Wild Teachers of Earth: Learning from Wildlife, Nature Spirits, and the Living Earth
- Friday, May 29 –
- Sunday, May 31, 2026
Regsitration for this retreat is full, but if you’d like to join the waitlist, please email us.
Do you long to be close to wild animals, yet find that modern life rarely offers such opportunities? Are you deeply drawn to Nature, but uncertain or even fearful about how to approach wildlife? Or perhaps you love the wilderness, yet feel a distance from wild animals because you don’t fully understand them.
This retreat offers a rare opportunity to meet wild animals up close and in a respectful, guided setting—including bears, wolves, coyotes, foxes, cougar, and bison. The animal ambassadors at Earthfire’s wildlife sanctuary, along with the resident horses, wild burros, and chickens, are experienced in welcoming humans who come with openness and sincere intention. Many are eager to share their presence, awareness, and wisdom.
Together, we will explore ancient, ancestral ways of deep listening to the Earth and to wild animal teachers. Through guided practices, we’ll strengthen our connection through the living Earth itself, spending focused group and individual time with the animals who wish to engage with us. Participants will have opportunities to ask questions, receive impressions, and share their communications, with confirmation and guidance from Penelope Smith, a pioneer in interspecies telepathic communication for over fifty years.
We will also attune to the wider community of beings in this extraordinary place—the mountains, trees, rivers, and the spirits of the land. Our Saturday evening gathering will invite profound connection and healing through drumming, chanting, movement, and ceremonial calling in the directions, honoring Earth as a living, conscious presence.
During this weekend, we will form a natural community together at Teton Tepee Lodge, where we’ll stay, and at Earthfire Institute, where most retreat activities will take place. This promises to be an enriching and memorable experience, shared with kindred human companions and our animal, plant, and elemental kin.
Penelope has taught multiple animal communication courses and retreats at Earthfire Institute, consistently described by participants as deeply moving and transformative. A portion of every registration fee directly supports the animals of Earthfire.
When registering, please briefly indicate any animal communication courses you’ve taken, publications you’ve studied, or your experience practicing telepathic communication with animals. For those wishing to prepare, Penelope recommends her classic book, Animal Talk.
Prepare for a meaningful adventure in listening, relationship, and remembering our place on our living Earth.
Who This Retreat Is For
This retreat is for those who feel a genuine calling to deepen their relationship with wild animals and the living Earth. It is especially suited for people who are curious, respectful, and willing to listen beyond words whether you are relatively new to animal communication or have previous experience and wish to deepen your practice.
Participants may be animal communicators, nature lovers, healers, educators, or simply people who sense that wild animals and the Earth have something meaningful to teach us at this time. What matters most is not expertise, but sincerity, humility, and a willingness to learn directly from the animals and the land.
A Note on Emotional Readiness & Wildlife Encounters
Being in close proximity to wild animals can be profoundly moving. These encounters may evoke awe, joy, reverence, vulnerability, or unexpected emotions. The animals we meet are powerful, sensitive beings who respond to our inner state as much as our outward behavior.
Participants are asked to come with emotional steadiness, self-awareness, and respect for personal and animal boundaries. While support and guidance will be provided throughout the retreat, this is not a therapeutic or crisis-support environment. Those currently experiencing acute emotional distress or instability may wish to wait until a time when they feel more grounded.
A calm, present, and respectful inner state helps create a safe and beneficial experience for yourself, for the group, and most importantly, for the animals who are generously sharing their presence with us.
Cost:
$1,400* per person for single occupancy
$1,180* per person for double occupancy
*Plus applicable taxes and credit card fees
Retreat Schedule
Friday, May 29
7:00 – 8:30
Welcome dinner and orientation (Teton Teepee Lodge)
Saturday, May 30
7:00 – 8:00
Breakfast
9:00 – 12:00
Morning Session (Earthfire Institute)
12:00 – 1:00
Lunch (Earthfire Institute)
1:00 – 4:30
Afternoon Session (Earthfire Institute)
5:00 – 6:00
Dinner (Teton Teepee Lodge)
7:00 – 8:30
Shamanic Circle (Earthfire Institute)
Sunday, May 31
7:00 – 8:00
Breakfast
9:00 – 12:00
Final Session (Earthfire Institute)
Facilitator
Penelope Smith
Since the 1970s, Penelope has been the founding pioneer for the field whose name she originated, interspecies telepathic communication. Author of the popular classic books in the field, Animal Talk, When Animals Speak, Animals in Spirit, many audio recordings, and editor of Species Link magazine, Penelope has held the hub of the growing community of animal communicators worldwide for decades.
Lodging
Teton Teepee Lodge in Alta, Wyoming (8.5 miles from Earthfire Institute)
The Teton Teepee Lodge, a historical property and unique structure, has been fully reserved for this retreat. The Teepee offers free internet, clean and comfortable rooms, seasonal breakfast prepared in-house and served daily at 7am, a quiet setting, and access to endless outdoor recreational opportunities.
18 rooms are circled around a large common room with an iconic fireplace. When you lodge at the Teton Teepee, you’ll feel right at home. Mingle with other retreat guests around the fire, enjoy inner peace and tranquility along Teton Creek, and witness spectacular alpenglow or enrosadira while sipping your favorite beverage from the deck of the lodge.
The Teepee is a 100% Non-Smoking Facility
Amenities: High-Speed Wi-Fi, Common Room, Tea & Coffee Station, Media Viewing Room, No Hair Dryer, No Ironing Board
Queen Rooms
There are (13) lodge rooms with one queen bed. These are quiet and comfortable rooms that open into the main common room. Each room has a private bathroom with a shower.
Twin Rooms
There are (5) lodge rooms with two twin beds. These are quiet and comfortable rooms that open into the main common room. Each room has a private bathroom with a shower. When booking a Twin Room, please indicate if you’d like to room with a specific retreat participant, or if the retreat organizers can pair you with another retreat participant.
Retreat Location
Earthfire Institute
5507 N. Baseline Rd.
Tetonia, Idaho 83452
Earthfire Institute is a Wildlife Sanctuary and Retreat Center located at the base of the Teton Mountains in Tetonia, Idaho. Founded in 2000, Earthfire’s mission is to reawaken our deep connection to wildlife and nature through Reconnection Ecology®, expanding our sense of community to include all living beings and moving us to protect thriving habitats for all Life.
Transportation
Transportation is NOT included in the retreat package.
Closest Airports
- Idaho Falls, Idaho (IDA) 52 miles from Earthfire Institute, approximately 1 hour 10 minutes
- Jackson, Wyoming (JAC) 49 miles from Earthfire Institute, approximately 1 hour 15 minutes
- Salt Lake City, UT (SLC) 283 miles from Earthfire Institute, approximately 4 hours 10 minutes
Local Transportation while in Idaho
Rental cars and carpooling highly encouraged. Limited local transportation available (no Uber, Lyft, public transportation, etc.).
Retreat Price
$1,400* per person for single occupancy
$1,180* per person for double occupancy
*Plus applicable taxes and credit card fees
Limited space available – 20 participants (based on some double occupancy)
Payment is required upon registration. A check can be mailed to P.O. Box 368, Driggs, Idaho 83422, or made via credit card (subject to an additional 3% transaction fee). Please indicate your preferred method of payment in your registration email.
Retreat Price Includes:
2 Nights of Lodging at Teton Teepee Lodge (Friday, May 29 and Saturday, May 30)
All Retreat Sessions
Friday Night Welcome Dinner
Saturday Breakfast
Saturday Lunch
Saturday Dinner
Sunday Breakfast
Cancellation Policy:
If you cancel your registration before April 29, you will receive a full refund less a $50 administration fee. If you cancel your registration between April 30 and May 15, you will receive a 50% refund less a $50 administration fee.
If you cancel your registration after May 15, we will be unable to refund you.*
*If your spot can be filled by another participant, you will be fully refunded, less a $50 administration fee.
To register, please email office@earthfireinstitute.org with the email subject line “Wild Teachers of Earth Registration.” Please inform us at registration if you have any dietary restrictions.