Somewhere deep within you, you already know these things: the crackle of a fire you've created without a match; the feel of your rugged bare feet on the cool, damp earth; the taste of a succulent green picked in the wild; the gentle brush of hand-tanned leather against your skin.
FIRES is your path back home, to the origins of who you are. It is designed to breathe life into the coals of who you are. The skills your ancestors knew without thinking. The things that make you human.
You choose how deep you'll go, from spark , to ember, to coal.
Woniya Thibeault, 30 year practicioner of ancestral and earth-based skills and the first woman to win the survival challenge of the Alone show, will be your guide on this learning journey.
Choose your path, start where you are at, and find your way to the practices your bones know you are capable of.
Space is limited. Sign up for the waitlist to get updates and be alerted of registration opening on March 21, 2026
Select one of our three options
Not sure how much time you can devote to FIRES?
Whether you want to dip your toes in, or dive deep with live mentoring sessions and more community interaction, you can customize your FIRES experience and best meet your needs.
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After registering, you'll choose the learning track you'll focus on for this FIRES event. Can't decide? You can always choose to purchase access to an additional track as well.
FIRES are designed to work for everyone, regardless of their location or schedule. Got an internet connection? You can attend FIRES. Here's how:
There are 3 elements to the BROG: pre-recorded video classes, an exclusive online chat platform available 24/7, and an option to join in supportive interactive Zoom mentoring calls.
You classes are all pre-recorded videos. They will be released every 2 weeks but are designed to be watched on your own schedule, whether it takes you eight weeks, six months, or six years. They are all recorded and posted.
The community chat platform is designed for students to be able to interact with one another and Woniya to share their learning and beneit from one anothers.
The interactive mentoring calls in the Coals option are designed to take the learning as far as possible with Woniya's expertise available for all of your questions.
Done a BROG before and wondering if you'll get more out of this one?
Every BROG shares similar themes, and many of the classes repeat from year to year, but each BROG is unique with a different combination of learning tracks. New classes are often mixed in with the old standbys so that you can keep participating in FIRES every year and always have something new to learn, plus the inspiration of doing it alongside new people.
Bio section
I am delighted to be your teacher and guide on your FIRES learning journey
I am an instructor, a craftsperson, an author, speaker, and a mother. I have been practicing and teaching wilderness, ancestral, and land-based living skills for 30 years.
While best known for being the runner up on Alone Season 6 (released in 2019) and the first woman to win Alone on Alone Frozen (releases 2022), survival has never been my focus. I consider myself a surthrivalist. Instead of focusing just on not dying (the definition of survival), I choose to focus on living a vibrant, abundant, deeply connected, and joyful life using the skills that have served humans for millennia, and to help you do the same.
I combine my decades of wilderness experience with a Master's Degree in Environmental Science for a teaching style that bridges craft and survival know-how with a knowledge of and love of the living world around us.
After decades of teaching at ancestral skills events and smaller in-person classes, my two seasons on Alone and the release of my memoir, Never Alone, a Solo Arctic Survival Journey, combined to help me reach a wider audience of people hungry to learn to do what they saw me do on screen.
The FIRES Online Gatherings are my solution to be able to teach hundreds of people the kinds of skills that kept me not only alive but happy, long term, in some of the harshest climates on the planet.
It has been tremendously satisfying seeing the many lives my online gatherings have touched and changed for the better since I first began offering them in 2020 during the advent of the Corona Pandemic.
I hope you'll join me for FIRES!
The course is designed to accommodate all levels. Beginners have reported finding the presentation style welcoming and less intimidating than other mediums for learning these subjects. The online community creates a space for advanced students to share their experience with beginners, deepening the learning of both. Adding the interactive calls with the Coals option can be a great way for begiining students to be sure Woniya can give time and attention to their specific questions.
Veteran skills instructors have participated in these gatherings and been thrilled with what they have learned. The Coals option is perfect for experienced students who want to take their skills to the next level with mentoring with Woniya and other students to discuss their questions with.
The online gathering is a wonderful way to enrich the curriculum of home schoolers, distance learners, and any kids who want a more hands on learning experience than their school books can give them. While the gathering is not specifically designed for children, many families have participated in past gatherings and loved them.
“I keep looking for the silver linings in this pandemic, and this was one of them for me... Whatever I was expecting, this totally exceeded my expectations. The zoom sessions really felt like I was not alone in this. And gave me a chance to ask questions. I try to describe the people I meet in gatherings to others and they are impossible to describe - but overwhelmingly positive. Overall, I was amazed.” — Karen Stewart, First BROG Participant , Summer 2020
More about what you get and what you can expect from the gathering.
Every FIRES Gathering has 4 learning tracks to choose from.
While focused on different core topics, all the subjects covered relate to the general themes of resilience and empowerment, traditional and ancestral skills, and reaching our full potential as wilder and better-adapted humans.
This year's four themes are:
Wilderness Living and Survival
Rewilding Your Life
Wild Foods and Medicine
Ancestral Skills: Hide Tanning
After registering for FIRES, you'll have the opportunity to pick your home track, and have the option of adding a minor track as well.
Want to learn more? Access to the chats from each track are available to all FIRES students, so you can glean from the conversations and projects others share to multiply your learning.
You can view the pre-recorded classes on your own schedule. They will be available to watch as many times as you'd like throughout the accessibility window that you select, with Sparks having 3 months access, Embers having 6 months access, and Coals having unlimited access.
In addition to the video classes, you'll have access to a private online community where you can connect with other students and experts in a friendly and welcoming space. Get the opportunity to ask questions and get personalized instruction on projects, to multiply the learning potential many fold.
In-person courses can be prohibitively expensive for many students, especially when the cost of travel and lodging is factored in. One of the motivations of the online gatherings is to make similar instruction accessible to as many people as possible.
Creating online courses and running high-quality online courses is a tremendous amount of work and a labor of love. We believe in the value provided and we hope you do too.
We have done research into pricing of similar courses and priced FIRES significantly lower than most courses of its type, and have designed different tier options with accesibility in mind.
We believe these skills are important parts of our shared human heritage, but recognize that all people do not have equal access to them. Our goal is to help change that and our scholarship program is one way we do so, and creating a safe and inclusive learning environment is another.
We have 2 different scholarships: Inclusion and Needs-based.
Inclusion Scholarships are intended to increase diversity in the fields of outdoor, survival, and wilderness skills. These are areas in which people of color and people outside of the binary gender spectrum have typically been underrepresented and not always safe. In the spirit of equity and reparation, our inclusion scholarships are available for people of color and LGBTQ2Ia+ with particular emphasis given to BIPOC and transgender and gender non-binary participants.
Needs-based Scholarships are intended to increase access to people of all socioeconomic backgrounds by helping those with financial need be able to attend.
Buckskin Revolution funds several full and partial scholarships of each kind and also invites others to contribute to the scholarship fund to further increase participation.
What’s this gathering about?
The gathering is intended to give a foundation in fundamental skills for living a life more grounded in doing for yourself rather than relying on modern technology and industry. Wild and homegrown foods, practices for living a more deeply connected life, and related skills are just a handful of the topics covered.
What sets this gathering apart is that the physical skills are just one part of it. The bigger picture intention is to help you feel more connected to the natural world through being more in touch with your own hands and how they work with that world to help you find materials for food, fiber, shelter, and more. It is also very much about connecting you with a greater community of people interested in similar things so you have support and camaraderie in your learning journey.
It's an online class, why call it a gathering?
We call it a gathering because, while you can view the pre-recorded classes on your own schedule, the interactive live conference calls are a big part of the learning experience. They build a sense of community and group learning that multiplies the value of the course content.
In addition to the scheduled weekly live group conferences, you’ll be able to access the online experience any time you like. You can interact and ask questions on a range of topics, within or outside of the course content, and share projects, knowledge, and more.
The limited time frame is also part of what makes it a gathering- the hope is that it encourages the students to watch the classes now, rather than pushing them further down their to-do lists, so that they are more likely to interact with the other students who are viewing them at a similar time.
It is also gathering as opposed to a focused course because it is designed as an immersive experience covering a broad range of topics, not a comprehensive course on just one topic.
I don’t know anything about wilderness living. Is this course right for me?
Yes! The classes are designed with beginners in mind, with plenty of background on the skills and context to help you understand why we chose to include particular subjects. The live calls and online skills community are a wonderful resource for you to ask further questions of both Woniya and fellow students. The additional lessons, calls and online community are also a great place for more experienced students to get support in diving deeper. The community nature of the gathering means beginners benefit from the questions and experience of the advanced students and the advanced students benefit from the more detailed mentorship from Woniya, and from providing mentorship and advice to the beginners.
I live in a city without much access to nature, how will I be able to take advantage of the skills I learn?
Even if you live in an urban environment, there are a lot of ways to apply these skills to your life. That is part of what we mean when we say “it is about how you learn, not just what you learn, and how that learning changes you.”
I have a busy schedule. Will I be able to work this course around it?
Yes! The classes themselves are all pre-recorded, so you can watch them whenever works for you, and you’ll continue to have access to them for 6 months after the gathering itself. The interactive calls are scheduled ahead of time, so you’ll be able to plan for them, and if you can't make them live, they will be recorded and shared so you can still experience them. There is also the Online Skills Sharing Community, so even if you can't make the calls, you can still ask questions and interact with Woniya and the other students.
Does this course appropriate indigenous culture?
There is a big and important difference between using the resources in the wild land around us and appropriation. At Buckskin Revolution, we believe that being in right relationship to the land and connecting with it through tending, harvesting, and giving back is important and is part of our birthright as humans. That is different from appropriating specific traditions from specific indigenous people. We are very mindful of not doing that. There is no doubt that it can be a slippery slope, and all will have their own opinions about where to draw the line.
We are also committed to social justice and reparations. We offer scholarships to BIPOC (black and indigenous people of color), and transgender and gender non-binary participants. We also donate to groups working toward social and environmental justice like the Lakota Law Project, NAACP and others. Your donations towards the scholarship fund support both of these things.
How much time will this take?
It is up to you . Each week there will be 1-2 hours of lessons for you to do on your own time and two options for 60-90 minute live zoom call.
You will also get more out of the gathering if you put aside an hour or two a week to reflect on and/or practice what you’re learning.
Where does this information come from?
The information in these classes draws from Woniya’s experience of 30 years studying traditional skills and making them a way of life. She has applied these skills in wilderness living situations, including 123 days living off the land in Northern Canada between her two season on Alone. She has spent decades living off grid in a variety of places and climates, growing, gathering and preserving a lot of her food and making her tools and material goods herself.
She also has a formal education in biology, including a Master's degree in Environmental Science, with a focus in Botany and Entomology.
She combines her science background and her hands-on living skills for a well-rounded, thorough, and engaging teaching style.
How do you determine the cost of this gathering?
Putting together such an event is a huge effort and a labor of love. We have priced the course well below the suggested value for courses of this kind because it is important to us to make it more accessible for more kinds of people. After the first Buckskin Revolution gathering, the students' feedback was that it was more information than they had expected and cost less than they would have expected to pay for such an experience. If the cost feels prohibitive to you, please read about our scholarship programs.
Do you offer scholarships?
Yes! We have 2 different scholarship programs. One is designed to help those with financial need be able to attend. The other is designed to increase diversity in a field in which people of color and people outside of the binary gender spectrum have typically been under represented. Buckskin Revolution is funding a minimum of 20 such scholarships, and is collecting donations toward more scholarships to increase how many we can offer.
We hope to not have to turn anyone away because of financial hardship and to have a student body truly representing the diversity of people in our culture.
You can apply for either category of scholarship using the same application. Scroll up for the link!
What happens on the live calls?
The live calls are one of the most potent parts of the gathering for those who participate. They are not only a way to connect with and get to know the other students and Woniya, but they offer an opportunity to dive deeper into the subject matter, get your questions answered, and hear the other students' questions.
Everyone is encouraged to attend whether or not they are up to date on the week's classes. It isn’t unusual for people to work through the course on their own timeline and still participate in and get a lot out of the weekly calls. They are a great way to learn more, be inspired, and be supported in your learning.
They are not required, and most students don’t make the calls every week or even at all, but those who do are those who get the most out of the experience and integrate most thoroughly into their lives.
How much interaction will I have with Woniya?
The full gathering Zoom calls will all be hosted by Woniya, and the track calls will be hosted by her or one of our peer mentors. Woniya also regularly checks and provides feedback in the online community, while encouraging students to engage with each other on these topics as well. That is part of what makes it a gathering!
The online community and calls provide an avenue for questions and feedback that multiple students can benefit from them. Since we typically get a high volume of messages and questions, this is the best way to ensure everyone is heard and the group can benefit from their question. It also provides a way for students to communicate with and get support from one another. This is one of the intentions and strengths of this being a learning community, not just a teacher and student learning experience!
Is this course appropriate for kids?
Yes! While the gathering was not specifically designed for kids, the subject material is appropriate for children, and we not only encourage their participation, but see it as very important.
Imagine how different your life might be if you had been given a foundation in these skills as a young person and had the sense of empowerment, capability, and connection that comes with them early on!
We have had children as young as 10 and as old as 16 participate in the gathering, and they have been some of our most enthusiastic participants, to the delight of their parents. The classes are also set up in a way that can dovetail beautifully with homeschool and distance learning curriculums. We already have some parents planning to incorporate the gathering into their children's schooling, so if you choose to do so, you’ll be in good company!
I see this isn’t the first time you’ve offered a gathering. Are they all the same?
No, each BROG overlaps with prior versions but with a different combination of topics and classes and some new and different material. Additionally, a lot of the value is in the live calls and student interaction in the community forum; these are always new with each gathering.
What if I don't have access to the kinds of materials discussed in the classes?
You don’t need anything at all to participate in the gathering. You will learn a ton just by watching the classes. If you want to take your learning to the next level and follow along with them in a hands-on way, that is great too! Students will receive a materials list after they register, as well as some suggestions on how to go about finding the more obscure materials.
In the past gatherings, some students have participated hands-on in only a few classes, and most have participated just by watching the videos. All have reported learning a tremendous amount regardless.
More questions?
Feel free to email us at team@buckskinrevolution.com if you have further questions. Keep in mind that we get a lot of email these days so it might take some time to get your reply!