Luke McLaughlin

Founder & Director

Luke is a naturalist, teacher, rewilder, mentor, survivalist, and founder of Holistic Survival School. Luke has committed his life to mastering and teaching ancestral and indigenous living skills in order to help people find their balance and connection to the Natural World.  Luke learned his skills working at a primitive wilderness therapy program in the West Desert of Utah.  With over 500 days on the trail, Luke has mentored hundreds of people in the wilderness and learned how Earth skills teach us vital life lessons. Furthermore, Luke has witnessed how deep, Nature connection helps bring about growth, health, and vitality to everyone’s life.

Additionally, Luke has been trained in Holistic Counseling, Shadow work, Trauma-informed breathwork. With these modalities, Luke loves creating a nurturing and also “edge-pushing” experience.

Luke combines humor, knowledge, and patience to create an easy-going, yet informative experience. He is dedicated to meeting people where they are at, with love and compassion in order to help foster a new (actually old) way of being human. 

Additionally, Luke believes that it is every human’s birthright to have a deep physical, emotional, and spiritual connection to our Earth, and he has dedicated himself to being a bridge to our modern culture.   Luke demonstrated his primitive skills and survival abilities on the Discovery Channel’s shows, “Naked and Afraid” and “Naked and Afraid XL”, where he survived for 21 and 40 days in the wilderness.

Luke’s main focus is making deep connections and providing a life-changing experience through the Deep Remembering immersion program.

MICHAEL ISMERIO

Hearth Tender

Michael Ismerio's passion is studying how culture is transferred from one generation to another. In 2008 he attended a program called the Art of Mentoring which catapulted him into the growing Deep Nature Connection movement and focused his work to guiding others on their journey to awareness, authenticity, and connection.  Over the past decade he has dedicated much time and energy into Vermont Art of Mentoring as well as working locally with Forest Floor Wilderness Programs running both youth and adult programs.  In 2017 he co-launched Wild Leaders Immersion, a nine month adult journey into Nature, Culture, and leadership.  Along the way Michael has also taken deep dives into shoemaking, leatherworking, wood working, bird language, and Southern Appalachian traditional music.

Michael's website-   http://michaelismerio.com/