Kaykima Consulting
Supporting teams in shaping child-centred outdoor programs that nurture confidence, resilience, and skill development.
Kaykima Wilderness Consulting offers practical, field-tested guidance shaped by more than 25 years working with children and youth in mental health, outdoor education, and nature-based programming. Whether you’re building a program from the ground up or refining an established one, our consulting is designed to meet you where you are and within your budget. New programs benefit from clear, realistic start-up support—helping avoid costly missteps, strengthen safety systems, and create developmentally sound experiences from day one—while established organizations gain fresh perspective on risk management, staff practices, youth focused activity design, and environmental site fit. We can also consult on specific challenges your team is facing whether it be how to best support specific youth or identifying and addressing specific areas of growth.
Why Kaykima?
With more people gravitating to new education options, especially nature-based programs, there are more opportunities to meet this demand therefore creating a positive dynamic and safe experience for staff, parents and youth can set your program apart. It's an exciting time! Across all engagements, Kaykima focus's on solutions that actually work in the field, not just on paper. Our relationship doesn’t end with a final report: follow-up support, check-ins, and ongoing access to Kaykima as a resource ensure that teams feel confident implementing changes, problem-solving challenges, and continuing to grow long after the initial consultation is complete.
Site Assessment & Program Consultations
Stream I
Provides focused and detailed Program and Environment Assessments to help your organization create safer, more effective experiences for children and youth. This typically includes a site and staff visit. We will review physical and environmental site factors such as terrain, water, wildlife, flora, fauna and fungi, and weather exposure to support in planning. We will also look at program flow, transitions and supervision; sensory demands like noise and crowding; and population-specific risk points—resulting in clear, practical recommendations to strengthen safety and program quality.
Organizations will receive a copy of the full assessments which will also cover areas of growth, programming ideas, and include possible next steps. Depending on your needs there are aftercare consultation packages available above and beyond the standard follow ups.
Price: $800 - $2500 (May include travel fee)
Program Design
Stream II
At Kaykima Wilderness Consulting, program design begins with the children and youth and goes from there. We work closely with organizations to create outdoor experiences that are safe, developmentally appropriate, and genuinely inclusive of a wide range of learners, backgrounds and neuro-developmental profiles. Drawing on decades of field experience with children and youth, we help translate big ideas—like trauma-responsive practice, risk management, and experiential learning—into realistic, day-to-day program structures that staff can confidently deliver, maintain and grow.
Our approach considers how environment, supervision, skill progression, equipment, and staff decision-making intersect with regulation, behaviour, and learning in outdoor settings. Wether you are starting up a new program or wanting to build into an existing one, the result is programming that maintains meaningful challenge while reducing preventable incidents, supporting staff sustainability, and giving every child the opportunity to engage, grow, and feel successful in nature and beyond.
Price $500 - $1800 (May include travel fee)
Staff Training and Team Building
Stream III
Even with solid program design, frontline staff are the heart of any successful program—when teams are supported and confident, both the program and the children grow and thrive. Rob brings 25 years of experience working in outdoor programs and trauma-informed children’s mental health settings, offering practical insight into the real-world challenges staff face. Because outdoor programs are unique and highly specialized, Kaykima Wilderness delivers dynamic, hands-on training tailored to your program, staff, location, and client population.
Training focuses on teamwork, program facilitation, safety and risk management, and effective strategies to support children and youth of all ages, abilities, and challenges. Workshops can take a “train-the-trainer” and team-building approach—building technical wilderness skills, such as Firecraft, Knife and Axe Safety, Foraging, Shelter Building, Wildlife Awareness etc.and how to teach them to a variety of youth. Training experiences can also concentrate on trauma and mental health behaviour strategies that help staff provide the structure, consistency, and care that young people need most and to ensure that you hire and retain the best staff for your program and have increased client retention and satisfaction.
Price: $600 - $2500 (May include travel fee)
Packages
Acorn
This comprehensive and in-depth support is geared to brand new programs or ones that are on the restructuring path. Kaykima will work with you to help develop and structure your outdoor program from the ground up, from purchasing to training to full assessments in oder to set off on the right foot
Incudes:
Full Site and Environmental Assessment
Program Design Support
Staff Training and Team Building
Equipment Consultation
+ Aftercare Support
Time Frame: 5-7 days
Price: $5500 - $7500
. Great for established program teams that are looking to expand their programming, start-up or add a larger variety of outdoor skills, deepen their toolbox when supporting clients, are interested in making the most of their existing site and to create staff team building and training experiences.
Includes:
Full Site and Environmental Assessment
Specialized Program Development
Staff Training and Team Building
Cilent Behavioural Individualized Support Planning
+ Aftercare Support
Time Frame: 3-5 days
Price: $3000-$4500
Fire Keeper
Build Your Own
As every program has unique needs we offer a cost effective al a carte type package where your team can pick and choose the streams that work for you.
This can include: training on specific activities, how to utilize your site more effectively, support in developing behavioural supports and approaches for specific youth, focus on staff team building and skill development or looking at equipment consultation before investing.
Prices and time frames vary based on need
Contact for more information