Kamana: Frequently Asked Questions

Where should I start? Kamana One or Kamana Two?
Student Services: Why sign up?
Why is it important to study Kamana in community?
Logistical questions
Course sharing
Content questions
Do I have to live in one place? Where to locate my secret spot?
Finding other students near you
College Credit

Where should I start, Kamana One or Two?

While we feel the best place to start is Kamana One for many students, some feel that they have had enough naturalist training to begin at Kamana Two. Other less experienced students might be sure that they would rather begin at Kamana Two, even though it is a more involved course.

Kamana Two begins the on-going exercise routines that thread straight through to the end of Kamana Four.

Both courses are available for purchase at this web site.

Why should I sign up for Kamana Student Services?

Kamana Student Services is at the heart of the original intention and creation of the Kamana Program. Our instructors are trained to recognize patterns and support your journey throughout the Kamana Program.

Kamana is sold to you without Student Services included. The place to go for Kamana Student Services is www.Kamana.org.

We call it Kamana Online, which has been years in development, to offer unique audio, video and other tools for your naturalist journey, including exclusive interviews with Jon Young, as well as connecting you with an inspired international community of Kamana students around the world. It is a monthly membership site, which reduces the cost required up front, as well as giving the best support possible for completing the Kamana journey. You will also receive personalized feedback on your Kamana work as a member of Kamana Online.

While moving through the program you can use Kamana.org to help inspire you or to help troubleshoot any challenges you might be having. You have email access to instructors and you have the discussion forum to converse with other students.

As you complete your work you will send it in one field pack at a time and receive a personal response from the staff at Kamana.org. Before you send in your work you will need a Kamana Student Number. Once you sign up for Kamana.org you will be given instructions on how to get a student number and how to send in your work to receive a response.

Included with your personal responses will be feedback on the Resource Trail and the Awareness Trail. For Kamana Two the focus will be on you finding a sit spot that will support you and your Kamana journey. You will also receive feedback on the journaling technique. Once these basic pieces are in place you will be receiving feedback on the Field Inventory process. For the rest of Kamana your responses will be based on how your relationship with your Kamana instructor develops.

Our instructors approach student services with the hope of helping you to better understand each tool you receive through your training. They do not focus on what you are doing wrong, but rather on how you can learn even more from what you experience through the Kamana Program. Every student's journey is different, and so each student’s experience with Student Services will be different, as well. It can be relied upon that the support you receive from our instructors will be focused on your passions, your struggles, and on your goals as a student of the natural world. This is an amazing customized experience!

Our instructors and the Community at Kamana.org are SUPPORTING you. Check out www.Kamana.org for free videos and a sample of what you receive when you sign up.

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What a Kamana Graduate has to say about Student Services:

"Regarding support from the staff, I spoke with Jonathan, my student services representative, about once per month and I found it quite helpful but primarily as an adjunct. A big part of what you learn is how to learn and for that you have to do the work. Nobody will spoon-feed this stuff to you. It wouldn't t work if you tried. The student services help is primarily in explaining what you don' t understand and helping out when you get stuck on something.

For example, I began the course in October and hadn't been doing it for long when the shortening days and my work schedule made it obvious that I wasn' t going to be able to visit my sit spot in daylight. I discussed this with Jonathan, perhaps expecting him to let me off the hook or come up with some magical solution. Instead he encouraged me to go to my spot in the dark and said that previous students who had tried it found they got a lot out of it. He was right, as usual. By the time spring brought longer days I actually had come to miss my early morning forays in the dark."

Carl Herzog, K248

Why is it important to study Kamana in community?

by "Kamana Dan" Corcoran, Independent Studies Coordinator

When I started doing Kamana I was all on my own. My brother was a Kamana student, but he was in Vermont and I was in Indiana. That didn't stop me, though. I cruised through Kamana One like a sharp knife on a cedar branch.

Kamana Two had its ups and downs, though. I had moved to a new state (Washington) to be closer to Wilderness Awareness School, but it was hard to motivate myself to stay on the journals and get to my secret spot. But at some point something shifted in me. From April of 2002 to February of 2004 I went from Kamana 2.1 to finishing Kamana 4.

So what happened?

I made a commitment to doing the program. That was a part of it, but I made plenty of other commitments that I didn't follow through on.

I was passionate about studying the natural world, but I was also passionate about mountaineering and soccer. But Kamana was the only thing that I stuck with and pursued. Hmmm.

I attribute two pieces to completing the puzzle. One, I created the need to do Kamana. And, two, I had a community to support me on the journey. Community and need. Need and community.

At various stages there were different types of need created. At the start of that 21-month period the need was that I was going to do the Anake Outdoor School (formerly called the Residential Program). I wanted to be "in shape" for the program. It was a big commitment and I was going to get the most out of it. I had the goal to finish Kamana 2 by the start of the Anake Program.

Then I was a student in the Anake Program and part of the homework was to do Kamana. After the end of that year I knew that I wanted to work for the school. John Gallagher told me he would hire me only if I was a Kamana graduate (thanks John!). Some of the need was self-created, some of it was external.

The other key aspect of my Kamana journey was Community. In the Anake Program I had joined a group of 20 students to study nature, community and self. The synergy that comes from many humans doing the same thing is electrifying. We made primitive fire together, we had adventures together, we laughed, we were vulnerable, we were passionate. Bonds were formed.

All the while we were studying and doing Kamana alongside of each other. When we had struggles we talked about it. It wasn't utopia, but it was real. We learned at a rate that would be impossible to repeat by oneself. Community is what sealed the deal for me and Kamana.

So how does this apply to any of you out there not doing the Anake Outdoor School? We now have an amazing tool: Kamana.org. It is fully designed to use new technology (video, forums, etc.) to connect with the old technology (people-to-people connection).

We are not meant to live alone. We are not meant to learn alone. We are designed to be with other people. Join us on Kamana.org and find your niche.

Logistical Questions

Can I buy Kamana Three while I am doing Kamana Two? SURE. There is an order form at the end of Kamana Two or you can buy it in our Nature Store.

How much time do I need to put in every day for Kamana Two and higher? The students who complete each Field Pack in the "ideal time" mentioned on the pages describing each level should expect to put in at least an hour every other day on average. This certainly goes for Kamana Two. Students in higher levels may need to put a little more time in.

The important thing is that you work at a sustainable pace that you can keep up for a long time. We recommend a regular routine rather than random hours here and there. Slow, simple and steady wins the race.

What if I go on vacation? That's fine. EVERYONE seems to go away for a while at some point, and Kamana will be there when you are ready to return to it.

Can I share my course?

You may share your materials from Kamana One with friends and family. This works well for people you know that aren’t sure about doing Kamana. For Kamana Two, Three and Four, we request that students have their own copy of the course materials.

Content questions

How does this compare or work with other wilderness classes? Live classes are wonderful for inspiration, and to learn a few new skills. Kamana is a course that is about long term internal growth, building community and knowledge building of your own ecosystem. Those are things that ANY live class will not give you. Therefore, Kamana is the PERFECT COMPLEMENT to those live experiences.

How does this work if I live outside of North America? The Nature Awareness Trail works the same no matter where you live. The Resource Trail involves two main changes: 1) You will need to decide which species in your area are comparable to the ones we recommend journaling. 2) You will need to find local field guides that are similar to what we recommend. Fortunately, we have been compiling a list of resources and species for different countries over the years. We currently have students in at least 19 countries and this list will continue to grow. There is excellent international support, especially for Europe, on Kamana.org. We have specific instructions on www.Kamana.org under “International Students”.

Do I have to live in one place? Where to locate my secret spot?

Is it true I have to live at one place for a long time to do Kamana One or Two? Kamana One is only a 4-6 week course. It is designed so someone could even do it on the road. You do not have to really go outside everyday or change your routines in life to do Kamana One. It is designed so you can see what life will be like with some new routines in it. If you like that, then Kamana Two is for you. Kamana Two's routines will take you outdoors to experience it like you never have before.

If you want to do Kamana Two, it would be ideal for you to be in one place for the 4 or 5 months it might take, though people have even moved around while doing it. You CAN do it if you move around, but you will not get out of it what someone who stayed in one place would.

If you are planning on going on to higher levels of Kamana, once again, it is ideal to stay in one place, but we all know that "life happens". Sometimes we may have the intention of staying in one place, but are called to move somewhere or our life styles change. So, don't let those "possibilities" stop you from experiencing Kamana.
We have Kamana broken up into levels because we assume things may happen to people that cause them to put the course aside for awhile OR they just need a break.

I live in the city or suburbia. What do I do about my secret spot when I get to Kamana Two? Can I have two spots? MOST people doing this course live in suburbs or the city. You're main secret spot can be your backyard if you'd like. Sometimes, people know they'll only go if it's right outside their front door. Others might drive to a local park that is on their way to work or maybe is a 10-15 minute drive from their house. You have to know your own personal habits to optimally choose your spot.

People often ask if they can have a second spot. One out their back door and one farther away that they visit once a week. Certainly! Just make your main spot the one you do your assignments on. This works great if you really don't have much going on outside your back door or maybe you have a small fenced in yard.

Finding other students near you

How can I find other Kamana Students in my area? The best place to find other students is on www.Kamana.org. There is a community forum and a Kamana directory so that you can get in touch with other students in your local region. Kamana Online is designed to connect you with other students!

Can I get College Credit for Kamana?

Our recommendation is to combine Kamana as independent study in your major. Some colleges, such as Prescott College, have liberal course structures, which may allow you to make Kamana a major part of your studies. (We have no official affiliation with Prescott.) Besides Prescott College, students have received credit for Kamana at Humboldt State and Evergreen State. We also have a breakdown of the number of hours and credits that students have typically received. You can find that information on www.Kamana.org under “Useful Resources.”

Also, you can get credit for Kamana if you go to our Anake Outdoor School and get college credit for that program.