About Us

As a registered Benefit Company, we are committed to operating in a manner that serves the public good, fostering cultural revitalization, nature-based learning, and holistic well-being within a framework of reconciliation with Indigenous lands and peoples.

Our mission is to provide enriching experiences that support personal and community transformation whilst honouring the natural world and diverse cultural traditions.

Our cooperative structure prioritizes ownership and autonomy for program stewards - our staff - fostering sustainable business models that strengthen the future of the outdoor and cultural education sectors.

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Our Past

In 2019 Kester Reid co-founded Fianna Wilderness School, co-directing the organization for six years and shaping its youth and adult programming.

In 2025, after stepping away from Fianna, Kester launched Danu Folk School as an independent initiative to continue offering culturally rooted, land-based education in the Comox Valley. He is joined by longtime collaborators Alysia Livesey and Dani Robinson, who bring shared vision to this new chapter as core program stewards.

Renewing Tradition for a Culture of Place

Our name is inspired by Danu, the most ancient of Celtic deities. Revered as the mother of the Gaelic gods, she embodies the essence of fertility, abundance, and knowledge. She is closely associated with rivers, and the richness of the land, her name surviving in place names all over Celtic Europe. The ancient Irish root word “dan” means art, skill, poetry, and wisdom, implying that Danu is a progenitor of both life and culture.

We honour ancestral knowledge systems while recognizing our role as settlers on Indigenous lands in British Columbia. By learning our history and heritage, we seek to engage meaningfully in the work of reconciliation and deepen our relationship with the lands and peoples who inspire our learning.

We also draw inspiration from the folk school movement, a transformative educational tradition that originated in Denmark in the 19th century. Various cultural visionaries and communities have shaped this global movement based on the belief that education should awaken the whole person—heart, mind, and body—and respond to the needs of everyday people.

At its heart, the folk school tradition emphasizes:

The living word through oral culture, connecting learners to their heritage and place.
Lifelong learning free from institutional limitations, focusing on personal growth and life’s awakening.
Nurturing the individual within a community, prioritizing feeling and appreciation before facts and skills.

As the visionary Ludwig Schroeder said in 1872:

“Stick your hands into the soil and smell where you are! This is where the needs of the people are found, which will be different in different times and places.”

This philosophy reminds us that folk schools are not a one-size-fits-all model to be exported, but a source of inspiration rooted in the land, culture, and community they serve.

At Danu, we carry forward this spirit, enriched by the 8 Shields “Coyote Mentoring” tradition that informs our kids programming. Developed by Jon Young at the Wilderness Awareness School, this approach formalizes child-led, experiential learning methods drawn from nature-based cultures. It cultivates curiosity and innate wisdom, guiding children into personal and collective learning experiences that reveal their unique gifts and nurture their journey toward maturity and wholeness.

Our program stewards bring diverse perspectives to Danu, drawing from their own learning, upbringing, and heritage to create programming that is rich in human experience. This approach ensures that our offerings are diverse, experiential, and deeply rooted in a shared commitment to land, community, and culture-building.

Rooted in these traditions, we provide a space for place-based learning and cultural revival, fostering deep connections to land, community, and self on Vancouver Island, British Columbia.