About Us

Education through Exploration & Discovery of the Natural World

Primitive and Survival Skills
Wilderness Navigation
Edible & Medicinal Plants
Animal Behavior & Tracking
Native Cultures
Problem Solving
Team Building

 


Allan "Hawkeye" Sande

~Respect for our World, through the Quiet of the Woods~

Founder and director, Allan "Hawkeye" Sande, a Washington State native, spent his childhood exploring the wooded hills of Mason County and walking the shores of Hood Canal where an abundance of Native artifacts were there to be found. This early interest in nature and the Native Americans has grown from a life love to a teaching passion. Upon moving to the Seattle area, Allan saw the need for children to have the opportunity to explore and understand the wilderness that still remains in their own part of the world. In 1997 Quiet Heart was created. Since that time, Quiet Heart has grown into an educational program for all ages. Allan has a degree in business and a background in both Montessori and Early Childhood Education. Hawkeye has many years of experience in backpacking, mountaineering including two ascents of Mt. Rainier and a first ascent in the Olympic Mountain range.  He served two years as a  member of the Olympic Mountain Rescue team.The education offered at Quiet Heart Wilderness School will enable students, young and old, to gain in their understanding of the natural world, and instill in them a sense of stewardship toward their planet and its creatures. At Quiet Heart eyes will be opened, minds and bodies will be strengthened and hearts will grow.

 

Susan "Eaglewoman" Sande

Born and raised Washintonian Susan spent most of her youth in the desert of eastern Washington. Her interests include everything that our state has to offer from cross country skiing to mossy hiking paths to investigating sea life on our saltwater shores. Along with administrative duties for QuietHeart Susan has participated in the coming of age program. Susan’s vision and focus is to continue working with the middle-school age student to promote the feeling of community and empowerment that learning and connecting with mother earth provides for the young teen. Eaglewoman’s skills include working with textiles, beading, weaving, candle and soap making.

 

Eric "Little Bear" Kitching

Eric ‘Little Bear” grew up outside of a small logging town southeast of Eugene Oregon, where he spent many hours exploring, camping, fishing, and hunting with his family.  He now resides in the foothills of Duvall Washington .  Eric has trained under naturalist Elizabeth Gates, Mel Jackson of the Back Country Methods and Winter Survival Skills as well as Tom Brown Jr. at the Tracker School and Jon Young at Wilderness Awareness School .  Eric is a graduate of the Wilderness Awareness Residential Program under Jason Knight and the Art of Mentoring.  He has tracked wolves in Idaho and cougars in Washington State under the guidance of the late predator specialist, educator and biologist Rocky Spencer.  Eric ran a 7 part course called "Communing with Nature and the Sacred Feminine" for women and "Communing with Nature and the Sacred Masculine " for men.  Eric is a Reiki level 2 pratitioner. He in structs a women's martial arts class called "Universal Mother Matrial Arts" in Carnation, Wa and instructs a nature based martial arts class for adults in Monroe, Wa. at the Alderleaf Wilderness College. Eric is gifted in facilitating the discovery of personal inner power, self-guidance and the connection with universal energy.  As a mentor, Eric holds his students' capable, bringing great passion for living intimately with the natural world and a deep respect and celebration of the Sacred Feminine and Sacred Masculine in a way that inspires and entices you to go deeper!

 

Steve Nicolini

Steve was born in Novato, CA and grew up hiking and bicycling in the oak forests of the North Bay Area.  He has always loved the outdoors, but was inspired to study wilderness living after a life changing journey to the Amazon rainforest back in early 2007.  Steve is a graduate of Alderleaf Wilderness College, where he studied primitive skills, animal tracking, bird language, and nature based education.  He has lead summer camps and enjoys working with children.  Steve is a certified tracker. Some of his hobbies include woodworking, playing the banjo, and harvesting wild foods.

    

 

Brian K Harris

Brian K Harris comes to us from Fair Haven New Jersey. Brian has an Associates in Art degree from Brookdale Community College as well as a Marine Science Audit from Brookdale Community College Ocean Institute in New Jersey. Most recently Brian has been a pre-college coordinator at the New Jersey Marine Sciences Consortium in Fort Hancock, New Jersey. Brian has been lead staffer for supervisory duties related to pre K-12 grade field programs serving over 16,000 students per year. He has conducted hands-on field programs for school groups (Pre K – College) in ocean shoreline and estuary environments. Brian’s skills include an understanding and utilization of "primitive" technologies. He has been a student of the Earth Mentor Program at the Wilderness Awareness School Duvall Washington. It is Brian’s objective to bring the passion he has for discovery and learning to children of all ages in a fun and interactive way; and in doing so fostering positive connections between people and our surroundings.

 

Julie "Owl" Wright

Julie “Owl” comes to us from rural Vermont where early in her childhood, she acquired a passion for nature and its creatures while exploring a backyard pond in the woods outside her backyard.  "Owl" is a graduate of the Anake Outdoor School and the Anake Leadership Program through Wilderness Awareness School.   She also holds a Level III Track and Sign identification certificate through CyberTracker Conservation.  Owl has a Master's degree in Biological Oceanography from the University of Washington.  In addition to a solid grounding in natural history studies, she also has spent the past 2 years focusing on cultural mentoring, communication and peace-making.  Her favorite skills include pottery making, shelter-making, and tanning hides.  Owl loves  kayaking, harvesting edible, medicinal and utilitarian plants from nature, and tracking.  She loves sharing with children and bringing them alive in the outdoors.   More than once Owl has been known to engage in a good mud fight.

 

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Carleigh Fairchild

Carleigh grew up in Ohio and had the good fortune to be sent to a summer camp in New Jersey as a teenager. That summer Carleigh attended “The Children of the Earth Foundations Coyote Track” program.  At Coyote Tracks Carleigh finally felt like she fit in with other teens and felt a deep connection to the knowledge and skills taught there. At the end of her first week a flame had been lit and Carleigh knew that she wanted to come back every summer. This she did, for six more years, eventually interning there and then becoming an instructor. In 2005 Carleigh moved out to Washington State to continue her studies with Earthwalk Northwest. Carleigh is a graduate of Earthwalk Northwest’s “Skills Apprenticeship” program, the “Ethnobotany Apprenticeship” program and the “Path of the Hunter” program. Carleigh’s passions include basket making, wild edible plants, hunting, and nature observation. Carleigh loves sharing her knowledge and enthusiasm with children.

 Ted Packard

Ted Packard has been sharing his love of Nature with others his whole life. Grown in Virginia, Ted spent his formative years following fox trails and catching crayfish. This led to eating wild greens, followed by wild mushrooms. After getting a Bachelor’s degree in History and a Master’s degree in Education, he spent two years travelling the East Coast playing music and exploring as many ecosystems as he could. In 2011 he moved to Washington and completed the Wilderness Certification Program at Alderleaf Wilderness College. After volunteering at Quiet Heart’s OWLE camp and working at summer camps with Wilderness Awareness School, he knew he had found the sort of Education that he felt lacking in public schools. Spending a year immersed in the Northwest woods has left him profoundly grateful for the chance to be so near to so many incredible animals, plants, and mentors of all kinds. He is passionate about the sharing of stories, music, art, games, yoga, basket making, primitive skills, and feeding the passion in others. He is so grateful for this chance to share in the growth of new skills and meaningful ties with the Earth.

 

 

Quiet Heart Wilderness School | QuietHeartExpress@comcast.net  
425-478-3494 | 23632 Hwy 99, Ste. F, PMB221, Edmonds, WA 98026