The Shellfish Forage & Feast Event hosted by Wildkind Academy was a blast! I am not the biggest fan of raw oysters but my husband is and attending this event was a Christmas gift to him. Chef Taus offered homemade sauces to try right on the beach as we shucked our oysters so I gave it a try and they were delicious! 

This experience of gathering food right in the beginning of March when the Pacific Northwest weather can be challenging (rain, hail, wind) did not take away from the fun we experienced. The excellent instruction from Bruce McGlenn with Human Nature Hunting made it easy for me as a novice to collect my limit of clams and oysters. We were rewarded with a beautiful and delicious feast prepared by Chef Taus and it was a wonderful day with my husband.

~ Alice Fairley

My son and I had an amazing time at the Shellfish Foraging & Feast event hosted by Wildkind Academy. Instructor Bruce McGlenn with Human Nature Hunting discussed the history of the area, regulations, the different variety of clams we might encounter and instructions on what to do as we ventured into the tideflats with our buckets, digging tools and shucking knives. 

Instructor Bruce McGlenn with Human Nature Hunting discussed the history of the area, regulations, the different variety of clams we might encounter and instructions on what to do as we ventured into the tideflats with our buckets, digging tools and shucking knives.  After a half-day of hunting and meeting our limits, Chef Taus with Truth ‘N Food set up a sampling table with a variety of homemade sauces that we enjoyed on our freshly shucked oysters. The finale was sitting around the campfire with my son and our new friends as we enjoyed a feast from the group's collected effort, prepared by Chef Taus. Ever since I moved to Washington, I’ve wanted to do something like this but did not know where to go or even how to do it. Now that we’ve experienced this, I plan on coming back with the whole family. I would highly recommend this special Pacific Northwest adventure to anyone!

~ Paul BurKe

My wife gifted me a unique Shellfish Forage harvesting experience through Wildkind Academy. Jess Caldwell organized an amazing adventure up in the Olympic Peninsula with a wonderful group of equally enthusiastic shellfishing novices on a very bluster Pacific Northwest day. Undeterred by the weather, our group traversed across the tidal flats and enjoyed a half-day of digging for clams and foraging for oysters. Jess totally delivered on a rich, unique and memorable experience for all the participants - priceless!

~ Dave Fairley

I was recently gifted an opportunity to attend Wildkind Academy’s Traditional Pack Basket workshop at Millersylvania Park. Jess partnered with Earthwalk Northwest to bring master basket weaver Karen Sherwood to Olympia, to teach these traditional skills that we cannot let be lost to the passing of time. The class was amazing and to be able to share this with my sister was a true blessing. Connecting with her while making such a beautiful piece of usable art gave us a sense of togetherness we don’t often have the chance to share. The 2-day course was well-planned and professionally carried out. Jess and Karen were fun and kind and 12 glorious women completed these absolutely unique and beautifully designed Adirondack-style pack baskets woven reed. I can’t wait to shop the local Farmers Market with my pack and fill it with the bounty of the PNW! Thank you Jess and Karen for a memorable weekend that filled my heart with so many blessings! 

~ Lisa Smith

Thank you Jessica for organizing the basket weaving workshop and a big thank you to Karen Sherwood for sharing your knowledge with us to create the hunter/gatherer baskets. It was an honor to learn from such a gifted weaver. The step-by-step process was instrumental in the ease of creating our own baskets. Each unique basket turned out very beautiful and functional. On a heart-felt note, the experience was like going down a country road to where you belong.

~ Laura Burgess

Jess has been such a blessing! When I first reached out to her about health & lifestyle design coaching, I really wasn’t sure what I was looking for. I had been having a really hard time mentallly and emotionally and knew I needed support. When we met for the first time she just let me talk...and cry, and was the sounding board I needed. Her holistic and mindful approach to physical and mental well-being has been so inspiring to me. Jess is a wealth of knowledge and has the most wonderful tips and tools to offer throughout the journey. I am so incredibly grateful for this experience and our time together.

~ Pascal McCusker-Martinez

Working with Jess at a transitional point in my life felt more like PLAY!  As I look back at our sessions now, I can see a direct correlation to the ease I feel in my life today. We walked side-by side through this engaging process of discovery and I have felt a stronger connection to myself, to nature, to those I love, and my expansive purpose in this world!

~ Angie Ward

From the first Zoom meeting, I felt comfortable with Jess. I was so grateful she respected my religious beliefs and how those affect my life. I didn’t realize that working with her would help all aspects of my health—not just my physical health but my emotional health, as well. Her support was solid and loving. I appreciated the detailed follow-up emails with links, suggestions, re-caps, recipes, encouragement, and positive energy.

~ Tascha Burton

I am very glad I got to experience a day with Jess, I learned so much about how to interact with nature in a mutually beneficial way and get in touch with my natural side. One of my favourite things that I learned was how to make dandelion fritters from flowers that we harvested ourselves. It was a great way to understand how to gather resources from everyday things we pass in our day-to-day lives. Jess created a great environment to learn in and created an amazing experience for me. It was really fun to talk with her as we both learned more about each other. Another highlight of the day was learning how to shoot her bow, which, although difficult at first, was really fun and taught me a lot about grounding myself and focusing my mind. Altogether, it was a very meaningful experience and I was able to learn things that I can use in possible future days with Jess, as well as in my regular life. I would definitely recommend spending a day with Jess and learning how to get in touch with your wild side!

~ Ziya Laura

Wow, I feel energized, renewed and balanced! With each mentoring session, Jess has provided motivation, wisdom and knowledge to focus and address twelve different aspects of the Circle of Life. My joy factor has increased as we addressed everything from relationships to
spirituality, to food and health (I have Multiple Sclerosis). Her enthusiasm and knowledge is boundless.

Here I am walking a mile in the 2021 MS Walk in Portland Oregon. I've been a team leader since 2006.

Thanks Jess!

 ~ Laurie Neilson