
Nature-Based Mentoring & Leadership Training
A Call to Rebuild the Village
Do you have a role in the raising of the coming generations? Be it a parent, uncle, teacher, mentor, outdoor guide... Or anyone who has hand in supporting their journey?
Have you seen what’s happening to our young ones?
The pull into screens and online worlds that promise connection but deliver emptiness. Learning in a world that often makes them feel unworthy and disempowered.
The rise in anxiety, depression, and loneliness.
The loss of belonging that comes from being cut off from the wild, from the Earth that grounds and grows us - and from a village that holds them?
And maybe you have also seen something else…
The small but growing return.
Children discovering joy in muddy hands and bare feet. A spark in their eyes when they build a fire, climb a tree, or track an animal. A swell in their chest as they share their adventure story with Mum or Dad.
Families rediscovering the ways of the village - where every child is held by many - realising it doesn't have to be all on them... and trusting deeply in the guidance their children receive.
Or a teenager who has been on the path for some years, inspired by their own mentors, turning around bringing a child beyond their edges, with skill and care, into a bigger sense of self.
If you feel called to be part of this return, to weave this culture around our kids – one that gives them the guidance and support they need to thrive – then this is a powerful step on that pathway.
We have tended these fires for years. Now we want to pass you the “fire kit” so you can help light them where you are.
What You’ll Learn and Live
Over four days, we will immerse you in the art of nature-based mentoring and leadership. You will leave with the skills, confidence, and cultural tools to guide young people in ways that honour both their wild hearts and wise minds.
You will:
Learn how to create cultures of connection and empowerment in nature-based settings.
Bring games, songs, stories, and survival skills to life with different age groups.
Explore rites of passage, Indigenous wisdom, and regenerative culture.
Practise bushcraft including fire-making, shelter, tracking, carving, and bush foods.
Deepen your own resilience, emotional awareness, and sense of belonging.
Reconnect with your own wild child, because the best mentors are alive to the wonder they wish to awaken in others.

How It Works
This program combines three powerful elements:
In-Person Immersion (4 Days)
📅 12th–16th November 2025
📍 Mid North Coast, NSW
-4 days of hands and hearts on learning in how to combine bushcraft and survival skills (fire, shelter, food, crafting etc), awareness skills and relating skills as an art of mentoring for young people of different ages and in different settings.-Guided personal development as a mentor, leader, and culture creator within a collaborative team environment.
Wild Village Mentoring Experience (Optional)
Join the Wild Village Spring Camp (April 13–18, 2026) as a mentor.
Practise your skills in a live, vibrant, multi-generational setting.
Learn from seasoned mentors while contributing your own gifts.
Online Calls and Guidebook
Opening and integration calls to prepare, reflect, and consolidate learning.
A digital guidebook packed with games, activities, and mentoring concepts.

Who’s Guiding You
Hi, I’m Mahli Hawke
Co-Founder and Core Leader of the Nature Philosophy Wild Village, where I’ve had the privilege of guiding the mentor team since its inception in 2017.
For the past 8 years, I’ve led nature-based programs for children and teens — from bush schools and homeschool groups to school camps and rites of passage adventures for boys.
As a group facilitator, storyteller, and fireside MC, my work is grounded in meaningful, connected growth for young people.
With 17 years’ experience as a teacher, mentor, and childcare worker, I’ve witnessed the deep transformation that happens when learning is rooted in nature.
’m a devoted student of ancestral and connected culture, with a special interest in men’s work, and have learned from mentors including Nature Philosophy, Lee Trew, Simon Thakur, Tom Brown Jnr, Jon Young, and Bill Plotkin.
I’m also a proud father to my son, Ochre, and partner to Nele-Mae.
I'm excited to share the magic of working with children and teens with you on this.
Your Investment
Full Price: $1,499
Early Bird: $1,199 (until 12th October)
Existing Wild Village Mentors: Use your Mentor Coupon
Scholarships: 2 x 50% scholarships for First Nations participants and those from financially disadvantaged or minority backgrounds
Helper Exchange: Limited spots for returning mentors
Payment Plans: Available, reach out to arrange

If you’re ready to step in
This is not just a training. It is a doorway.
Into a way of living and leading that our children and the Earth are quietly asking us to remember.
Your place in the circle is waiting.
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