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Speaking at the Bioneers Conference in Anchorage, Alaska. |
Tom's Résumé
Author, Builder, Educator, and Conservationist
Present Work
- Founder and Director of Green University® LLC, established in 2004. Mentors young adults in wilderness survival skills and sustainable living.
- Founder and Director of Outdoor Wilderness Living School (OWLS), originally established in 1991 as Hollowtop Outdoor Primitive School, LLC. Brings school groups into immersive wilderness survival skills experiences to help reconnect kids with nature.
- Founded HOPS Press, LLC, established in 1992. Publishes numerous books and videos on wilderness survival, nature, and sustainable living.
Volunteer Work
- Founder and president of the Jefferson River Chapter of the Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation, promoting conservation and recreation along the Jefferson River in southwest Montana since 2002.
- Former board member of Primitive Found, an organization that providedd grant funds to individuals for projects to practice, preserve, promote, and teach primitive and ancestral skills and technology.
- Former chairman of the Concerned Citizens of Pony. Convinced the state of Montana to spend $291,000 on reclamation work to clean up the Pony Mill Site.
Speaking, Presenting, and Teaching
- Interviewed by Ricardo Sierra for the Forest Educator Podcast, May 2024.
- Interviewed by Chris Hyde for the Naturversity Podcast, April 2024.
- Interviewed by Brandon Moncrief for the Grow Your Grass Off Podcast, January 2024.
- Keynote speaker at the Midwest Wild Harvest Festival, September 2023.
- Interviewed by Luke Oswald for the
Publicly Challenged Podcast, November 2022.
- Interviewed by Daniel Fuller for the Plants Grow Here Podcast, March 2021.
- Interviewed by Mason Gravley for Adventure Sports Podcast, December 2019
- Interviewed by Sam Sycamore for Good Life Revival, February 2019
- Interviewed by Daniel Vitalis for the ReWild Yourself Podcast, May 2017.
- Interviewed about being an author by David Alan Binder, March 2016.
- Interviewed by John Gallagher on HerbMentor Radio, March 2016.
- Interviewed by Ricardo Sierra for The Wolverine Way, January 2014.
- Interviewed online by Nebraska Future Problem Solvers (50 school kids) on the topic of desertification and climate change, November 2013.
- Taught at the Montana Education Association (MEA) annual conference, October 2013 and the Montana Environmental Education Association (MEEA) annual conference, March 2013.
- Interviewed about reconnecting with nature for the Back to the Wild Summit, September 2013.
- Gave the keynote presentation, The New Era of Self Sufficiency at the Bioneers Alaska conference, October 2011.
- Provided an Energy Audit and Sustainable Building: Theory and Practice presentation at Alaska Pacific University, October 2011.
- Gave Integrated Design and Construction presentation at the Sustainable Building & Living Conference in Kimberley, British Columbia, January 2010.
- Taught wilderness survival and botany at Rabbitstick Rendezvous almost every year since its inception in 1988, as well as intermittently at Winter Count, Saskatoon Circle, and Buckeye.
Written and Published Nine Books
- Five Months on the Missouri River: Paddling a Dugout Canoe
- Foraging the Mountain West: Gourmet Edible Plants, Mushrooms, and Meat
- Participating in Nature: Wilderness Survival and Primitive Living Skills
- Botany in a Day: The Patterns Method of Plant Identification
- Shanleya's Quest: A Botany Adventure for Kids Ages 9 to 99
- Shanleya's Quest 2: Botany Adventure at the Fallen Tree
- Living Homes: Stone Masonry, Log, and Strawbale Construction
- Green Prosperity: Quit Your Job, Live Your Dreams
- Roadmap to Reality: Consciousness, Worldviews, and the Blossoming of Human Spirit
Hosted and Produced Seven DVDs
- Classroom in the Woods: Primitive Skills for Public Schools
- Art of Nothing Wilderness Survival Video Series: 3 Days at the River
- Art of Nothing Wilderness Survival Video Series: Mountain Meadows
- Art of Nothing Wilderness Survival Video Series: Mountain Lakes
- Art of Nothing Wilderness Survival Video Series: Canoe Camping
- Slipform Stone Masonry
- Build Your Own Masonry Fireplace
Architecture and Construction
- Renovated a 14-foot-diameter plywood yurt on our Green University® LLC campus. Cardwell, Montana. 2023.
- Built 34-foot-diameter modernized earthlodge on our Green University® LLC campus. Cardwell, Montana. 2014-2017.
- Built 10' x 10' split-face block castle guest house with dome roof and turrets of mostly recycled materials. Pony, Montana. 2012.
- Built 2,300 square foot passive solar stone house with mostly recycled materials. Silver Star, Montana. 2005 - 2009.
- Built 1,000 square foot, energy efficient stone home. Three Forks, Montana. 1995.
- Built 2,300 square foot, passive solar stone and log home from local and recycled materials. Pony, Montana. 1989 - 1998.
- Assisted with numerous other stone masonry, log, and strawbale construction projects.
- Built dozens of primitive shelters, including pit shelters, grass huts, wickiups, and a 23 foot diameter Mandan-style earthlodge.
Adventures
- Led a five-month Missouri River Corps of Rediscovery canoe expedition down the Missouri River in 2019
- Hiked, camped, and canoed thousands of miles over several western states.
- Participated in a month-long Stone Age Immersion in 2009.
- Walked 500 miles across Montana in 1988.
- Participated in a 250-mile, twenty-six day walkabout with Boulder Outdoor Survival School in 1984.
Hi Thomas,
I just wanted to thank you for your book Botany in a Day. I read it in high school and it is the reason I became so fascinated by botany. Now I'm pursuing a PhD in botany and plant ecology and I think this is in large part due to the inspiration I gained from your book.
Thank you!
Luka N.
Syracuse, New York
