, we see ourselves as those who are working on structural change and shifts in consciousness based on the values of self-care, people care, and earth care. We envisage a future of inter-connected communities, living from the land and dependent on one another for our needs of survival and community.

Regenerative impact

We see ourselves as part of nature, not apart from it, and recognise humans as ecosystem engineers and capable of making a regenerative impact on the world. We love the earth and all its inhabitants and recognise that, as mammals, we do leave a trace on this world. We try to minimize our impacts as much as possible and to make positive changes to the world around us. We believe that it is in interacting with the natural world that we can learn from it and so make connections to protect it. We want our practices to be regenerative to place and so learn from a teacher who has millennia of experience in doing just that - nature.

Collaboration, not competition

We love to collaborate with other organisations and people. Our current capitalist system would have us buy into an idea of scarcity- that there isn’t enough to go around for everyone and so we need to compete for resources. We see abundance in this world and strive to collaborate, support, and celebrate each other in whatever way we are able to.

We want to provide authentic experiences with nature

As such, we shy away from using corporate logos, plastics, and disposable crafts, excessive merchandise, and gimmicky marketing. We want people to feel that they are coming to our classes based on their own intuition, not that they have been “sold” something. And we want people to feel immersed in nature-culture from start to, well, whatever the end might be! Our goal is not to be the biggest, best, or most bad-ass organisation, but to provide authentic, transformational, and immersive experiences that contribute to personal growth and real skill development.

Technology

We’re so grateful to technology. It means we can connect with people all over the world from a wide diversity of backgrounds, transmit our message and learn and collaborate with others. In the woods though, we’d prefer if you left it behind. We’re surrounded by technology all day every day and we recognise the importance of time without it, especially for young people who cannot yet fully grasp the impacts it can have on their physical and emotional health. We respect that people can make up their own minds and ask that if using technology in the woods that you are respectful of others desire to maybe be without it.

‘Free play’ is an essential component of our work

We value play as the incredible learning force that it is. We believe that it is important for people, their development and the development of a deep relationship with nature, to have unstructured, free time in nature. Sometimes people might come to one of our sessions and believe that the young people “Are just playing/They’re not learning anything”. We know that learning comes through play and neuroscience supports that learning through play develops stronger, longer-lasting neural pathways in our brains. Plus, it’s fun! Learning should be fun and may not always visible to the casual observer. We seek opportunities for scaffolding learning rather than imposing what we think a person ought to know. People will learn when they are ready and it is our job to catch and cultivate that curiosity when it arises.

Supporting risk is vital to learning how to be safe

We live in an increasingly risk-averse culture. When people don’t learn how to assess and take appropriate risks, they miss out on a lifetime's worth of learning. Learning how to be aware of, assess, and take age-appropriate risks from a young age equips you with the tools needed to assess risk and unsafe practices as an adult. It enables you to develop and grow your resilience in both mind and body. We aim to provide a safe and supportive space to explore your own edges.

‘Challenging’ behaviour

We recognise that behind each individual's behaviour, there is a need wanting to be met. As such, we do not view behaviour as ‘bad’ or ‘good’ and recognise that each individual has a different way of expressing their needs, based on what they have learned works for them. It is our job as practitioners to calmly and lovingly meet these needs and to help individuals to navigate ways to communicate their needs in an open, safe and calm way.

Nature and Ancestral skills should be accessible to everyone

We live in a country, and in a culture, with very disparate lifestyles between the wealthy and the poor. Poverty is not an effect of capitalism, it is fundamental to its operation. We strongly feel that these skills and access to wild spaces should not be limited to just those who can afford it, whether financially or socially. We offer donation-based and free classes, seek funding sources, and offer work-exchanges to those who need to avail of them. We trust people to make that decision for themselves. We recognise that a lot of our classes happen now in places where public transport doesn’t reach. We will facilitate, to the best of our ability, car shares among participants. We are continually learning and trying to do better at making ancestral skills and outdoor learning more accessible.

Cultural Appropriation

We recognize the teaching of these skills and many nature-based practices from indigenous peoples. It is not our intention to culturally appropriate from other cultures and we strive to decolonise our practices and not to consume or steal other people’s cultural practices. Ireland has such a rich cultural heritage in the form of language, myths, folklore, music, dance and crafts. It is our job to collectively breathe new life into our culture and to re-member and re-imagine our ceremonies in community.

Welcoming and safe space

We want to provide a welcoming space to a wide diversity of people where no one feels unfairly prejudiced against. We do not and shall not discriminate on the basis of race, colour, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status, in any of its activities or operations. These activities include, but are not limited to, hiring of staff, selection of volunteers, and provision of services. We are committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for all members of our staff, clients, and volunteers.

Professional Standards

We will adhere to legal requirements and to commonly accepted best practices. We will ensure to be up to date with all legal, professional, technical, environmental, and safety matters. We will respect the responsibilities of other institutions and professions that share a common interest in protecting the land and sharing knowledge that promotes awareness and respect of the natural environment.

Code of Conduct

This code of conduct has three main points; care for yourself, care for others, including fellow learners and our staff, and care for the earth and all the beings we share it with.

The following guidelines are expected to be followed as much as possible. Failure to adhere to the codes of conduct may result in you being asked to leave the site and potentially being expelled from the course.

Being outdoors and engaging in nature-based activities inherently involves some risk. As such, the codes of conduct and instructions must be followed in order to ensure that this risk remains manageable.

I expect visitors to my courses to have:

Respect for yourself

Practice self-care. Ensure that you are sufficiently fed, watered, and have any medication you need. Please dress appropriately and be observant of the weather and the challenges it presents.

Listen to and co-operate with all instructions given and remain focused and engaged with the task at hand. Also, please ask for further instruction if you are unclear about the task; we’re only too happy to help.

Respect for each other

Reconnecting with nature can bring up a range of emotions for people. We expect participants to treat each other and the course instructors with respect. Bullying or abusive behavior will not be tolerated. The behavior of this sort will be dealt with at the discretion of the course instructors. We will strive to find a way among all those involved to achieve the safest, most sensible conclusion.

"Two of a kind will never agree"- Remember that different experiences lead to different ideas of how to do something "right". Please respect this diversity as well as how our instructors choose to teach their chosen craft. There is no one right way.

Respect for nature

Remember that everything serves a purpose in Nature. We expect participants not to intentionally destroy or disrupt the environment. Be mindful not to waste natural resources through indiscriminate use. All of the skills practiced here come with a set of ethical principles for environmental sustainability through reverence and reciprocity.

Non-discrimination statement

Wild Awake is really serious about creating a welcoming environment where no one feels unfairly prejudiced against. We do not and shall not discriminate on the basis of race, colour, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status, in any of its activities or operations. These activities include, but are not limited to, hiring and firing of staff, selection of volunteers, and provision of services. We are committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for all members of our staff, clients, and volunteers.

Alcohol and Drugs

Participants are not permitted to drink or take drugs whilst on the site or during the course duration. If you are found to be intoxicated during a course you will be asked to leave immediately.

Smoking

Smoking is only permitted in areas where non-smokers are unaffected.

Pets

Pets are, sadly, not permitted. Please do not bring your animal and leave it in the car; you will be asked to leave.

Fire

Fires are not to be lit outside of the designated areas unless instructed otherwise.

Litter

All litter to be removed from the site at the end of the course. We separate our rubbish into recyclables and non-recyclables. Please respect this and clean any recyclables before putting them into the bin.

Weather

Please dress appropriately for ALL KINDS of weather. Sessions will only be canceled if the Met Office weather forecast shows a predicted wind speed (gust or continual speed) of 40 mph or above for any part of the session. We will endeavor to let you know with as much advance notice as possible if a class needs to be canceled and will find an alternative date to hold the class. If the weather becomes dangerous while we are in the woods, we will leave immediately. 

Cancellation Policy

• 1. Deposits are non-refundable under any circumstances.

  2. I recommend that customers please obtain their own personal insurance to cover costs in case you are unable to attend the course for any reason E.g. Illness, including covid, government restrictions, missed travel, bereavements etc.

  3. I cannot offer a refund if you cancel within 28 days of the event taking place. This is in order to care for my energy in organising and running the programme with deliberately small numbers, as well as due to the fact that otherwise this place could have been offered to someone else.

  4. If you cancel over 28 days of the event start date, I can refund you 50% of the course fee, minus the deposit.

  5. Full payment of most courses is required one month before the start date of the course. You will have 5 days to complete this payment. If I do not receive payment confirmation from you within that time, your place will be offered to someone else and your deposit will be lost.

  6. If you are unable to attend, you are welcome to find a suitable person to take your place. Please contact me if you intend to do this. (Not available on all courses).

  7. If you choose to discontinue the programme after it has already begun, you commit to paying the full price of the programme except in extremely rare circumstances.

  8. Although highly unlikely, we reserve the right to change or cancel any programme if deemed necessary. If we cancel due to severely bad weather and if it is deemed unsafe to go outside due to high winds or extreme weather, we will offer an alternative date for everyone to attend. If you cannot attend this date, you will be issue with a voucher to the value of the class missed.

  9. If the event needs to be cancelled due to Government restrictons, you will be offered an alternative date to attend. If you cannot attend the rescheduled date, you will be offered a voucher for that amount to attend another event.

  10. Please monitor yourself for any signs or symptoms of Covid 19 and please do not come to any event if you are displaying symptoms.