Kamana.org - Student Services

Dan Corcoran started Kamana his last semester of college in January of 2000. It was a good thing it wasn't any earlier because he might not have finished university otherwise. Kamana was a breath of fresh air amidst traditional public education. Kamana, combined with a passion for primitive living skills, brought him to Washington after receiving a degree in Biology from Indiana University. Ever since he has been passionate about being a naturalist, tracker, survivalist, and educator. Today he works with teens and adults helping them connect with nature and their true self. Dan is a Kamana Graduate (2004), Anake Program Graduate (2003) and holds a level 3 track and sign certification from Cybertracker International (received a 97/100).

Alexia Allen K523- Kamana Four Instructor

Alexia Allen began the Kamana journey on February 7, 1999, and has been going to a daily sit spot ever since. After incorporating Kamana as part of her Environmental Studies degree at Hollins College in Roanoke, Virginia, she came out west to participate in the Anake Outdoor School in 2001, and has stayed in the area. Birds and bats are her current natural history passions. Actually, invertebrates, trees, plants, astronomy, geology, and hydrology are pretty interesting too. Studying parrots and giant river otters in Peru, ethnobotany in Nepal, frigate bird colonies in the Caribbean, and botanizing in the Andes have helped her realize the importance of a well-rounded naturalist curriculum and keen observation techniques. You might find her tending her garden, playing the clarinet, spinning wool, or tanning a sheep hide. Or, of course, sitting in her backyard alder grove, slowly coming to her senses.

Cyndi O'Brien K1299- Kamana Two and Three Instructor

Cyndi here, and I have been working in the field of outdoor and environmental education since the 1990’s. In 2003 I graduated from the Anake Outdoor School and have spent three years as a youth programs instructor with Wilderness Awareness School. My favorite part about being a Kamana responder is being motivated by all of the adventures and stories I get to read about from the students in their responses. I am especially passionate about mentoring, storytelling, growing and processing food, crafts and learning more about nature. One of my favorite parts about living in the pacific northwest is getting squirted by geoducks when exploring the tidal zones. I also hope to one day soon see a pod of orca whales in the wild

I am so grateful for the Kamana program and all of the tools it has given me to feel at home and one with nature. Mapping especially has helped me connect with all of the new places and new sit spots when I have moved. I feel so honored to get to respond to the work all of you have been putting into this program. I also want to thank you all for making deep connections with this world, and for taking time in your busy lives to continue on your Kamana journey.

Anneke Meijer-Treep K1229- Kamana Europe Instructor

Greetings from the Netherlands, where I live in the Eastern part near the German border. While living in a town, the countryside is not far off: a nice mixture of fields, "houtwallen" and more wooded areas. I have been living here for fourteen years, enjoying our garden with lots of fruits and nuts, which attract all kinds of birds year-round. A favorite sight is the red-nosed clown bird: a (European) blackbird with a cherry stuck on its beak.

In the Fall of 1999, when I was introduced to survival skills, it felt like coming home: my body and soul knew they were built for experiencing life that way. After taking classes with Tom Brown Jr. and Jon Young, I started with Kamana in 2001 in order to keep me going when there was no one nearby to practice with. What I especially enjoyed in Kamana was the balance in mental and spiritual growth it offers. Having completed Kamana in 2005, I decided to support this program further by becoming an instructor for European students, especially for those who prefer to write their journals in German. It is a great honor for me to be part of so many people's journeys and to receive journals from so many different places! And sometimes I even get to meet these wonderful people behind the journals at an Art of Mentoring (or related) course in Germany or Austria. That's when the networks strenghten even more! The mentor on every streetcorner is becoming a reality in more and more places!