On expedition everyone becomes completely engaged. Suddenly our minds no longer wander to the lives we lead at home. Immersed in the experience, we are able to be completely present and learn tremendously from every activity. Students are introduced to wilderness living skills.; they will learn how to start a friction fire with a bow and drill, make a basket of roots and bark, make their own eating utensil by coal burning or make rope out of basswood bark. Depending on our mode of travel and our destination, sleeping accommodations may take the form of traditional tents, tipis or snow shelters. Choose just one activity or skill, or combine two or more for a multi- element expedition. We can help you create an expedition within New England, or beyond, which will provide an invaluable experience for your students. Overnight trips are between two days and two weeks in length.

RIVERS OF NEW ENGLAND Grade 6 and up, Last week in April – Mid October Floating down the live blood veins of the Earth in a canoe can be the powerful way of connecting to the world. The river is a great equalizer: it carries people of all sizes and abilities. This expedition begins with one or two days of paddling instruction and river safety skills at Kroka Village. When everyone has learned their strokes and safety, the group heads to one of our local rivers. We will paddle on the river for several days, watching the picturesque New England landscape unfold before our eyes. Around every bend the stream holds a surprise for us: a fast rapid, a washed down tree that demands quick attention, a beaver swimming across the river and splashing his tail in greeting. At night we will set our camps on riverbanks or mid-stream islands and sit by the campfire listening to the sounds of the forest and the gurgling of water over the rocks.

MOUNTAINS OF NEW ENGLAND MULTI-ELEMENT EXPEDITION Grades 7 and up, End of April – End of October This journey begins with a two-day walk through the forest that acclimatizes students for the challenges ahead. Following moose tracks and their map and compass, the group will reach the shores of a remote lake. Here, after learning paddling strokes and safety, we will travel by canoe, camping on islands and portage from one body of water to another.

EXPEDITION PRE - COLUMBUS: A WALK AND PADDLE BACK IN TIME Grade 8 and up, September – End of October Imagine a time when people built the shelters they lived in, gathered roots and berries for food, and carried these home in baskets they had made. On this trip we will combine some food and gear from the modern world with the bountiful gifts of the land and our own will and strength to create a simple and sustainable lifestyle full of adventure and surprise. The sun, the lay of the land, and our map and compass will guide us for the first half of our trip as we bushwhack deep into the woods to reach our hidden camp. Here we will sleep under the stars, building our base of wilderness skills and knowledge: making fire by rubbing sticks together, coal-burning wooden bowls and spoons with which to eat, and looking for other people of the forest – Moose, Deer, Bear, Coyote. When we’re ready, we will hike over the mountains and down to the river to continue the second half of our trip by canoe. Being on the river will open up new opportunities for gathering wild food, making baskets, swimming, and whatever other adventures cross our path! On this trip we will experience a way of life whose roots stretch back thousands of years but whose skills and philosophy apply to all times.

EMBARK ON THE ODYSSEY Grade 10, The Odyssey is a wilderness experience, canoeing on a lake or river with the final destination being your school, utilizing Kroka’s 23-foot student built wood canvas canoes. We will be experiencing the journey much like the ancient people. Moving by way of our own power with minimal material possessions, using hand tools for all of our needs, cooking on the fire from scratch and navigating with map and compass are some of the examples of the immersion students will undergo. As we journey, paddling through the waves and finding home for the night on small islands and points of land, we will relive and work through many of the central themes of the Odyssey. The waves crashing on rocky shores and the giant canoes with paddles dipping rhythmically to the song of the wind provide a perfect backdrop for immersion into the Homer’s mythical world. Each day we will take time to read and discuss the Odyssey around the evening fire. In order to reach home shores each team member will have to search for their best self and the entire community will need to transform to meet the challenge of this wilderness journey.

COASTAL JOURNEY Grades 8 and up, Mid May – Early October Join us for this great adventure through the islands of the rocky Maine Coast. We will follow the Maine Island Trail, exploring islands rich with natural and human history, foraging for food from the sea and forest, fishing, swimming, sunbathing and daydreaming along the way. On this trip you will experience paddling solo and tandem sea kayaks, and rowing and sailing in the Kasha’s– gigantic, seven person, wood-canvas canoes built by Kroka’s Semester Students. Winds, tides and fog will be our hosts on this visit to the world’s most magical treasure - the ocean. This trip presents incredible opportunities for observing wildlife including seals, whales, bald eagles and a multitude of sea birds. Afternoons will be spent learning the traditional crafts of basketry, cordage, moccasins and shelter building, coal burning and fire making. Our route through the protected waterways will encompass Blue Hill Bay, Isle au Haute and Swans Island.

LEGENDS OF OUJÉ BOUGOUMOU After getting organized at Kroka we will travel to Ouje-Bougamou, a Cree village in Northern Quebec. Our native Cree guides grew up in the bush and belong to the generation of people who live by the way of the land. They held onto the traditions of their people and they have chosen to share these. We will spend our first day in the village, meet our Cree guides, and prepare for the bush. We will be canoeing and portaging between lakes and rivers, living off the land along the way. As we live the traditional Cree lifestyle we will be fishing, smoking and drying fish; working with hides and bones; and building traditional dwellings. We will learn history and culture of the Cree people, and hear stories and legends passed down through generations. Back in the village we will do service work with the community. On our way home we may visit the Hydro Quebec power plant or a sawmill and consider the future of the land. We may also visit Quebec City, for sure to be a contrast to life in the bush.

JOURNEY INTO THE WINTER WILDERNESS (TRADITIONAL NORTH WOODS WINTER CAMPING) Grades 6 and up, January – Mid March For thousands of years native people have joyously lived outside in the winter. While most Europeans have forgotten the ways, some have carried on the tradition. Today, you have a unique opportunity to bring your class into the winter wilderness and experience it not as a hostile frozen environment, but as an enchanted wonderland. We will travel by ski and snowshoe over frozen lakes to our winter camp deep in the National Forest. At camp, canvas cabin tents with wood stoves and sweet smelling fir bough floors will welcome us to a legendary life of Northern Hunters, trappers and native wanderers. Students will cut firewood, chop a water hole in the ice, study animal tracks and listen to the song of crackling ice at night as they watch the dance of the magical winter sky.

WINTER EXPEDITION WITH CREATIVE WRITING COMPONENT Grades 8 and up, February

ECUADOR TRIP Hacienda Palugo- Quinto Ecuador Grades 8 and up, March- August. These trips are an opportunity for students and teachers to understand Ecuadorian culture and enjoy its beautiful natural environments. To attain this we offer two 14-day trips and one 12-day trip. All trips start and end in Palugo farm. This is our base camp and resting nest after expeditions. All our trips focus on a cultural experience through community service, local crafts and experiencing Palugo farm and its projects. We like to have meaningful hands-on projects that would help students connect with traditions and the area. Service projects are with communities and families we have worked with through the years. Here, you will find a brief description of the trips offered. Please contact the Kroka office for a complete package with full itineraries and further information. We look forward to having you on these equatorial journeys and are available for any questions regarding your trip.

WAY DOWN UPON THE SUWANEE RIVER, FAR, FAR AWAY, Georgia, Florida Grades 8 and up, February-Early April The historic Suwanee River originates in Georgia’s Okeefenokee Swamp and its tannin-colored waters flow all the way to the Gulf of Mexico in Florida. Here amidst a majestic gum and cypress jungle, we will get lost in the meandering current of time. The Suwanee will reveal its treasures around every bend: a perfect white sand beach, a glimpse of an alligator, or the site of an abandoned sulfur spring. This trip is a great window into the human and natural history of the American South, and an incredible opportunity to paddle warm, friendly tropical waters. This trip also provides the chance to travel through warm magic country during the cold northern winter, soak in the sun and swim in warm water. Kroka also offers a similar canoe expedition through the FLORIDA EVERGLADES.