CURRENT MISSION
To embark on my first experience in outdoor education as an Outdoor Educator Intern at Trackers Bay here in Berkeley!
ABOUT ME
Hey! My name is Ben and I'd love to meet you! What first started out as a motorcycle trip around the U.S turned into a quest to learn ,experience and practice sustainable farming methods and all the things that go with it through a volunteer organization known as WWOOF(World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms). I know! what a turn of goals! After two years of working on some amazing farms I found my traveling from Arkansas to Washington state to embark on a 9 month Wilderness Certification Course. I had no idea how my life was about to change!

This has been my mantra since 2014:
To travel and see the places and people of the world.
To discover and experience what others have not.
To share these discoveries and experiences.
To grow and learn more about your true nature.
That, is the journey.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I want to pursue a career in outdoor education and the next step for me was to come here to Berkeley to work with Trackers Bay. I'll be working with youth teaching wilderness and naturalist skills through Trackers Bay's summer camp program. The summer camp program runs until the end of August and I'd love to find a place to stay here or very close to the Berkeley area. Currently I have my truck outfitted to camp in but I realized upon arrival that the going may get tough living in the truck.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE
Couchsurfing is by far the best way to travel, anywhere, period. You just can't meet people and experience places the same way after couch surfing a few times. People opening their homes to you and taking you in. Showing such hospitality and generosity it's sometimes hard to believe they were nothing but strangers before you showed up. I'll never forget the experiences I've had.
-Knoxville,TN
-Fernandina Beach, FL
-Tallahassee, FL
-Mobile,AL
-Dallas, TX
-Lubbock, TX
-Alto, NM
-Silver City, NM
-Monroe, WA
and counting....

Interests

I am interested in so many things it would be hard to put it all in here but I will summarize. I love all things that have to do with Ethnobotany. That means wildcrafts such as basketry, medicinal salves, wild edibles, ferment foods, and so much more! I play guitar, harmonica, mandolin, and can jam on most other stringed instruments. Farming, gardening, woodworking, netflix, breweries, survival skills, animal tracking... That's as far as my random string of thoughts is going at the moment.

• beer
• traveling
• socializing
• music
• guitar
• hiking
• kayaking
• surfing
• volunteering
• beaches

Music, Movies, and Books

independent movies! Natural Born Killers, Pulp Fiction, Wristcutters, The Wood Brothers, Bon Iver, Yonder Mountain String Band, Into the Wild, Electric Koolaid Acid Test, The Big Sur,Jitterbug Perfume.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

When I was 19 I spent 2 months in Ecuador volunteering on the outskirts of the Amazon working with the Indigenous tribes there. Awesome experience!

Teach, Learn, Share

I feel like I have much to share. I'll expand upon that in the next section.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I'm an easy person to get along with. With all of my volunteer time working on farms and my previous couch surfing experiences I feel like I've spent much time meeting people in their own homes who were once strangers but are now family. I'm willing to share any knowledge I have.
-If you have a garden Id love to see it! I have a permaculture design certification and may have some ideas for you.
-Want to learn some survival skills, do some plant and bird id walks, or work on some wild crafting craziness?
I'm right on board with you and it would be awesome if I could work with you on those things.
-Want to jam or get a beer? I'm down!

Countries I’ve Visited

Bahrain, Cyprus, Ecuador, Israel, Portugal, Spain, United Arab Emirates

Countries I’ve Lived In

Ecuador