kriya Miller

Co-Director & Lead Instructor

Kriya Townsend’s fondest childhood memories take place within the lakes, rivers, meadows, forests, and dunes of Northern Michigan. After high school, she began her true learning journey: hiking the Appalachian Trail, traveling much of the United States and Central America, snowboarding the mountains of Oregon, and studying for two years at the University of Oregon. Along the way, something deeper began to stir within her– guiding her towards The Wilderness Awareness School– a place where her deep love for children and nature were brought together and nurtured deeply. After years of exploration, Kriya felt she was truly on her path: discovering many new and powerful tools to expand her awareness of the natural world, herself, and the human experience as a whole. She enjoyed foods and medicines from the wild, practiced primitive technologies and survival skills, tracked the stories of the animals across myriad landscapes, and eventually came to feel at home within the natural world. During this time, she also learned the ways of the “coyote mentor”– so that she could share these amazing ways with others. In September of 2010, Kriya returned to Northern Michigan with the intention to continue her naturalist learning journey, and to offer her unique and valuable skill-set to the place she calls home.