Alderleaf Wilderness College
Alderleaf Wilderness College is a privately-held wilderness survival school founded in 2006 in Monroe, Washington, offering self-paced online courses, short workshops, and a flagship 9-month $24,950 Wilderness Certification Program serving aspiring outdoor educators, outdoor enthusiasts, and organizations needing custom training.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2006
- HeadquartersMonroe, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Alderleaf Wilderness College does
Alderleaf Wilderness College is a privately-held wilderness survival and outdoor education school founded in 2006 and operated out of Monroe, Washington in the Pacific Northwest. It delivers a tiered product portfolio spanning self-paced online courses (Essential Wilderness Survival, Wildlife Tracking, Foraging), short in-person workshops ($97-$175 single-day offerings), and a flagship 9-month Wilderness Certification Program priced at $24,950 that culminates in four professional credentials (Wilderness Skills Education & Ecology, Permaculture Design, CyberTracker Track & Sign, and Wilderness First Aid). A second-year Advanced Wilderness Skills Program and a Wilderness Instructor Apprenticeship extend the credential ladder. Cohort sizes of 10-20 students and a faculty anchored by co-founder Jason Knight (Certified Senior Tracker, wildlife biologist) define the operational scale. Revenue is generated predominantly through individual tuition and registration fees for certification and online programs, supplemented by book sales, an Amazon affiliate nature store, and bespoke custom courses/consulting for government agencies (e.g., Washington State Department of Ecology Conservation Corps), corporations (Hancock Forest Management), media (Discovery Channel's Dual Survival), and film production (Captain Fantastic). Go-to-market combines a content-and-email-marketing-driven direct-to-consumer funnel for individual students with a contact-based sales motion for custom B2B engagements, with the entire operation geographically concentrated in Washington State (Monroe campus and field sites including North Bend). Strategic positioning rests on Traditional Ecological Knowledge curriculum, third-party-validated certifications (CyberTracker, Western State Colorado University articulation for 18 undergraduate credits), and instructor-led experiential pedagogy rather than technology-led differentiation.
Alderleaf Wilderness College firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Alderleaf Wilderness College
- Legal name
- Alderleaf Wilderness College
- Website
- https://wildernesscollege.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2006
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Alderleaf Wilderness College is a privately-held wilderness survival school founded in 2006 in Monroe, Washington, offering self-paced online courses, short workshops, and a flagship 9-month $24,950 Wilderness Certification Program serving aspiring outdoor educators, outdoor enthusiasts, and organizations needing custom training.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Alderleaf Wilderness College industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Outdoor and Wilderness Survival Education
- NAICS
- Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Outdoor & Wilderness Education Schools (Field-Based Learning) (THAAAOAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Outdoor & Survival Skills Lessons (Bushcraft, Navigation, Foraging) (THAJAKAM), Outdoor Recreation & Adventure Programs (Trips, Climbing, Rentals) (EDALAIAG)
Keywords
Where Alderleaf Wilderness College is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Monroe
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Alderleaf Wilderness College business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Course Tuition and Registration Fees: Revenue from in-person courses including weekend courses, day-long courses, week-long courses, and the 9-month Wilderness Certification Program. Fees vary by course duration and type.
- Wilderness Certification Program Tuition: Comprehensive 9-month program with tuition of $24,950 covering all instruction and field trips. Includes professional certifications upon completion.
- Book Sales - The Essential Skills of Wilderness Survival: Sale of bestseller book by Jason Knight in paperback and ebook formats. Available on sale for limited time.
- Affiliate Product Sales: Nature store selling recommended books and products with affiliate commissions through Amazon. Includes wilderness knives and survival gear.
- Custom Courses and Consulting: Customized wilderness skills education for groups, organizations, and individuals including presentations and expert consultation services.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | 9-month Wilderness Certification Program comprehensive training |
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Advanced Wilderness Skills Program second-year training |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Wildlife Trailing Course - single day intensive |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Wildlife Tracking Walk - group nature walk |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Mora Bushcraft Black Knife recommended survival knife |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Custom Courses, Presentations, and Consulting |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels7 records
Alderleaf Wilderness College product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Alderleaf Wilderness College is a wilderness survival school and outdoor education center offering online self-paced courses, short in-person classes, and a flagship 9-month Wilderness Certification Program ($24,950) covering survival, wildlife tracking, wild edible and medicinal plants, permaculture, and outdoor leadership. Revenue is generated primarily through course tuition and registration fees, supplemented by custom corporate and government training, book sales, and an Amazon-affiliated nature store.
Product overview
Alderleaf Wilderness College offers a comprehensive portfolio of wilderness survival and nature education products. The core offerings include three online courses (Essential Wilderness Survival Skills, Wildlife Tracking, and Foraging), multiple in-person courses and classes (Wild Edible & Medicinal Plants, Weekend Wilderness Survival, Wild Mushroom Identification, Wildlife Trailing), and custom training programs. The company operates a flagship nine-month Wilderness Certification Program ($24,950) that awards multiple professional certifications. Additional programs include the Advanced Wilderness Skills Program (second-year) and Wilderness Instructor Apprenticeship. The product line is complemented by a published book 'The Essential Skills of Wilderness Survival' and a nature store selling recommended gear. The offerings range from individual courses ($97-$175 per class) to comprehensive certification programs, serving both personal enrichment and professional career preparation in wilderness education.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Essential Wilderness Survival Skills Online Course Self-paced online course teaching core wilderness survival skills (shelter, fire, water, food procurement) for individuals learning at home at their own pace.
- Introduction to Wildlife Tracking Online Course Self-paced online course teaching animal tracking skills and sign identification for safety, survival, and nature connection.
- Introduction to Foraging for Wild Edible Plants Online Course Self-paced online course on identifying and gathering wild food plants in North America.
- Wild Edible & Medicinal Plants Course In-person course teaching how to use diverse native wild plants for food and medicine in the wilderness or at home.
- Weekend Wilderness Survival Course Weekend in-person course covering the most important survival skills (shelter, water, fire, and food) with practical hands-on experience.
- Wild Mushroom Identification Class Day-long class teaching skills needed to forage for wild edible mushrooms, focused on fungi identification.
- Wildlife Trailing Class Single-day intensive class teaching how to locate fresh animal sign, follow tracks and subtle clues, and find animals without alerting them.
- Alderleaf Wilderness Certification Program Comprehensive nine-month nature and outdoor survival course covering wilderness survival, wild edible & medicinal plants, wildlife tracking, outdoor leadership, and sustainable living skills. Tuition $24,950; awards Wilderness Skills Education & Ecology, Permaculture Design, CyberTracker Track & Sign, and Wilderness First Aid certifications.
- Advanced Wilderness Skills Program Second-year program for graduates of the Wilderness Certification Program covering advanced studies in survival, tracking, ethnobotany, permaculture, naturalist skills, and outdoor leadership. Provides Advanced Wilderness Skills Education, Wildlife Trailing, and Wilderness First Responder certificates. Tuition $24,950.
- Wilderness Instructor Apprenticeship Program for Wilderness Certification Program graduates to further develop outdoor leadership and teaching skills by assisting at Alderleaf courses.
- Custom Courses, Presentations, and Consulting Customized wilderness skills education for groups, organizations, individuals, and families with virtual and in-person options, plus expert presentations and consulting.
- The Essential Skills of Wilderness Survival Book Bestselling survival book by Jason Knight covering expert wilderness survival skills, available in paperback and ebook versions.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 95% of students pass CyberTracker wildlife tracking evaluation
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Alderleaf Wilderness College
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Alderleaf Wilderness College technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Alderleaf Wilderness College partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered moderate, core and minor.
- Captain Fantastic ProductionsmoderateAlderleaf was contracted to provide customized survival training experience to cast members of the major film 'Captain Fantastic' starring Viggo Mortensen, as part of preparation for roles portraying a family living in wilderness. Film debuted at Sundance Film Festival January 2016.
- Washington State Department of Ecology Conservation CorpscoreAlderleaf provides specialized wilderness survival training to the Washington State Department of Ecology Conservation Corps on an annual basis. These four-day courses provide Conservation Corps members with valuable survival skills relevant to their work in remote wilderness locations.
- Everett Community CollegeminorAlderleaf provided flintknapping (stone tools) presentation and demonstration for the Anthropology Department. Included PowerPoint presentation on materials and techniques for making stone points and knives, plus outdoor live demo on knapping obsidian into arrowheads.
- The Mountaineers Seattle BranchmoderateAlderleaf partners with The Mountaineers Seattle Branch each summer to deliver wilderness skills training to urban youth attending their summer day camps. Skills covered include shelter-building, fire-making, basic wildlife tracking, and aidless navigation.
- Discovery Channel - Dual SurvivalmoderateDiscovery Channel contracted Alderleaf co-founder Jason Knight to consult behind-the-scenes as local wilderness expert for 'Coastal Catastrophe' episode of Dual Survival. Guidance provided on survival uses of flora and fauna local to Pacific Northwest.
- Hancock Forest ManagementminorAlderleaf provided custom survival and wild mushroom foraging classes for foresters at Hancock Forest Management. Also facilitated additional training for Hancock staff and teachers at Muckleshoot Tribal School.
- Western State Colorado UniversitycorePartnership for college credit transfer. Students can receive 18 undergraduate credits (9 Environmental Studies, 3 Biology, 6 Recreation & Outdoor Education) through Western State Colorado University. Credits are transferable and can be used toward completing a bachelor's degree.
- CyberTracker Conservation InternationalcoreStudents participate in official CyberTracker Track & Sign Evaluation, the international standard for testing wildlife trackers. Over 95% of students pass this rigorous field test to become certified wildlife trackers.
- AmazonminorAmazon affiliate program for nature store products. Alderleaf receives affiliate commission for books and products sold through wildernesscollege.com links. Amazon's affiliate platform handles cookies and transactions.
- FacebookminorWildernesscollege.com uses Facebook pixels to determine effectiveness of Facebook ad campaigns. Partnership enables retargeting and campaign analytics.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Alderleaf Wilderness College competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Tom Brown Jr.'s Tracker School: Long-running wilderness survival and tracking school founded by Tom Brown Jr., focused on primitive skills and tracking — overlapping heavily with Alderleaf's curriculum, certifications, and target learner.
- Wilderness Awareness School: Duvall, WA-based school offering multi-year wilderness immersion and tracking apprenticeships; direct competitor for the same Pacific Northwest student pool and curriculum approach as Alderleaf.
- Boulder Outdoor Survival School (BOSS): One of the oldest primitive skills and wilderness survival schools in the U.S., offering multi-day to multi-week expeditions; comparable in pedagogy and target customer to Alderleaf's in-person programs.
- Earthwalk Northwest: Pacific Northwest wilderness education provider offering multi-week primitive skills and tracking programs; competes with Alderleaf for the same regional students and B2B custom-training clients.
- Maine Primitive Skills School: Maine-based school teaching primitive survival, tracking, and wilderness living skills; comparable curriculum depth and audience, though operating in a different U.S. region.
- The Tracking Project: Mentor-based tracking and nature-connection program aligned with the same CyberTracker lineage as Alderleaf's wildlife tracking certifications; targets overlapping naturalist and educator students.
- North Cascades Institute: Pacific Northwest environmental learning organization offering field-based natural history and outdoor education courses; shares Alderleaf's region, target student, and connection to faculty member Chris Byrd's prior teaching experience.
- Willowgreen School: Canadian primitive skills and wilderness survival school with multi-day immersion programs; comparable in core curriculum, though geographically focused on a different market.
Broad incumbents
- National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS): Large, well-established U.S. outdoor education provider offering wilderness expeditions and certifications; broader curriculum and significantly greater scale than Alderleaf, but competes for overlapping students and B2B training dollars.
- Outward Bound: Globally recognized outdoor education and expedition-based learning organization; substantially larger and broader in scope than Alderleaf, but overlaps on wilderness skills training, certifications, and corporate/team-building contracts.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Alderleaf Wilderness College social profiles
Digital presenceAlderleaf Wilderness College financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Alderleaf Wilderness College leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Alderleaf Wilderness College funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Alderleaf Wilderness College M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Alderleaf Wilderness College
What does Alderleaf Wilderness College do?
Alderleaf Wilderness College is a wilderness survival school and outdoor education center offering online self-paced courses, short in-person classes, and a flagship 9-month Wilderness Certification Program ($24,950) covering survival, wildlife tracking, wild edible and medicinal plants, permaculture, and outdoor leadership. Revenue is generated primarily through course tuition and registration fees, supplemented by custom corporate and government training, book sales, and an Amazon-affiliated nature store.
Is Alderleaf Wilderness College a public or private company?
Alderleaf Wilderness College is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Alderleaf Wilderness College founded?
Alderleaf Wilderness College was founded in 2006. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Alderleaf Wilderness College based?
Alderleaf Wilderness College is headquartered in Monroe, United States, in the North America region.
How does Alderleaf Wilderness College make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Course Tuition and Registration Fees are the primary driver. The others are wilderness Certification Program Tuition, book Sales - The Essential Skills of Wilderness Survival, affiliate Product Sales and custom Courses and Consulting.
Who are Alderleaf Wilderness College's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Tom Brown Jr.'s Tracker School, Wilderness Awareness School, Boulder Outdoor Survival School (BOSS), Earthwalk Northwest, Maine Primitive Skills School, The Tracking Project, North Cascades Institute and Willowgreen School. Broad incumbents are National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) and Outward Bound.
Does Alderleaf Wilderness College have an API?
No public API is recorded for Alderleaf Wilderness College.
What industry is Alderleaf Wilderness College in?
Alderleaf Wilderness College's product category is Outdoor and Wilderness Survival Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAAAOAA, Outdoor & Wilderness Education Schools (Field-Based Learning), with a secondary code of THAJAKAM, Outdoor & Survival Skills Lessons (Bushcraft, Navigation, Foraging). Its NAICS code is 611620 and its SIC code is 8200.