Although Alderleaf Wilderness College did have some knowledgeable instructors and interns who loved teaching the curriculum and genuinely cared about teaching the students, I was largely disappointed with the school. My expectation was to learn extensive skills for wilderness survival and sustainability, however I ended up leaving the program after a few months. Even after an interview, several phone conversations, and reading the website information in detail, certain information was misrepresented. Alderleaf's history, class format, and instruction were among the most notable. Upper management, the most senior of instructors, were often unavailable and engaged in unethical business practices. Instruction outside of the classroom setting for off campus students was hard to obtain, and a lot of the curriculum was expected to be learned outside of the class without the assistance of an instructor. The program attempted to teach too many subjects within too short a time. The result was an untimely sequence of events that was not thorough enough to gain adequate understanding. I don’t know if their have been any changes since I left Alderleaf's 2011-2012 Wilderness Certification Program, but my advice to you is to visit the college in person and make sure the curriculum represents what you really intend to learn.
more