Grant Hawkes is a maker, wanderer, handtool addict, with a healthy dose of wool and herbal tea thrown in the mix. Born and raised exploring the woods and coastlines of Maine, he has always been fascinated with the outdoors and using his hands to make things. As a young boy he began learning wilderness living skills from Chris and Ashirah Knapp of the Maine Local Living School, eventually completing an immersive apprenticeship with them at the age of 15. At the age of 16 he embarked on a 5 month wilderness semester program traversing sections of Canada and all of Vermont by ski, canoe, rowboat, and bicycle. Since then he has continued to learn from master guides and craftsfolk, furthering his passion for simple living and fostering playful wildness in others. He graduated from Utah State University with a degree in Recreation Resource Management and Folklore Studies.
While the majority of his formal training occurred in the rambling woods and coastlines of New England and Eastern Canada, his wanderings have taken him to the UK, and western United States, where he currently lives with his wife in northern Utah.
He has worked as an outdoor guide and instructor since 2016 for a variety of organizations including the Maine Local Living School, Mahoosuc Guide Service, Kroka Expeditions, and the Cache Valley Forest School.
Grant is a certified Wilderness First Responder through Wilderness Medical Associates.