How Human Rewilding Works

Human rewilding isn't a cohesive movement, but a mashup of several existing (and often clashing) philosophies. Survivalists and "doomsday preppers" are drawn to the rewilding movement for its emphasis on wilderness survival skills. Eco-activists love the idea of low-impact living "off the grid" using primitive DIY engineering. Hippies dig anything that frees us from slavery to "the man," especially if limited showering is involved.

The term "rewilding" was first coined by two American biologists in the 1990s who wanted to change the conversation about wildlife conservation [source: Kolbert]. Instead of protecting ecosystems as they exist, why not populate them with either native or nonnative species — particularly predators and large herbivores — that would restore the environment to a more perfect wild state? Rewilding entered the mainstream largely due to a popular TED Conference talk by George Monbiot called "For more wonder, rewild the world."

The origin of the term "human rewilding" is less clear, because people have been promoting versions of the rewilding lifestyle for decades. A survival expert and tracker named Tom Brown Jr. founded the Tracker School back in 1978 to teach the wilderness skills imparted by his Apache mentor Stalking Wolf [source: Tracker School]. Brown didn't call his methods "rewilding," but they serve as a model for schools and wilderness survival programs worldwide that subscribe to the rewilding movement.

If there is an overarching goal of the rewilding movement, it is for humans to integrate with nature, rather than extract from it [source: Rewild Portland]. Monbiot, the TED speaker, describes human rewilding as "trying to re-engage people with the natural world" [source: Monbiot]. Along with that engagement is an increased sense of wonder and curiosity, a desire to understand natural processes and to figure out how we as humans fit into the natural order.

Next, we'll list some of the core "ancient" skills being promoted by the human rewilding movement.

One of the biggest draws of the human rewilding movement is learning how to survive — even thrive — in the wilderness without the help of modern tools or technology. These rewilding skills go by many names — bushcraft, primitive skills, ancestral skills, native skills — but they share some common themes:

Toolmaking

Before you can hunt, build a shelter or prepare a meal, you need to know how to make tools out of stone, bone and wood. How do you choose the right type of rock to serve as a hammer, hand ax or an arrowhead? How do you make a needle or fishing hook from animal bones?

Fire Starting

You won't survive long in the wilderness without fire. Learn how to make a bow drill to create friction and how to choose the right stones and tinder to spark and sustain a flame from scratch.

Foraging

Identifying edible plants and berries is an essential skill for wilderness survival. Wild game isn't always available, so you'll need to know which plants are pleasant tasting, which are poisonous, and which provide vital nutrients.

Identifying Medicinal Plants and Herbs

There's no pharmacy in the forest, but ancient cultures have identified leaves, flowers, herbs and roots that can cure digestive problems, fevers, wounds and aches and pains. You need this information as well.

Tracking

Wild animals don't advertise their presence. A successful hunter must understand the natural movements of animals and decipher clues — including prints, calls and droppings — to their whereabouts.

Trapping

Native cultures around the world discovered that a well-designed and camouflaged trap saved precious time and energy. The classic deadfall trap uses the weight of a large rock to crush unsuspecting prey.

Hunting

Learn how to make your own spears, bows, arrows, slings and other weapons from naturally available materials. And how to use them.

Wilderness Cooking

Find out how to cook over an open fire using roasting sticks, spits and buried pit methods.

Hide-Tanning

With the traditional method called "brain tanning," you use the animal's actual brain tissue to soften the hide, which is then smoked and cured to use as clothing or food storage bags.

Rewilding skills are not easily learned from watching YouTube videos. On the next page, we'll highlight a few of the schools and programs available for rewilding your life.

Even if you're not ready to sell your earthly possessions and hunt squirrels with a handax, there are many ways to add some wild into your otherwise tame existence. You could start by taking more hikes in forests, coastal trails and other pristine natural settings. Pay attention to the animal and plant species you encounter and appreciate the diversity and complexity of the natural world.

If you want to take your rewilding experience a step further, consider taking a class in one of the "primitive arts" like foraging, bow and arrow making, toolmaking, or wilderness survival. Search online for classes or programs near you by Googling "wilderness survival classes" or "survival skills" along with the name of the closest city. If you live in the Portland area, look no further than Rewild Portland.

Some programs also stress the philosophical component of rewilding. For instance, ReWild University's website says, "Instead of leaving with only a set of skills, you'll come away having opened a gateway into your ancestral birthright. What is this birthright? A mindset that is stress-free and aware. An every-moment sense of adventure. A body that is characterized by vital health. And most importantly, you'll gain an understanding of how to integrate your rewilded lifestyle into your everyday life."

If you really want to know what it feels like to live like Paleolithic hunter-gatherer — at least for a few days — consider taking a "survivacation" at one of many wilderness retreats around the world. Celebrity survivalist Creek Stewart coined the term "survivacation" for his three-day survival skills retreats at his Will Haven Outdoor school in Indiana, but you can find similar short-term retreats as far away as Australia (it's called "bush survival" down under) and Sweden (in winter!). You can even be stranded on a desert island in Indonesia [source: Lin]. For serious students, Earthwalk Northwest offers a year-long apprenticeship program in "Primitive Living Skills."