Wilderness Survival is more than knowing how to build a fire and a shelter.

Leadership is more than a position.

Understanding survival psychology, being prepared, preventing human-wildlife conflicts, responding effectively to emergencies, and being both mentally and physically prepared to spend a night in the bush looking after one’s basic needs are integrated with hands-on training and building skills.

Participants may receive credits towards Communication and Team Building Certificate

Reclaim Corporate Training provides:

• Trip planning and preparation  
• Wilderness survival skills
• Leadership dynamics in a team
• Wildlife conflict prevention and response
• Wilderness first aid scenarios
• Constructing structures
• Being involved in bat & bee research
• Learning about invasive species
• Improvising floatation devices
• Growing and harvesting food

…a total of 192 hours of high-quality training!

Wilderness Survival and Planning and Preparation

Hard Skills: Survival

Three basic components of survival are often overlooked by wilderness enthusiasts and outdoor workers:

• Psychology
• Enemies of Survival 
• Survival Pack.

This workshop provides the basic elements for wilderness survival based on the Survival Sequence taught by Canada’s military SAR-Techs.

Pre-trip planning tips and brainstorming include:

• What to pack
• Assessment of weather and terrain conditions 
• Hazards 
• Investigating communication options 
• Trip expectations 
• Group and individuals’ strengths and level of experience 
• Risk acceptance levels 
• Leaving a written trip plan with a responsible party, and flexibility in changing the plan.
  
  

We discuss survival psychology at length and progress through practical skills including:

• Decision-making including the prioritization of first aid, fire, shelter, travel, signalling, food, and water
• Assessing the area and choosing the appropriate placement of fire and shelter and building sites
• Building appropriate shelter for the season and available materials
• Rationing, collecting and purifying water
• Spending several nights in the wilderness using these skills
• Working cohesively as a team member
• Reference research materials for appropriate placement of bat houses and beehives
• Take part in the planting, pruning or harvesting of gardens

Experience in a controlled environment will heighten the confidence of participants. Spending overnight in the wilderness is the safest method to introduce participants to the Enemies of Survival and to give them an understanding of the psychological demands required to make the decision to survive.

Soft Skills: Group Dynamics and Crisis Leadership

For circumstances in which people are working in groups, it is essential to also have an awareness of group management in crisis. Interpersonal dynamics often change drastically when things go wrong and stress levels are suddenly elevated. Practical scenarios and discussions will explore the following dynamics:

• Risk acceptance levels  
• Leading from behind/ahead
• Leadership styles
• Strengths and Weaknesses in a crisis
• Conflict resolution and dealing with challenging individuals
• Go/no-go decision making (when to turn around)
• Motivating people in crisis
• Leadership and Communication Skills
• Emergency communications

Wildlife Encounters Avoidance and Response

Whether it’s a matter of personal safety in relation to large predators, threats posed by defensive mountain goats, or porcupines chewing on one’s truck tires or equipment, human-wildlife conflicts are always a possibility in the Alpine, sub-alpine and boreal forests. Preventing these conflicts starts with education.

We will examine black and grizzly bears, cougars, wolves, ungulates and (yes) porcupines with an eye towards:

• Identification
• Conflict avoidance
• Food storage and scent management
• Displays and behaviours
• Response to animal conflicts
• Negative impacts on animals by humans