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I’ve often thought of the forest as a living cathedral, but this might diminish what it truly is. If I have understood Kokuyan teachings, the forest is not merely an expression or representation of sacredness, nor a place to invoke the sacred; the forest is sacredness itself. Nature is not merely created by God; nature is God. Whoever moves within the forest can partake directly of sacredness, experience sacredness with his entire body, breathe sacredness and contain it within himself, drink the sacred water as a living communion, bury his feet in sacredness, open his eyes and witness the burning beauty of sacredness. And when he cuts a tree from the forest, he participates in a sacred interchange that brings separate lives together.

—Richard Nelson

Wilderness Drum^® is the registered service mark of Wilderness Drum, Inc., an Illinois corporation. Wilderness Drum is an information and education resource for wilderness survival, primitive skills, and wilderness spirituality. What these three things have in common is a sense of being at home in the wilderness, close to the earth, in touch with our deepest human roots, and open to the remarkable powers of the wilderness to heal, strengthen, terrify, and transform.

We believe that the wilderness is open-handed with its gifts to those who approach it in a spirit of humility and gratitude. Thus, along with the materials made available on this site, Wilderness Drum, Inc., develops programs, workshops, seminars, and wilderness adventures which seek to make the experience of wilderness spirituality accessible to everyone. You can look at our current and planned programs here.

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