It is important to know that Headwaters is an outdoor, nature school, not a traditional, summer camp hang out, a therapy camp or a high-end retreat center. Our scheduled classes are intended to bring people back home to nature by becoming more self-reliant through Nature Awareness techniques, physical Wilderness Living Skills, and deepening that connection through Earth Philosophy. Our intention is to help people build a personal relationship with nature to remind them that we all have a purpose as Earth Caretakers.

Everyone. If you are kind and interested in learning and participating in classes, you are welcome here.

Each class is different, there is no overall average age. We have students as young as 11 years old up to 80 years. Some classes are for kids only and some adults only, but we like to mix the groups as often as we can as the dynamic actually creates a better learning environment for everyone. We also take some younger students if they are serious about studying nature and are accompanied by an adult. There are classes that are appropriate for whole families to attend as well.

Most courses stand on their own and can be taken in any order. With the exception of our Advanced Nature Awareness Class and our Scout Way Class. We do have prerequisite classes before participating in those two classes. Our dream, of course, is that students take all our courses as each class builds off each other. We offer a 4-6 week Apprenticeship Program for those who are ready to experience a full summer at Headwaters. There is nothing like this experience living in a fully immersive community. It truly is what we all crave and don’t even know it. Apprenticeships are open to people ages 12 years -adult.

We offer classes and retreat time for private, adult groups as well as for schools and scout groups during the spring and fall seasons. Time spent on Headwaters land alone can be a fulfilling experience as people reconnect with their place in nature as a part of nature. When you couple that with a class or retreat you excel that pace of connection, awareness, and even healing. Your experience at Headwaters can be life changing.

Our camp is a life-long vision of Tim’s. It has been said that it is one of Earth’s power spots. We would agree after years of witnessing students become deeply affected by their time on the land and making profound life changes. Jean Sage and Tim own the land and are life-long caretakers. They have a private residence on the land which does not intrude upon the special, primitive village consisting of many bark shelters, 2 round houses, and an outdoor kitchen built in the fashion of our indigenous ancestors. The land has 5 creeks, and springs of pure water meandering through it, wildflower meadows, rock gardens, evergreen forests, and a sweat lodge in view of Mt. Shasta.

Tim Corcoran is the founder of Headwaters along with being the Conductor involved in every aspect of the school. Tim is our main teacher. Julie Boettler is our camp cook, land caretaker, school manager, and teacher. TJ Putnam and Zander Balthasar are our full-time head instructors and help us run the school. Our other seasonal instructors are all experts in their field and their teachings are compatible with our Headwaters philosophy.

All food is prepared by our cook, Julie. She takes the ritual of cooking and eating seriously! Whenever possible we cook with wild foods gathered by students using many old-ways methods such as steam pit, Dutch-oven and fire cooking. Our vegetable garden feeds us throughout the summer and fall with its organic bounty. Any dietary needs must be stated when a student signs up.