change wild started out with just one founder, and over time it evolved step by step to engage more people. Following a multiple-perspective principle we run our courses in teams of wilderness guides and nature mentors. Helpers behind the scenes keep things running smoothly. And there’s the people joining our courses who likewise bring each their gift to the experience. Meet all those people here.
The core team
Thoralf Rumswinkel
Qualifications...Show less
Qualifications
Independent study and long-term professional experience in facilitating:
- Vision Quests according to John P. Milton
- Personal Transformation Processes according to Otto Scharmer
- Self-Development Processes according to Bill Plotkin
- Empowerment Processes according to Joanna Macy
- Resonance Processes according to Hartmut Rosa
Long-term professional experience in guiding:
- Nature- and activity-based wilderness tours
‘
Mentoring, professional development and training:
- Long-term mentoring by Jon Young / 8 Shields Institute, USA
- Mulitple courses by Jon Young on Nature Connection and Mentoring
- Wilderness Immersions summer & winter, Wild Moon Europe, Sweden
- Kamana Naturalist Training Program, Wilderness Awareness School, USA
- Friluftsliv courses summer & winter, by Nils Faarlund / Norges Høgfjellskole, Norway
- Training in experiential education, Outward Bound Academy, Germany
- Qualified Wilderness Guide, International Association of Wilderness Guides, Germany
- Dipl.-Ing. (Arch.), Technische Universität Berlin, Germany
Manuel Sturm
Ten years ago, I was living in the big city, successfully running a consulting firm, bringing radical honesty to the business world. That claim came to dismantle unhealthy patterns I had created for myself, revealing a deep longing to live closer to nature.
It was hard to say no to money and status, and yes to following my heart and soul path. But I jumped – and became a nobody. Guided by excellent mentors, I found myself sitting and fasting alone for 96 long hours in the Australian bush. In those hours, some romantic fantasies about nature and myself broke. At the same time, I’ve found a whole new level of confidence in being myself, and my love for all living things deepened. I realised how interconnected life is. My life path and mission forward appeared to me.
A seed was planted: to bring this important work of reconnection back home with me. I found great joy in practical outdoor, wilderness, and primitive skills. They made me feel at home in the wild. And eventually, people started asking me: Could you host and guide a vision quest for me? So here I am.
Qualifications...Show less
Qualifications
Studies:
- Primitive/Ancestral Skills, Naturliv, Sweden
- Wilderness Guide & Mentoring, Sweden
Friluftsliv-Hantverk-Ledarskap
Kvalificerad vägledare i friluftsliv - Social Entrepreneurship, Knowmads Business School, Netherlands
Courses (selection):
- Vision Quest Protector Training, Germany
- Wilderness First Responder, NOLS, Norway
- Radical Honesty w. Brad Planton, Greece
- Non-Violent Communication Trainer
Leon Nijenhuis
I’m a wilderness guide, a natural born navigator and devoted to simple human living. My path has taken me through diverse fields and environments, from farming over carpentry, social work, business administration, consulting and process facilitation to wilderness guiding.
After a deciding career change I lived in the Canadian Wilderness to learn about skills, nature and people. Stays in the Caucasus and the Arctic North followed. These experiences shaped not only my skills as a guide, but also my respect for nature, self-reliance, and the quiet simplicity that comes from spending time far away from modern life.
The wild made me also realise that escaping into nature is not what the world needs. Instead, I wish to bring back to modern society the lessons I learned – ideals and values that live in me today thanks to my experiences in the wilderness. In an overwhelming and quickly changing world, I believe that true humanity will return when we listen into our inner wilderness, and hear the call of its essence.
Qualifications...Show less
Qualifications
Studies:
- Bachlor of International Business Management, The Hague University, Netherlands
Courses (selection):
- Wilderness Camping & Navigation, Taku Adventures, Canada
- Advanced Navigation, Glenmore Lodge, Scotland
- Outdoor Guide Sommer & Winter, Arctic Mountain Team, Sweden
- Wilderness First Responder, WEMSI, Ireland
What people are joining?
On our courses, all sorts of people come together and every single person has their specific impact on how a course unfolds. Every participant brings their own gifts, stories and character in, and this way each group develops its own dynamics and culture. Together with the influence of the surrounding nature and the contributions of the facilitators and guides, our participants shape our courses. So, who are these people?
What are their motives to join?
All participants yearn for time-out and contact with nature they miss in their daily lives. Their motives are often:
• Desire to answer life’s questions
• Commitment to personal growth
• Wanting to make a difference
What is the age range?
People of all ages join the retreats, from their late twenties to their mid-sixties. The average age is in the forties. Different ages add perspective, the common motives unite the group.
Do they have outdoor experience?
Some of the participants have prior outdoor experience *, and all of them have a strong longing to connect with nature. No two experiences are the same and we learn from each other.
* No prior knowledge is required to join the retreat, no previous outdoor experience or athletic fitness needed. What is important is your willingness to embark on an extraordinary adventure in nature and your ability to move under your own power in rough terrain.
Do they come alone or in company?
Most participants come as individuals, taking time away from their family or partner, a few are singles. Sometimes there are couples or buddies joining the same event together.
What about diversity and inclusion?
Both men and women attend the retreats. Of course, those who feel they belong to neither, or are attracted to the same, are also welcome. People from all ethnic and cultural backgrounds are likewise welcome. The only requirement to join our circles is to respect each other in our different ways of being human and to be able to communicate in a common language.
What professions do they have?
The retreats bring together employees, freelancers and the self-employed from the craft, business, academic and social sectors, from green and grey, productive and creative professions.
Where do they come from?
Most people come from Middle Europe. By numbers it’s many Dutch and German people, followed by Swiss, Austrians and Czechs. Additionally native English speakers and Scandinavians. Depending on the group, English or sometimes German is spoken.
Our backoffice support
It’s not only our own expertise in guiding and facilitation nature immersions, the commitment of our participants and the influence of nature itself that keeps the wheel going. Today, even in a people- and nature-based business like change wild there’s no way around backoffice work and digital technologies. We only can reach out to you thanks to and via the virtual world. But without professional help we’d be completely lost on that field. This is the place to honour those who regularily contribute to this adventure from behind the scenes.
Adam Brailich
Providing technical support and source of ideas for this website for almost 10 years. He is solution-oriented and incredibly quick in problem-solving. His company Adamedia supervises all the transitions necessary to keep up with technological progress and keeps this place safe from any threats.
Not a digital nomad, but happily settled on Canary Islands.
Jeroen Heijsen
A digtial marketeer with a great sense for the audience and a strong bond to nature. He has left the crowded Netherlands together with his family for a life in the endless Swedish forests, running a small camp site, Camp Fika.
With Digital Outdoor Force, he’s helping us – and other outdoor-oriented businesses – to connect to our clients. The appearance changes on this website since 2025 are, for example, highly influenced by his advice – and they show results!
More about us
About us
At change wild , we create and facilitate nature retreats and wilderness camps that help people reconnect.
Learn what makes our courses stand out:
Our story
Follow our extraordinary story from the early beginings on a winding path of gathering expertise and committed people to shape today’s highly specialized programme at change wild :
Our sources
Our work is highly inspired and infused by renowned sources whose ways light up in everything we do at change wild . Get to know those bearers of ancient traditions and visionary pioneers:
Media
We have published a collection of videos, audio recordings and written works, and we continue to publish more. Each one offers a different perspective on our work. Watch, listen or read here:
Join us live
Join us on one of our nature retreats. Spend a full week in the Norwegian wilderness – not alone, but deeply connected. With yourself, with others – and with something greater. Guided by wise mentors and the rhythm of nature, you will remember who you are and why you are here.
© change wild!
