Mike Dickenson

Mike Dickenson finds inspiration in the mountains. Born in the high desert of Elko, NV, the nearby Ruby Mountains would spark for him a lifelong fascination with the natural world. This passion, along with a love for adventure, has led him from range to range - skiing the big sky outside Montana State University, whitewater rafting below the Colorado Rockies, and hitchhiking along the Andes of South America. Now in Southern Oregon, Mike has delved head-first into one of the most bio-diverse places on the continent: The Klamath Siskiyous.

In 2010-2012 Mike lived off-grid on an 80 acre wilderness community farm in the Siskiyou Mountains. There he closely managed many different aspects in the community from leading hikes and group interpretations, to co-managing two acres of organic gardens, along with guiding and mentoring a multitude of interns. With seven years wilderness guiding experience, Mike knows that some of our most powerful lessons come from nature.

Mike's passion for nature, filmmaking, and storytelling have taken him across the world. In 2009, he and his partner Amy began their own film company, Commonlink Productions, and since, have created four feature films around unconventional travel, sustainability, and the power of perception. The motivations for these film concepts came after he graduated from college with a bachelors degree in Secondary Education. Disillusioned by the public school system, Mike created his own rite of passage by hitchhiking from Nevada to Argentina over the course of two years. During this time, he was a freelance writer, English teacher, and volunteer for several different non-profit organizations. This experience would shape his beliefs that the world is not as scary as we are led to believe, that people are inherently good, and that our perception of the world creates our reality.

Mike holds certifications as a Wilderness First Responder, Swiftwater Rescue, and and an Earth Activism Permaculture Design taught by the author Starhawk. He is currently self-publishing his debut novel The Dreamer's Lotus, which will be released late 2014.