Quetico Ontario Canoe Trip, Headwaters Wilderness Program, Lake Campsite Sunset, Field and Nature Philosophy Courses

Field Philosophy Programs

Thinking with wilderness

Temagami Ontario Canoe Trip, Headwaters Wilderness Program, Island Campsite Lake Sunset

Philosophy goes wild

Making sense of the world by engaging with it

Re-situating philosophy

If the ultimate subject of philosophy is the question of life – what it means to live and, subsequently, how one ought to live – then the proper place of the philosopher is not removed from the world, thinking about it abstractly, but rather engaged in the world – engaged with life – such that one may come to know what it is, in all of its details. Only after one has come to fully live life, may understanding and direction arise.

Engaging with the big questions, in the field

At Headwaters, we seek to engage with the big questions of our time. Our field philosophy programs are designed to do just that. Each course revolves around a particular topic of inquiry and takes place in a wilderness setting, establishing the conditions through which we think: engaging with these topics on an island campsite results in far different insights than doing so in a classroom, for the campsite implicitly invites nonhuman beings, and the wild place itself, into the conversation. We live with wilderness, read, think, write, and discuss, enabling a unique experience of philosophical practice that is unlike any other, for it takes place in the field, transforming from a solitary experience into a relational one.

The philosopher as wilderness traveller

If there is a better way to fully live life – to come to deeply know the world – than travelling in community with wilderness, we have not found it. Stripped of the ephemerality of technological culture, what remains is only that of inherent and immutable value: living beings and their relations, in which is located the essence of life on this planet.

A rare gift: the chance to think

Philosophy may sound confusing, or like it is limited to those with particular background knowledge. On the contrary, we find that everyone has the capacity to engage in philosophy, as it is nothing but the love of wisdom tied to the practice of intentional thinking. In a culture sorely lacking in slow, unhurried thinking, we find that our field philosophy courses offer an opportunity to consider important questions and to find deeper meaning. An opportunity that is missing in the day-to-day. Absolutely no prior knowledge is required, only an openness to experience, to think, and to share.

Killarney Provincial Park Ontario Canoe Trip, Headwaters Wilderness Program, Campsite, Evening, Fishing

What the Wilderness Trip Aspect of Our Field Philosophy Programs Looks Like

All of our trips are traditional. The lakes, rivers, and portages we travel constitute an interconnected trail system that has been in use by the living beings of the land for thousands of years: we voyage on ancient paths, never the first to have done so and hopefully never the last. What we see has been seen and what we experience has been experienced, but to us it is new, and so long as the wilderness remains free and our hearts remain open, we shall be pioneers of the spirit.

A Day on Trip

We travel shorter distances, with more days spent at camp and fewer on the water, than we do in our Wilderness Voyages, in order to give more attention to the philosophical component of the programs.

How we live, however, remains the same as our Wilderness Voyages: We travel by canoe and wooden paddle, we portage on foot. We cook on an open fire that we made ourselves, preparing each meal communally. Our food consists of homemade recipes long perfected for the canoe voyage, with fresh baking savoured when we please. We sleep in tents. We awake when our bodies are rested, rather than by the clock. We gather blueberries from the land and our water from the lake. We travel as according to how the weather dictates. We take rest days whenever we find a good spot. We live without haste, for the trip itself is the point.

Quetico Ontario Canoe Trip, Headwaters Wilderness Program, Canoeing on Lake

Summer 2024 Programs

To find out more about what our programs are like, take a deeper dive into the Headwaters Experience and the Headwaters Philosophy.

Quetico Ontario Canoe Trip, Headwaters Wilderness Program, Lake Campsite, Campfire, Sunset

Foundations: Thinking about Wilderness

While travelling by canoe in Killarney Provincial Park during the midsummer solstice, we will examine the concept of wilderness. Through readings and discussions, and direct experience in a wild place, we will ask questions such as: What is wilderness, what is its history? Why is it important? How ought we to act in regard to its existence (or lack thereof)? Can humans ever become part of wilderness?

Dates: June 20-23 (4 days) Ages: 15 (born 2009) and up

Quetico Ontario Canoe Trip, Headwaters Wilderness Program, Canoes on Lake at Island Campsite

Building an Ecologically Just World: A Project for Educators

Climate change, species extinction, habitat loss – the environmental crisis demands an educational response, a path forward beginning with the re-imagining of how we teach and learn. While travelling by canoe in Algonquin Provincial Park, we will utilize the collective wisdom of our group to think about, tease out, and experiment with educational pedagogies and practices for an ecologically just world. This program is designed for practicing and aspiring educators of all types (classroom teachers, outdoor educators, guides, coaches, mentors, and administrators). Consider it professional development of the most authentic kind, as the wilderness setting shares lessons and inspiration that the classroom never can.

Dates: Custom (pick your own!) Ages: 19 and up

Killarney Provincial Park Ontario Canoe Trip, Headwaters Wilderness Program, Island Campsite, Lake, Trees, Forest, Reflection

Custom Program: The Possibilities are Endless

If you're interested in a custom program, please do get in touch, we love hearing new ideas! Whether you're an individual, a family, a group of friends, a school, or an organization, we know you have much to offer, and it would be our pleasure to create a meaningful wilderness program together. Custom programs can have as many or as few participants as you like – they're all about what works best for you or your community, and we'd love to help you make it happen.

Dates: Custom (pick your own!) Ages: Any

Quetico Ontario Canoe Trip, Headwaters Wilderness Program, Waterfall Portage

More field philosophy programs are coming soon...

Our offerings are dynamic, with new programs being added throughout the year. We are currently planning more field philosophy programs, and we can't wait to share the details with you! As we finalize plans, we will update this page with upcoming programs and send out a note to our mailing list.

Until then, we invite you to connect with us if you would like to join The Campfire and be added to our mailing list. As well, please feel welcome to send us a message at any time with thoughts or ideas you may have for our programs, or just to chat. Communities find their strength in the participation of their members – a web of relationships which we at Headwaters hold valuable above all else, and it would be our joy to hear from you.

Stay wild,

The Headwaters Team

Send Us a Note