Wellness for wildland firefighters.
A program created with wildland firefighters to offer rest, recovery and support in the Costa Rican rainforest. The people who protect our forests, homes and communities deserve care too.
Why wildland firefighters need support.
Wildland firefighters often work 16-hour days for 14 days straight, with as little as two days to rest before the next assignment. Long stretches in smoke and heat, constant vigilance, poor sleep, time away from family, and close calls or losses can take a real toll on body and mind.
Mental health struggles are common in the wildland fire community, and support has been slow to reach crews. Without the time or tools to process what the season brings, many firefighters carry it alone. As wildfires grow across the world, the need to care for the people on the front lines grows too.
How the program supports firefighters.
Produced by wildland firefighters
Shaped with firefighters for the specific needs of the wildland community, with firefighters on site as part of the support team.
Nervous system recovery
Deep rest in a quiet, safe place, with the sound of the river and the forest, so the body can finally let its guard down.
Contemplative practice
Meditation, mindfulness and yoga that build a daily foundation for calm and for letting go of stress responses.
Communal ritual
The traditional temazcal, or sweat lodge, an ancient practice of release and renewal long used for the healing of warriors.
Connection to nature
Every day is lived in relationship with the forest, the river and the seasons, which supports the body's own ability to restore itself.
Integration and giving back
Support before and after each retreat, and the chance to lend forestry skills to protect the rainforest reserve.
This is a wellness program, not medical or mental health treatment, and participants continue care with their own clinicians.
Hear from the program.
The firefighters behind the program.
Russell Kennedy
Fighting wildfires since 2001. Five years with the Idaho City Hotshots, then an Alaska Smokejumper from 2014. Now Fire Marshal for the San Francisco Zen Center.
Kris Baumgartner
Superintendent of the Pioneer Peak Hotshots, fighting wildfire since 2007. A registered peer supporter and a member of his state's Critical Incident Stress Management team.
Rob Thomas
Began on handcrews in Lake Tahoe and Alaska, then moved into restoration forestry. Helped co-found an annual retreat for wildland firefighters at Tassajara Zen Mountain Center.
Where the program takes place.
Retreats are held at Posada Natura, a family-owned rainforest sanctuary on the Naranjo River, eight miles from Manuel Antonio on Costa Rica's central Pacific coast. It is the front entrance to more than 10,000 acres of primary rainforest protected by Eco Era, the U.S. 501(c)(3) that operates Posada Natura.
Sponsor a firefighter.
Wildland firefighters are among the lowest paid professions in the United States, and many cannot afford time away after the season. Donations to Eco Era fund scholarships so wildland firefighters can join the program.
In crisis or thinking about suicide? In the U.S., call or text 988 any time to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
Come for the retreat. Leave protecting the rainforest.
Every retreat at Posada Natura directly funds Eco Era, the nonprofit protecting more than 10,000 acres of primary rainforest. Join a retreat on the Naranjo River, or bring your own community into the forest.