Instructors

Ithaca's Primitive Pursuits Staff

Heidi Bardy - 4th year with Primitive Pursuits
After studying at Houghton College (NY), and in London and Tanzania, Heidi followed her love of animals and nature to become a horseback riding instructor and trainer in PA. Then, after taking courses at Tom Brown's Tracker School in 2004, she began another journey of learning that led to Naropa University (CO), Teaching Drum Outdoor School (WI), the Vermont Wilderness School (VT), the Finger Lakes Permaculture Institute (NY), and finally to the Primitive Pursuits Wilderness Awareness Apprenticeship in Ithaca, NY. Heidi now lives in a yurt in the woods outside of Ithaca. Her goals are to never stop learning, and to integrate primitive skills, permaculture, and empathy for all beings into daily life.

Luke Cannon - 1st year with Primitive Pursuits
A long time pursuer and teacher of the magic and wonder of our Natural World. Avid about teaching and mentoring, Luke has guided and taught both adults and teens in numerous courses on survival, navigation, botany, ecology, earth awareness, and sustainable living. During the last decade, Luke has Directed and taught for several wilderness awareness programs, led walks for the Finger Lakes Native Plant Society and The Asheville Botanical Gardens, been a regular teacher at the Asheville School of Holistic Herbalism, and guest taught at the North East School of Botanical Medicine and the One World Healing Arts Institute. Additionally he enjoyed Founding his own home-school program- The Gaia Connection in Fairview NC, and leading two, -month long camping and
white-water canoeing expeditions for BYM Teen Adventure programs. His course of studies include the North East School of Botanical Medicine, the Chestnut School of Herbal Medicine, Plant Biology at Cornell University, Environmental Studies at UNC-Asheville, Permaculture Certificate from Karuna Falls School of Permaculture (NZ), Botanical studies at the Humboldt Field Research Station, and John Young's Art of Mentoring course.

Akiva Silver - 4th year with Primitive Pursuits
Akiva began studying primitive skills with Tom Brown Jr. at the internationally renowned Tracker School. He has traveled extensively from Alaska to Mexico and overseas, following his curiosity and enjoying the adventure. After traveling, Akiva lived at Hawk Circle's Wilderness Education Center, participating in an instructor training intensive. His big interests are planting, growing, and studying trees, hide tanning, primitive archery, and wilderness survival. In addition to being a lead field instructor for Primitive Pursuits in Ithaca N.Y. Akiva owns and operates Apples & Acorns where he passionately grows and sells trees.

Corinne Eisenman - 3rd year with Primitive Pursuits
Corinne has been following the call of the woods and streams since she was a kid growing up in Western New York. She counts herself lucky to come from a rich background of innovative educational settings that encouraged curiosity and wonder, working with extraordinary staff and students of all ages. She has been a teacher and administrator in these programs for the past 20 years, including helping to found and lead Shackleton School, an expedition-based high school in Massachusetts. Her passion for wilderness education has been shaped by family adventures, work with Girl and Boy Scout and YMCA camps, a graduate degree in Environmental Education from the Audubon Expedition Institute, travels in Thailand, Europe, Central America, Canada and the United States, and adventures with learners from ages 8 to 80 in a variety of settings. Corinne also has a strong background in curriculum development and community building. She is delighted to explore changing seasons and primitive skills with others as we play, discover, and celebrate each other and this planet we call home.

Zak Kozlowski - 2nd year with Primitive Pursuits
Zak grew up in nearby Tioga County and spent 4 years at Ithaca College, though it was not until the winter of 2010 that he discovered his path with Primitive Pursuits. Prior to this, he gained a great deal of experience working with youth and helping under-served communities as an Americorps volunteer with City Year Greater Philadelphia. This experience taught him that working with children is a role that suits him well, and he later went on to be a long-time instructor for Stone Environmental School in New Hampshire. He is now enjoying the new challenges and thrills of teaching with Primitive Pursuits and resides at his favorite place in the whole world - Rune Hill Retreat Center.

Tim Drake- 10th year with Primitive Pursuits, founding member
Since Tim could crawl he has had his hands in the dirt and his focus on nature. Tim has studied with some of the leading teachers of both Wilderness Survival Skills and Nature Awareness and Community Building including Tom Brown Jr., Jon Young, Mark Morey and Ricardo Sierra at schools such as The Tracker School, The institute for natural learning and The Wilderness Awareness School. Tim's passion for learning is surpassed only by his love of sharing these skills with others. Currently Tim Drake is the Co-Director of Primitive Pursuits in Ithaca N.Y. and serves as a Lecturer for the Environmental Studies Department at Ithaca College co-teaching a foundation class he designed with Jed Jordan and Jason Hamilton. Tim is also staff for the Institute of Natural Learning in Brattleboro VT and is developing a wilderness survival instructional DVD series with Survival Works.

Dave Hall - 11th year with Primitive Pursuits, founding member
Wanting to share his love for outdoor survival skills, Dave began Primitive Pursuits as an after school program in the Town of Dryden in 1999 through the Rural Youth Services Department at Cooperative Extension. Practicing what he preaches Dave constantly pushes the limits of his skills. With years of knowledge he has become proficient not only on the topic of wilderness survival but especially in winter survival, having spent many nights in self made snow shelters without the aid of fire or blankets. Dave has spent time learning from nationally recognized instructors and schools such as Tom Brown Jr., Jon Young, Paul Rezendes, Hawk Circle, Barry Keegan as well as Jed Jordan and Tim Drake.
Dave has taught for the Adirondack Mountain Club, Cornell Outdoor Education program, Ithaca College Adventure Recreation Degree Program, SUNY Cortland, Rune Hill Earth Awareness Center, Manice Education Center, Fairview Lake Environmental Education Center, Lime Hollow Center for Environment and Culture as well as Boy Scout and Girl Scout groups.

Jed Jordan - 10th year with Primitive Pursuits, founding member
Jed is an Environmental Educator for Cornell Cooperative Extension 4-H Youth Development and a co-founder and senior administrator for Primitive Pursuits. He started his training at age 11 (with Tom Brown book in hand) in the woods of southern New Hampshire. After studying at UC Santa Barbara and Prescott College, he continued his education by travelling the mountains, forests, deserts, swamps and lesser known highways of the United States. He settled in Ithaca to wait out the last millenium in the familiar Appalachian forests of his childhood. Now, with three children of his own, he is most inspired by the incredible minds and hearts of all the kids he gets to watch grow up in the natural world. He currently teaches an Environmentral Studies course at Ithaca College with Tim Drake and Jason Hamilton.

Jason Hamilton - 4th year with Primitive Pursuits, advisory member
Jason is an Associate Professor of Biology and core faculty member of the Environmental Studies Program at Ithaca College in Ithaca, NY. He received a Ph.D. in computational quantum mechanics and a second Ph.D. in plant ecology from U.C. Santa Barbara. He did post-doctoral research in ecophysiology, global change biology, and plant-insect interactions at the University of Illinois before joining the faculty at IC in 2001. In addition to teaching and research, Jason is the co-chair of Ithaca College Natural Lands and faculty manager of the Natural Reserves. He is co-founder of the Ithaca College Sustainability Group and advisory board member and instructor for Ithaca Wilderness Mentoring Guild/Primitive Pursuits. He is also co-founder and chairman of the board of Trustees of New Roots Charter High School, the first school in the U.S. to be designed for sustainability education from the ground up.

Estelle Waterman -7th year with primitive pursuits (currently at SUNY ESF)
In 8th grade, Estelle began her wilderness journey as a student in the Dryden Primitive Pursuits afterschool program. She instantly jived with the people and the attitude of the program and soon-after began to lead some programs as a Youth Instructor. Ever since, she has spent her summers teaching the ways of the scout in programs with 4-H Urban Outreach and Primitive Pursuits. Currently, she is extending the branches of the Primitive Pursuits family to the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry in Syracuse. There she is co-directing primitive skill outings with fellow student, Justin Sutera. Each day she is amazed at how much Primitive Pursuits has positively influenced her life and is excited for what each sunrise will bring.

Benjamin George-Hinnant - 7th year with Primitive Pursuits (currently joining the circus)
Benjamin has been involved with Primitive Pursuits since his early teens and enjoys both leading fast paced adventures and methodically spreading the interdependent skills and wisdom of nature. One of his strengths and joys is his ability to draw in children to whom our program is new. His current weakness is a propensity to lose young participants on long wilderness treks (just kidding, moms). Benjamin's experience includes helping to run community environmental and outdoor clubs, studying a plethora of college level sciences and apprenticing with several of the coolest and smartest naturalists in the area. Benjamin brings energy and a unique athleticism to the things he does and hopes your clothes are dirty at the end of the day.

Lily Glidden - 9 years with Primitive Pursuits (currently at Tufts University)
Lily grew up locally and was introduced into the world of Primitive Pursuits at the age of eleven. After being mentored in the program for four years, she was offered employment as a youth instructor. Pushing her wilderness skills on a personal level and developing her skills as an instructor, Lily continued on this path for over 9 years. She spent time at the Vermont Wilderness School and completed a nine month naturalist training course at the Wilderness Awareness School in Washington. Back on the East Coast, Lily is now attending Tufts University in Boston where she studies biology and is exploring plans to attend vet school someday. She is captain of the ultimate frisbee team and president of the outdoor club. While seeing flying squirrels, skunks, opossums, cooper's hawks and the occasional Merlin, she continues to be fascinated and inspired by the lives of animals in the heart of Boston.

Beth Bannister - 10th year with Primitive Pursuits
Beth's early Primitives Instructors were the woods, fields, farms and waters in Western NY, along with the cool adults who brought her there. She has also taken classes at Tom Brown's Wilderness School, learned tracking with Sue Morse and Paul Rezendes and studied the Art of Mentoring and Kamana with Jon Young at the Wilderness Awareness School. Beth Bannister started her Primitive Pursuits career helping Dave Hall in the early years of Primitives. Since then she has led Primitive Pursuits as part of the Enfield Youth Programs along with several of the other incredible Primitives Instructors. Along with all things outdoors Beth especially likes birds and the songs they share. Following this passion Beth also works with Lang Elliot, a renowned wildlife recording artist.

Last Updated: May 12, 2011

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