Instructors
Firemaker's Instructors are skilled and passionate about what they teach. In their workshops, they share the skills they've gained through personal practice and experience. Workshops are offered all week long.
If you would like to be an instructor for the 2025 gathering, please contact us.
If you would like to be an instructor for the 2025 gathering, please contact us.
The following are brief biographies of some of the Instructors from the 2018 Firemaker gathering. Only Instructors who chose to submit an introduction are included below.
Tom Kral
Over 25 years of professional cooking experience and a bloodline of cooks has evolved Tom Kral into Nature’s Chef. From a child growing up in a Czech deli and spending time foraging at his family cottage, he developed a deep connection with nature. After being trained by some of the worlds best chefs and owning a renowned restaurant and catering business in Toronto, a chef burn out led to a spiritual awakening and finally to settling in Wild West of BC. With his passion for connecting people back into nature and putting medicine back into our food, he now stewards land in Metchosin with his family. Tom offers a wide range of wild, unique culinary and nature based experiences, foraging workshops, and community gatherings. Along with his wife Kaitlyn, Tom also runs Nature Spa, a wild and nature-based immersive Spa experience, focused on holistic healing and connecting people back to themselves and to the earth.
Andrea Larsen
Andrea Larsen is a Community Herbalist, as well as a Holistic Nutritional Consultant and is registered as an RNCP (registered nutritional consulting practitioner). She has worked in the health and wellness field for the past 20 years. She is incredibly passionate about all aspects of authentic, healthy food: growing, preparing, fermenting, serving and eating it too! As well as maintaining a private practice for nutrition & herbalism, Andrea is a busy mother of three children. Andrea also teaches various workshops on fermentation, medicine making, herb walks and nutrition topics ranging from childhood illnesses to women's health, building resilience in the body and more. Andrea's passions for food and medicine extend to growing in a permaculture design and making her own medicine for her practice. 95% of the tinctures Andrea uses in her herbal apothecary are made by her with love from fresh plant material she has grown or harvested locally.
www.andrealarsenrncp.com
Andrea Larsen is a Community Herbalist, as well as a Holistic Nutritional Consultant and is registered as an RNCP (registered nutritional consulting practitioner). She has worked in the health and wellness field for the past 20 years. She is incredibly passionate about all aspects of authentic, healthy food: growing, preparing, fermenting, serving and eating it too! As well as maintaining a private practice for nutrition & herbalism, Andrea is a busy mother of three children. Andrea also teaches various workshops on fermentation, medicine making, herb walks and nutrition topics ranging from childhood illnesses to women's health, building resilience in the body and more. Andrea's passions for food and medicine extend to growing in a permaculture design and making her own medicine for her practice. 95% of the tinctures Andrea uses in her herbal apothecary are made by her with love from fresh plant material she has grown or harvested locally.
www.andrealarsenrncp.com
Taylor
Taylor is a lifelong resident of Vancouver Island. He is driven by a passion for the Natural World and evolving the Human potential of the Mind-Body-Spirit, his energy is focused towards physical training, health & wellness, and wilderness living and survival skills. Taylor has a consulting and teaching business, "Coastal Bushcraft", educating kids and adults in outdoor skills through custom workshops, gatherings, schools, and clubs. Taylor has helped develop various video and media productions, including a Pilot episode for a Wilderness skills show, "Coastal Bushcraft: Scared Knowledge", working as a producer, writer, consulate and host. You can find Coastal Bushcraft through Facebook and Instagram.
Taylor is a lifelong resident of Vancouver Island. He is driven by a passion for the Natural World and evolving the Human potential of the Mind-Body-Spirit, his energy is focused towards physical training, health & wellness, and wilderness living and survival skills. Taylor has a consulting and teaching business, "Coastal Bushcraft", educating kids and adults in outdoor skills through custom workshops, gatherings, schools, and clubs. Taylor has helped develop various video and media productions, including a Pilot episode for a Wilderness skills show, "Coastal Bushcraft: Scared Knowledge", working as a producer, writer, consulate and host. You can find Coastal Bushcraft through Facebook and Instagram.
Kimberly Nelson
Kimberly Nelson, known as The Artful Acorn, is a curiosity driven fibre artist who loves gathering and transforming natural fibres into cordage, tiny baskets, and textiles using traditional skills like twining, nalbinding, and multi-strand braiding. She has enjoyed teaching classes in her medieval society for over forty years, and workshops at skills gatherings for four years. Kimberly works and lives in Langford with two senior cats, one grown kid, and a ridiculous quantity of yarn and dandelion stems.
Dante Chicano and Greenman Adventures
Dante has been on the Rewilding path since tasting the first gulp of sweet air in the countryside in an otherwise smoggy landscape of an industrial hometown. He has followed the 'Wild Calling' Westward for the last 25 years, dwelling in Nature, downloading messages directly from Source. After a period of over ten years, he decided it was time to bring his experience & learning directly to the people: Elemental medicine, plant and animal knowledge, Spirit Guides and Soul philosophy are now shared lessons & teachings for everyone who has the ears to hear and the heart to receive.
Dante has been on the Rewilding path since tasting the first gulp of sweet air in the countryside in an otherwise smoggy landscape of an industrial hometown. He has followed the 'Wild Calling' Westward for the last 25 years, dwelling in Nature, downloading messages directly from Source. After a period of over ten years, he decided it was time to bring his experience & learning directly to the people: Elemental medicine, plant and animal knowledge, Spirit Guides and Soul philosophy are now shared lessons & teachings for everyone who has the ears to hear and the heart to receive.
- Laura Jesson
About Laura Jesson Love: A natural born yogi, from philosophy to physical activity, breath and body, movement and stillness, Laura creates a strong balance in her life and empowers the same in others. She holds space in an intuitive, supportive, gentle and fierce way to clear and clean out blockages and barriers. Shuniya, a deep calm is instilled in all she is and transmitted through her teachings. After five years of personal practice, Laura took her first teacher training in Moksha Yoga, followed by PreNatal Yoga, Yin Yoga, Meditation, and Kundalini Yoga. She also loves the medicine of movement through conscious dance and has trained Dance Your Ability. Laura sees life as a canvas to cultivate a deeper awareness with the tools and technologies of all she's learned. Off her mat she's dancing, cycling, hiking, cold water swimming and resting while soaking in the elements of the wild. She takes all she learns being a mom to two beautiful sons and creates more love in life. E-RYT 500+, Moksha 500 hours, Prenatal Yoga, Yin Yoga, Trauma Sensitive Training, Mindfulness Meditation Facilitation Training, KRI Kundalini Yoga Levels 1 & 2. BA Degree Psychology. Post Graduate Diploma Wellness and Lifestyle Management One of Laura's favorite weeks of the year is at Firemaker. Barefoot on the land, deepening into roots of growth in community, learning and teachings skills, catching stories, watching our children emerge bigger and better!
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Maxine Toth
Maxine is passionate about encouraging children and youth to connect with their natural surroundings. Her experiences to date include teaching in a remote community, kayak guiding, and being an outdoor education teacher for pre-teens. She finds solace and serenity through natural environments, and wants to share this experience with others. Having recently completed a Masters degree in Counselling Psychology, Maxine brings the outside into her school-based practice as much as possible. She especially enjoys engaging groups of children outdoors, fostering mindfulness, curiosity, and inspiration through play and adventure.
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Bruce Carron
Bruce Carron is a co-founder of Firemaker (1999) and the Oak and Orca Bioregional School (1999). He has been to every Firemaker gathering since it started. He currently runs WildSpirit (since 2005) in the Comox Valley, mentoring children and adults towards a deeper connection to Nature. He is a student of Tom Brown’s Tracker school, the Wilderness Awareness School and the Earth. He is a “Coyote Mentor”. He has 2 wonderful children – Delfina and Kestrel.
The vision of WildSpirit is to shift human consciousness to be in harmony with the wildness of the Natural world. We recognize that there is still "wildness" in every being, that there is a hunger for connectedness and thirst for understanding of one's place in the web of life. At WildSpirit we offer connections. We reawaken wildness. Bruce walks the edge of wildness and domestication.
The vision of WildSpirit is to shift human consciousness to be in harmony with the wildness of the Natural world. We recognize that there is still "wildness" in every being, that there is a hunger for connectedness and thirst for understanding of one's place in the web of life. At WildSpirit we offer connections. We reawaken wildness. Bruce walks the edge of wildness and domestication.
Elizabeth Martin
Elizabeth is a natural teacher and leader who lives on Vancouver Island, BC sharing her practice of Massage Therapy, Yoga, Doula Services and Herbal Medicine with community families. Her education began in 1996 in alternative medicine, ayurveda and nutrition. She earned her Chartered Herbalist Diploma in 2000 and makes and sells herbal medicines and cosmetic aromatherapy products. Then she earned her Doula Certification and attends both hospital and home births with midwives and doctors. Specializing in pregnant mamas, she teaches and performs belly dancing, offers belly casting, blessingway ceremonies and breastfeeding support, and facilitates women’s healing circles and sweat lodge ceremonies. At age 23 she started Massage Therapy College in BC Canada, a 3000-hour medical modeled, therapy-based program with the highest standards for massage therapy training worldwide. She trained with Chiropractors, RMT's, and Nurses specializing in prenatal care. She has since been teaching fertility awareness in the Justisse Method, helping families achieve and avoid pregnancies through this form of charting cycles. In 2005 she attended Yandara Yoga Teacher Training in Baja Mexico and had one of the best months of her life, learning and living communally and expanding her life skills. She lived in Hawai’i for 2 months of 2006 at a Yoga retreat community, doing a Karma Yoga work trade program and taking yoga and dance classes every day. Here she took the Yoga Intensive Teacher Trainings. She has been dedicated to yoga since, teaching classes, workshops and living her life in a new, more balanced way, and continues to reach her dreams by teaching the anatomy and prenatal portions of Herizen Yoga for Women Yoga Teacher Trainings each summertime. Elizabeth is happily dedicated to sharing what she knows, and learns incredibly much through teaching. Her classes, workshops and sessions are extremely positive, with focus on simplicity, connection and healing. After attending Pachamama Retreat in Costa Rica in 2008 and 2009 she came home to birth her son Bodhi Sage. Elizabeth is now focusing on family life, incorporating all of the thoughts, words and teachings into the every day practice of motherhood, and has returned part time to her career in the community.
Katherine Harding
Katherine Harding is a wild foods enthusiast and the sole proprietor of The Wild Foods Experience, a company geared towards teaching people
about sustainability, wild foods, and the ecosystems they inhabit. Her knowledge of plants comes from her work as a Garry Oak Recovery
Technician for Parks Canada, her diploma in Environmental Technology, her work as a gardener and a lot of time hanging out with ethno botany
literature. Currently she forages a large part of her diet both in her neighbourhood and out in the forest, and enjoys experimenting with her
recipes in her kitchen.
about sustainability, wild foods, and the ecosystems they inhabit. Her knowledge of plants comes from her work as a Garry Oak Recovery
Technician for Parks Canada, her diploma in Environmental Technology, her work as a gardener and a lot of time hanging out with ethno botany
literature. Currently she forages a large part of her diet both in her neighbourhood and out in the forest, and enjoys experimenting with her
recipes in her kitchen.
Jamie MacDonald
If there is a yew tree within 500 yards, Jamie will find it.
And if it's blown over, Jamie will make a bow out of it.
Jamie has been building bows for the past six years. He is passionate about building beautiful and functional yew wood bows and also teaching others to do the same. He is carrying on his fathers teachings through his carefully crafted arrows.
He runs Ravenbeak Natureworks with his wife Jenna.
And if it's blown over, Jamie will make a bow out of it.
Jamie has been building bows for the past six years. He is passionate about building beautiful and functional yew wood bows and also teaching others to do the same. He is carrying on his fathers teachings through his carefully crafted arrows.
He runs Ravenbeak Natureworks with his wife Jenna.
Jenna Fickes
Jenna has been called to do work that feeds her spirit. She has been involved in traditional ceremonies (including rites of passage and sweat lodges among others) for the past 14 years. She also supports and leads youth camps with a coyote mentoring approach, and recently worked with the local school district and Wes Gietz to support a high school group in completing a 24 hour solo ceremony. Sharing and supporting Rites of Passage at Firemaker has been an honour and privilege for her which she looks forward to each year. Connecting deeply to ceremony and community is a continual learning path which she is open too and feels appreciative to be on. She runs Ravenbeak Natureworks with her husband Jamie.
She is also super passionate about birthing naturally without intervention. She recently birthed her second child at home supported by her husband and 10 year old son.
She is also super passionate about birthing naturally without intervention. She recently birthed her second child at home supported by her husband and 10 year old son.
Rob McDonald
Rob has been teaching Wilderness Survival skills for eight years at various venues. He grew up in the woods in Central British Columbia and followed that up with attending the world renowned Trackerschool in New Jersey. His passion is passing on the skills necessary for people to live close to the earth independently of modern civilization.
Arnaud Gagne
Arnaud, founder of Connection Pathways, has been a deep nature connection mentor and facilitator for 20 years. With deep gratitude, he continues to be mentored by master holistic tracker Jon Young, one of the global leaders in the nature connection movement. Arnaud's skills cover a wide range from ancestral skills and holistic tracking to deep knowledge of 8 Shields cultural elements and the spiritual teachings of the Tom Brown / Stalking Wolf lineage.
Alongside his wife Kristyna, he is raising his son at home with the physical, emotional and spiritual nourishment of nature, family and community. He is deeply passionate about helping other parents create a deeply connected natural way of life for their families.
Arnaud has a life-long commitment to helping restore a culture that prioritizes connection to nature, spirit, self and community for all ages and stages of life locally and globally. He lives and breathes what he teaches, not only as a livelihood but as a way of life.
Alongside his wife Kristyna, he is raising his son at home with the physical, emotional and spiritual nourishment of nature, family and community. He is deeply passionate about helping other parents create a deeply connected natural way of life for their families.
Arnaud has a life-long commitment to helping restore a culture that prioritizes connection to nature, spirit, self and community for all ages and stages of life locally and globally. He lives and breathes what he teaches, not only as a livelihood but as a way of life.
Rick Wolcott
Rick's first carving was a man on a canoe at 4 1/2 (according to his mom). Hi grandfather, James Forest, took Rick under his wing, telling him the stories of his people (Nehalem Tillamook). They spent many hours carving together in Oregon. Rick has been teaching carving and toolmaking since 1980, all across Canada and the US. He also teaches the biomechanics of running, trail running and tracking. Rick has taught for over 20 years at Firemaker. Some of these workshops have included Flint knapping, man tracking, search and rescue, carving, cordage, uses of Plantain, frame drum making, story telling, and distance running skills.
Rick's first carving was a man on a canoe at 4 1/2 (according to his mom). Hi grandfather, James Forest, took Rick under his wing, telling him the stories of his people (Nehalem Tillamook). They spent many hours carving together in Oregon. Rick has been teaching carving and toolmaking since 1980, all across Canada and the US. He also teaches the biomechanics of running, trail running and tracking. Rick has taught for over 20 years at Firemaker. Some of these workshops have included Flint knapping, man tracking, search and rescue, carving, cordage, uses of Plantain, frame drum making, story telling, and distance running skills.
D'Arcy
D'Arcy is a bio-educator and movement specialist who leads classes and workshops on a wide variety of topics ranging from natural movement, wild foods/medicines, martial arts and survival tactics. As a life time lover of movement, he holds certification in HKC from Dragon door for kettlebell and also a black belt in Shizenden ryu. A strong drive and dedication has pushed D'Arcy to study and perfect every form of movement that crosses his path. Craving more skills in self reliance, D'Arcy went to school for herbal medicine and studied fungus knowledge under some of the worlds leading mycologists. He has applied his knowledge in mycology to researching the power of mushroom medicine and has contributed his vast knowledge to popular health promoting companies by harvesting and building therapeutic blends for them. He can easily identify, harvest, process, and blend herbal medicine to optimize human potential. An immense passion for living a rich spectrum of life experience has led D'Arcy to training and studying daily in these subjects for work and play. D'Arcy has taught hundreds of students in Canada, as well as internationally in Mexico, Thailand, Cambodia and the Philippines. He has been entrusted to teach private classes in traveler's self defense, occupational self defense for government workers and countless other forms of self reliance. An unrelenting pursuit of knowledge and understating makes D'Arcy an incredible instructor and inspiration for living a purposeful and practical life. His approach is effective and inspiring. The way D'Arcy is able to motivate and educate students creates a space in which they want to rise to the occasion and stoke the fire of their own potential!
D'Arcy is a bio-educator and movement specialist who leads classes and workshops on a wide variety of topics ranging from natural movement, wild foods/medicines, martial arts and survival tactics. As a life time lover of movement, he holds certification in HKC from Dragon door for kettlebell and also a black belt in Shizenden ryu. A strong drive and dedication has pushed D'Arcy to study and perfect every form of movement that crosses his path. Craving more skills in self reliance, D'Arcy went to school for herbal medicine and studied fungus knowledge under some of the worlds leading mycologists. He has applied his knowledge in mycology to researching the power of mushroom medicine and has contributed his vast knowledge to popular health promoting companies by harvesting and building therapeutic blends for them. He can easily identify, harvest, process, and blend herbal medicine to optimize human potential. An immense passion for living a rich spectrum of life experience has led D'Arcy to training and studying daily in these subjects for work and play. D'Arcy has taught hundreds of students in Canada, as well as internationally in Mexico, Thailand, Cambodia and the Philippines. He has been entrusted to teach private classes in traveler's self defense, occupational self defense for government workers and countless other forms of self reliance. An unrelenting pursuit of knowledge and understating makes D'Arcy an incredible instructor and inspiration for living a purposeful and practical life. His approach is effective and inspiring. The way D'Arcy is able to motivate and educate students creates a space in which they want to rise to the occasion and stoke the fire of their own potential!