Our Songline
At Northern Songlines, we invite you to walk a path that reconnects you with nature, community, and yourself. Our journey is one of reciprocity, exploration, and transformation. This is our songline—a thread woven through our values, practices, and the land we call home.
Why "Songline"?
At Northern Songlines, the word “songline” holds deep meaning for us. It’s more than just a name—it’s a reflection of how we live, guide, and connect to the land. The concept of a songline, rooted in Aboriginal culture, speaks to an ancient way of navigating the world. Traditionally, songlines were pathways across the land that connected stories, songs, and knowledge, offering guidance and a map for those who followed them. But songlining is not exclusive to any one culture. Across the world, indigenous peoples have used stories and songs to map their relationship with the landscape, carrying with them the wisdom of their ancestors.
For us, the idea of a songline represents the journey we all take through life—one that’s marked by moments of transformation, symbols of connection, and a deepening relationship with the natural world. As wilderness guides, our work is about helping others discover their own path, their own “songline” through the landscape of both the outer world and their inner self.
At the same time, we acknowledge that Dave and Becca are white and not indigenous to the land we steward. We recognize the history of cultural appropriation, and we are navigating this with care and humility. Our hope is to create more healing and connection in the world without causing further harm. We are committed to learning where our blind spots might be and becoming better allies to Indigenous people and the entire BIPOC community. This is an ongoing process, and we welcome the opportunity to listen, grow, and improve in our efforts to honor the land and the people who have been its original stewards.
When you follow a songline, you’re not just walking on the earth; you’re walking with the stories of those who came before you, and those stories become your own. You begin to notice the markers along the way—the way the land changes, the tracks of an animal, or the sound of a bird. These are more than just sights and sounds. They are symbols that invite us into deeper relationship with the land. They guide us, not just physically, but spiritually, as we awaken to the layers of meaning that surround us.
At Northern Songlines, we believe that by engaging with the land through stories, symbols, and connection, we can come to understand ourselves more fully. Every track, every tree, every hidden place in the forest holds a piece of our own story, waiting to be uncovered. We chose “songline” because it represents the way we hope to guide others: by walking alongside them as they create their own stories, their own paths, and their own relationships with the earth.
Meet Becca & Dave
My love for the natural world and holistic well-being permeates every aspect of my life. After years of studying meditation, yoga, and Ayurveda, I realized that to truly know myself, I needed to return to the woods. The forest has become my teacher, deepening my awareness and guiding me toward wholeness, belonging, and presence. I’ve found unimaginable joy connecting with a tree or following a fox’s tracks into hidden places. The stories of the forest are rich, and they inevitably lead to better understanding our own story.
As a meditation teacher, Ayurveda health counselor, and nature guide, I offer pathways for connecting with oneself, others, and the natural landscape through practices like meditation, embodiment, plant connection, bird language, wildlife tracking, and spiritual awareness.
- Registered Maine Guide
- Level 3 Wildlife Tracker with TCNA
- Fully Certified Realization Process Teacher
- NAMA Board Certified Ayurveda Health Counselor
- SOLO-certified Wilderness First Responder.
As an outdoorsman and educator, I’ve spent years guiding wilderness programs, from paddlesports and primitive skills to leadership development. I hold a bachelor’s in Outdoor Education and an MBA in Organizational and Environmental Sustainability, blending my love for nature with a commitment to community-driven initiatives.
My passion for guiding groups and mentoring individuals has led to a more nature-connected lifeway.
- Registered Maine Guide
- Level 3 Wildlife Tracker and Trailer with TCNA
- Fully Certified Realization Process Teacher
- Wilderness Medicine Instructor for SOLO
- Licensed W-EMT
The Songline of Our Land
The History, Ecology, and Spirit of this Place
The land we steward on the Magalloway River in Wilsons Mills, Maine, has a long and rich history, stretching back more than 11,000 years. Nestled between Aziscohos Mountain and Halfmoon Mountain, this piece of land has been a home, a sanctuary, and a provider for countless generations of human, animal, and plant kinfolk.
The Land of the Arosaguntacook
Our land lies on the unceded territory of the Arosaguntacook, an Abenaki band that once lived and thrived in the Androscoggin River Valley. For thousands of years, the Arosaguntacook people walked these lands, utilizing the Magalloway River for sustenance and travel. Their knowledge of the land was passed down through stories and songs, creating a songline that echoes through this place even today.
Near our home is the Vail site at Aziscohos Lake, the largest Paleo-Indian archaeological site discovered in New England. Artifacts found here date back more than 11,000 years, offering a glimpse into the lives of the first peoples who inhabited this area. This place is a reminder of the deep human connection to this landscape, one that stretches far beyond our own presence here. The Arosaguntacook, along with other Indigenous peoples, navigated these waters and walked these lands, leaving behind stories and songlines that continue to echo today.
Impact of European Settlers
The arrival of European settlers brought profound changes to the land. By the 1800s, this area had become a focal point for logging, and the towering trees that had stood for centuries were harvested and floated down the Magalloway River. Logging camps and mills sprung up in places like Wilsons Mills, altering the landscape and the lives of those who called this land home.
The town of Wilsons Mills, once a bustling logging community, is now home to just a few dozen people. It remains a quiet place where the natural world dominates the rhythm of life. The river that once carried logs to mills now offers solitude and beauty, and the stories of the land continue to unfold.
The Land Today: A Sanctuary for Life
Our 32-acre property on the Magalloway River is a stretch of meadow and forest, with a peninsula formed by an oxbow in the river. This land is home to an incredible diversity of wildlife, from the birds of prey that soar overhead to the mammals that find shelter in the forest and along the riverbank. One of the oldest native brook trout populations in the world thrives here, and we host one of the best fly-fishing spots along the Magalloway.
The meadow is rich and diverse, fed by the floodplains that bring nutrients to the soil. Throughout the seasons, the land offers abundance. Elderberries grow at the river’s edge in late summer, blueberries and raspberries line our trails, and apple trees grow heavy with fruit in the fall. The wildflowers—yarrow, goldenrod, asters—nourish the many pollinators who call this place home. Each day, migrating birds stop here for rest and food, while osprey, eagles, hawks, and owls are frequent visitors. We share this land with river otters, muskrats, mink, foxes, bobcats, and many others—our kinfolk who walk these trails beside us.
Guardians of the Land
As we’ve come to know this land, we’ve found certain places that hold special meaning—places we consider the guardians of this landscape. There’s Grandmother Maple, one of the largest, oldest trees on the property, whose wisdom and nurturing presence we feel whenever we visit. Snowshoe Spruce is another sentinel, marking the spot where our family often makes a turn in the trail on snowshoe adventures. And there’s Goose Nest, a cozy place between two Silver Maples where one Canada Goose made her resting place for several days one spring.
Otter Point is a favorite spot for river otters to slide and play. This is also where we launch our canoes for journeys down the river. The “Enchanted Cherry Forest” is a magical shaded area near the river, perfect for tenting and picnicking (and where our family camps out for weeks at a time in late summer). Our lantern-lit trail winds through the woods, where we often see deer, turkeys, and the tracks of coyotes.
And then there’s Sock Tree, our beloved apple tree. On our first spring here, Jet and Palmer took off their boots to climb it (the snow had just begun melting around the tree). Since that day, the rule stands: you have to take your shoes off to climb this tree.
This land, with its meadow, forest, and river, provides endless opportunities for walking, snowshoeing, skiing, and swimming. The trails we’ve created here are more than just paths through the woods—they are pathways for connection, inviting others to walk with us and discover the stories embedded in the landscape.
Our Personal Journey with the Land
When we found this land, it felt as though it had found us. Over time, we have allowed the mowed fields to return to wild meadows, creating space for nature to flourish. Each day spent here brings us deep solace, awe, and immeasurable gratitude. Whether tracking a bear through the woods or walking by the river, we are always learning, growing, and discovering something new. The kinfolk of the land—whether it’s the beavers slapping their tails on the water at night, or the ravens clicking in the trees—remind us constantly that this space is not “ours.” It belongs to the land, and we are honored to share it.
Land of Many Stories
The Magalloway River has been a thread of life for millennia, carrying the stories of the Arosaguntacook, the early settlers, and now, us. Our family has already made so many memories here, but we know that the land has its own stories, ones that have existed long before we arrived. As we share this place with others, we hope to honor both the past and the present, and to create new stories with those who come to walk this land alongside us.
Our Story
In 2017, we met and immediately found a connection through our mutual love for nature. While exploring the outdoors together, we also began exploring what it meant to truly be ourselves in each other’s company. This relationship grew not just personally but in the way we engaged with the natural world—learning, teaching, and deepening our skills alongside one another. Becca’s background in spirituality and holistic well-being complemented Dave’s passion and experience in outdoor adventure and wilderness medicine.
Together, we pursued a shared path toward deepening our skills and connection to the wild. We enrolled in a primitive skills apprenticeship at the Maine Primitive Skills School under Mike Douglas, where we learned to live in harmony with the land. This experience, combined with the rigorous process of becoming Maine Guides shaped us profoundly. Our growing expertise in wilderness guiding and nature-based living sparked the vision for what would become Northern Songlines. In 2019, we began to talk seriously about creating a guiding business that would help others connect to the land and themselves in the same transformative way we had.
A pivotal moment came in 2020, during the pandemic, when we discovered our dream property. Under a double rainbow, we knew instantly that this land—nestled between Halfmoon Mountain and the Magalloway River—was where our family and work were meant to thrive. The land called us to it, and from that moment on, it became the heart of our lives and the foundation of Northern Songlines. We knew this was the place where we would bring our family, our work, and our vision to life. From that moment on, this land became our home, our teacher, and the space where we would build Northern Songlines.
Since moving to this land, we’ve embraced a lifestyle rooted in reciprocity with the earth. We’ve homesteaded, hunted, fished, foraged, and camped out on the land for weeks at a time, truly immersing ourselves in the rhythm of nature. Along the way, we continued our studies, working with mentors like Dan Gardoqui of Lead with Nature and and studied intsensively with wildlife tracking experts like Daniel Hansche of Spur Wander, Kathy Dean of Trotting Fox Programs, Nate Harvey, Casey McFarland, Bob Etzweiler, and Shane Hawkins. These teachers have profoundly shaped our approach to tracking and nature connection. We’ve also been honored to volunteer with the Northeast Wildlife Trackers community — another portal where we can help bring our vision to life. We’ve dedicated ourselves to understanding not just the practical skills of tracking but also the spiritual and energetic connection to the natural world.
In 2023, we dove deep into the Realization Process, training intensively with Judith Blackstone, Theresa Scott, and Roma Hammel. This work in embodiment and spiritual awakening profoundly shaped how we approach guiding others, bringing a sense of depth and awareness into our nature-based practices. As fully certified Realization Process teachers, we now integrate these embodied practices with the wilderness skills we’ve honed over the years.
At the end of 2024, we are launching Northern Songlines in earnest—a business that’s been in the making for many years. We begin this new chapter with a deep sense of awe and gratitude for the mentors, guides, friends, and family who have supported us. Northern Songlines is born out of collaboration, generosity, and reciprocity. Our first year of programs will focus on sharing this land and our teachings with others, alongside some of our favorite teachers and colleagues.
Our Teachers
Grandfather Ray
Perhaps our closest and dearest mentor, Grandfather Ray has guided us to awakening through his Heart Teachings. His depth of connection to nature and to spirit can be detected by the spark of unwavering joy in his eyes. We are learning to walk and flow with life and to give over our hearts and our lives to something greater than ourselves. His presence is a gift to our community.
Judith Blackstone
Our beloved teacher and founder of the Realization Process. Judith continues to guide us in so many ways, reminding us that “Nondual awakening is not something other than our humanness. It is the fruition of our humanness,” and that “to live in the subtle, spiritual ground of ourselves is to arrive at our own wild existence.” We are grateful beyond words that Judith continues to teach this profound body of work.
The Forest
Our greatest teacher continues to be the forest and all of her inhabitants. The lessons are immeasurable: reciprocity, emergence, synchronicity, regeneration, diversity, inclusion, flux and flow, resilience, stillness, continuity, death and rebirth, adaptability, flexibility, interconnectedness, transformation, and non-linearity.
The Tracks & Trails
The tracks & trails continue to teach us humility, curiousity, wonder, and mystery. Also, our many tracking mentors, guides, and friends who’ve taught and learned alongside us this wisdom tradition and ancestral lifeway. Dan Gardoqui, Michael Douglas, Daniel Hansche, Nate Harvey, Amy Martinez Beal, Kathy Dean, Bob Etzweiler, Kareem Dieng, Jules, Bones Nelson, Bill Marple, Jonathan Shapiro, Shane Hawkins, and more!