Every Into the Woods program is hands-on from start to finish. No lectures, no slideshows. You will leave having done things — built a fire, identified what's growing around you, made something with your hands — not just having heard about them.
Programs run across BC in formats that fit different schedules. An evening program gives you a taste. A full day goes deeper. A weekend takes you somewhere you didn't expect to go.
Led by experienced, certified female instructors. All levels welcome — including complete beginners. The forest doesn't care how much you know yet.
2–3 hours. A single skill, done properly. Perfect introduction.
6 hours. Multiple skills, fire-cooked lunch, handmade takeaway.
Two days. Deep skills, real overnight, something that stays with you.
Kamloops, Vernon, Kelowna, Cranbrook, and expanding.
Depending on the program, location, and season, Into the Woods sessions draw from a range of wilderness skills. Here's a taste of what we work with.
From tinder selection to ferro rod. Understanding wood, structure, and how to coax a flame from a single spark.
Reading what's growing around you. Wild tea, edible plants, what to leave alone, and how to see the forest differently.
A real meal made over flames you built. Not trail mix — actual food that earns its taste.
Reading terrain, choosing materials, and building something that would actually keep you dry.
The knots that matter. Simple, functional, and the kind of thing you actually use in the backcountry.
How to read a landscape, stay oriented, and move through the forest with more confidence.
Hands-on making rooted in wilderness tradition. You leave with something real, made with your own hands.
What the forest is telling you. How to slow down, read what's around you, and feel genuinely at home in the trees.
Not every skill appears in every program. Each session is designed around its format, location, and season.
Into the Woods is designed to be close to home. We're building programs across the province so more women can access this kind of experience without a long drive.
Our home base. Programs running now.
North Okanagan. Coming soon.
Okanagan. Coming soon.
East Kootenays. Coming soon.
Tell us where you are. We're listening.
You will leave knowing how to read the land, how to make fire from a single spark, and what your hands are capable of when you give them the chance.
Into the Woods was built for the woman who's been curious but didn't know where to start. No experience required — just show up.
You're out there regularly. You want to know what's growing around you, feel more capable further from the trailhead, and understand the forest on its own terms.
Not errands. Not a screen. A few hours — or a full weekend — doing something real in the trees with women who chose to be there too.
To your kids, your nieces, the girls in your life. Learning something yourself is always the first step to sharing it.
No experience required. Just the want to learn.
Tell us a little about where you are and what you're looking for. We'll reach out when a program is coming to your area — or when new formats open up.
None at all. Every Into the Woods program is designed to welcome complete beginners. The skills we teach are practical and accessible — if you can hold a stick and follow instruction, you're ready. Some participants have spent their whole lives outdoors. Others have never made a fire or identified a plant. Both leave having learned something real.
Evening programs run 2–3 hours and focus on one or two skills — a great introduction if you're not sure whether bushcraft is for you, or if time is tight. Full-day retreats are 5–6 hours and go much deeper: multiple skills, fire-cooked lunch, and usually a handmade takeaway. Weekend immersions are two days and go further still — more complex skills, overnight experience, and the kind of depth that changes how you see the forest around your everyday life.
All three formats run at different price points and in different locations. The interest list lets you tell us which formats appeal to you so we can reach out when something relevant is coming your way.
We're based in Kamloops and that's where programs are running now. We're actively building Into the Woods programs in Vernon, Kelowna, and Cranbrook — the same communities where we run our girls adventure camps. If you're somewhere else in BC and want this in your area, join the interest list and tell us where you are. Location demand genuinely shapes where we go next.
We send a full packing list when you register for a specific program. In general: dress in layers for the weather, wear closed-toe shoes you don't mind getting dirty, bring a water bottle, and leave the perfume at home (seriously — it affects the foraging). All tools, gear, and materials for activities are provided by AIL. You don't need to bring anything special.
Yes. All Into the Woods programs are led by experienced female instructors who hold current first aid certification. Our team has backgrounds in wilderness education, nature-based programming, and outdoor coaching. Every program runs with clear safety protocols and small group sizes so every participant gets real attention.
We keep groups intentionally small — typically 8 to 12 participants per program depending on the format and location. Small groups mean more time with instructors, better skill progression, and a more connected experience overall. Spots fill quickly so joining the interest list is the best way to hear about new dates before they open publicly.
Yes — Into the Woods is a women's program, led by women, for women 16 and up. This isn't about exclusion — it's about creating a space where women can show up, ask questions, try things, and make mistakes without an audience. In our experience, that environment produces something different. It's worth protecting.
We run in most weather — rain is part of the forest and honestly one of the better teachers. Programs are only cancelled in cases of lightning or conditions that create genuine safety concerns. If a session is cancelled by AIL, you'll be notified early and offered a credit or refund. Dress for the weather and expect to enjoy it.
Into the Woods is designed for women 16 and up. For youth bushcraft and outdoor skills, check out our summer camps and girls adventure camps — bushcraft is woven through many of those programs too. For private or corporate groups interested in bushcraft experiences, reach out and we can talk about what's possible.
Join the interest list above and you'll hear about new programs before they open publicly. When registration opens for a program in your area, you'll get an email with the details and a direct link to register. Spots are first come, first served.
