Instructors

Mike Douglas

Mike was born and raised in a small town in the New Jersey Pine Barrens. He grew up surrounded by endless forests and majestic cedar swamps. His deep love of all things wild and natural reaches further back than he can remember. Mike began his career as an instructor of nature and survival skills at Boy Scout camp in New Jersey in 1983. Since that time his passion for nature, awareness, tracking, primitive skills and philosophy has taken him around the globe in search of teachers and the opportunity to learn. He has been a student of Paul Rezendes, Tom Brown Jr., Jon Young, and many others. Mike's passion for learning and teaching “primitive” techniques has earned him a unique reputation in the scouting community and among professional educators. In 1995 he was the recipient of the Marion Rich Waterman Mayer Award from the University of Maine College of Education.  Mike credits his patient wife Karen and his children, Ryan, Dakota, and Emily, with their love and support in helping him to make time to live his dream – teaching earth skills.  Mike is Director of adult programs at the Maine Primitive Skills School.

Stephen Deflorio
 
Stephen has been teaching for 30 years in the realm of environmental/outdoor education incorporating native ancestral skills for quite a while working with children ages 3-12 through adults. Stephen is a highly skilled curriculum designer. He is capable of teaching a wide range of ancestral/primitive skills including but not limited to: natural dyeing, cordage, birch bark craft,  wild edibles, native American 3 sister gardens, maple sugaring, friction fires, tracking, coal burning, gourd craft, beadwork and most natural history topics.
Email:  otterdeer(at)verizon.net

Jesse Labbe-Watson

Will Sampson

Andrew Dobos

Andy Dobos Co-Founder and Head Instructor of Three Red Trees School of Natural Living grew up in northwestern Connecticut, living and playing on the old “family farm” land. His study of Fine Art in college prepared him for a return to the woods of his childhood with a new vantage, to experience and study Nature with an artists delight.  He quickly became involved in the New England Primitive Skills Gathering, the Maine Primitive Gathering (where he and Deneen met a few years later) and the Maine Primitive Skills School.  During this time Andy worked as an Emergency Medical Technician and then for Great Hollow Wilderness School as an instructor for their Whole Earth Home School and Nature’s Chorus Summer Camp. 
Email: andobos(at)yahoo.com
Blog: primitiveskillspractitioner.wordpress.com

Deneen Bernier

Raised in Lebanon, Maine, Co-Founder and Instructor for Three Red Trees School of Natural Living's Deneen Bernier has lived, studied, and worked in southern Maine for the better part of her life moving to Connecticut in 2008. Her interests led her along a varied path of assisting people towards improved quality of life.  Her exposure to primitive skills began in 2006 with the Maine Primitive Gathering, White Pine Programs, and MPSS.  Participation as a student and later volunteering with each of these organizations, Deneen has been blessed with wondrous opportunities to reconnect with nature.  Attending the Building Strong Naturalist Communities conference, Winter Count, Rivercane Rendezvous and the New England Women’s Herbal Conference has strengthened her commitment to sharing sustainable ways of life and the power of community.

Email: dlb-3@hotmail.com

Adriaan Gerber

Kfir Mendel

Kfir is founder and head instructor of TwoWolves.org.  He started studying primitive skills over 10 years ago and never thought he would end up tanning hides for a living.  What began as a short term way of making an extra income turned into a vocation and a great journey.  Together with his passion for teaching, he truly loves his work and looks forward to every hide and every workshop.  He's been tanning hides since 2003.  Teaching teens and adults the art of brain tanning and giving them the tools to make their own clothing, along with the freedom that comes with it, has been an amazing honor for him.  Kfir has taught people from all over the world and collaborated with school and organizations such as Midwest Native Skills Institute, Practical Primitive, Maine Primitive Skills School, Ozark Trackers Society, Wildwood Bushcraft UK, and Caretakers of Isreal.
Website: twowolves.org
Email: mail(at)twowolves.org
Phone: 609-661-2747

Bob Berg

Bob Berg, born in Hilo, Hawaii, grew up on a farm in Apalachin, New York after his family moved there from the Islands in 1959. Bob’s family raised beef cattle on the half square mile farm. They also produced hay and timber. Bob graduated from Alfred University in 1974. He majored in German.  Bob has been interested in all things primitive for the greater part of his adult life. He is skilled in many of the primitive arts and enjoys passing his knowledge on. Bob enjoys a few hobbies both in and outside the atlatl business, among them atlatl fishing, atlatl hunting, oil painting, and inventing mechanical devises designed to save the world.   Website:  ThunderbirdAtlatl.com  Email  thunderbirdatlatl@gmail.com  Phone:  1-800-836-4520

Ira is a 4th grade teacher in South Gardiner, Maine.  This is his eleventh year of teaching in public school and sixteenth year of teaching outdoor education.  Ira is currently passionate about bird language, mentoring skills, and maintaining his expanding sacred fire.  He loves teaching and practicing awareness techniques, tomahawk and throwing stick, and any other primitive skills that pique his interest.  Ira has instructed at and directed the Maine Primitive Skills School Daycamp for six summers.  Email:imichaud(at)sad11.k12.me.us

Business:  Hobo Archery
Home town:  West Springfield MA
Years attended MPG:  2010, 2011
Classes Taught: Wood Bow making, Youth Archery lessons
Current employer:  EBA&D Simsbury CT, Explosive Test Technician.
Education:  Received a degree from Springfield Technical Community College in Electronic Technology.
Expertise: Wood Bow Making instructor, MA Bow hunter Ed Instructor, Youth Archery Instructor.   Also taught bow making in Woodbury CT at the New England Primitive Skills gathering for 10 years.  Current Member of the Agawam Bowmen Club in Southwick MA for over 15 years.  Worked for years with Boy Scouts of America as an involved parent and archery lover.  Hosted many traditional archery shoots including the annual T.D.I. and taught lessons in what I call “Intro to Archery.”  I have dabbled in arrow making, hide tanning, taxidermy, flint knapping, atlatls, fiberglass bow building, wood recurves and backed bows. My favorite wood is Hickory, though I have used others with success.  Member of the Pope and Young Club with a 415# Black Bear taken in Allagash Maine with my recurve.
Mentors: My Dad for taking me hunting and teaching me about archery as a little kid. Also My Uncle Art, who gave me so many chances to miss deer each fall at his camp. Can’t forget Gary Regnier from Wicked Sticks who helped get me into traditional archery and all the time he spent helping me make my first bow. I would also thank my dear friend J.C. who has helped me with so many problems.
A truly blessed single father of 2 great teenage boys who are my greatest treasures in life.  I enjoy riding and restoring off road motorcycles, mountain biking, hunting, fishing, and kayaking.
Email: hoboarchery@yahoo.com and write “wood bows” in the subject line.