Our Wilderness Survival Instructors
Vitaliy Svetlichnyy
Vitaliy Svetlichnyy is the Founder and Head Instructor of ONE WITH NATURE Survival School. For more than 20 years, he has dedicated himself to studying and practicing wilderness living, survival, bushcraft, and primitive skills in diverse natural environments around the world. For over a decade, he has been teaching individuals, families, youth, professionals, and organizations how to become confident, self-reliant, and capable in the wilderness.
His approach is rooted in traditional knowledge and practical experience. Throughout his journey, Vitaliy has learned primitive living skills from Indigenous and traditional communities, including Canadian First Nations, Siberian peoples, and Kazakh nomadic cultures. These experiences have shaped his philosophy of living in harmony with nature while developing the mindset and skills necessary to thrive in the wilderness.
Vitaliy has worked with Canadian First Nations communities, delivering wilderness living and bushcraft training to both youth and adults. His instruction emphasizes self-reliance, critical thinking, environmental awareness, and a deep respect for the land.
His expertise includes wilderness living, survival, bushcraft, primitive skills, friction fire making, shelter construction, natural navigation, traditional hunting, fishing, trapping, spearfishing, wild food procurement, tool crafting, and year-round wilderness travel. Rather than simply teaching survival techniques, Vitaliy focuses on helping students develop the confidence, adaptability, and decision-making skills required to live comfortably and safely in nature.
His knowledge has also been sought by participants preparing for the television series Alone, providing wilderness living and survival coaching to help them prepare for the unique challenges of long-term isolation in the wild.
Academically, Vitaliy holds a Master of Global Management and a Bachelor of Arts in Physical Education. Before founding ONE WITH NATURE, he led a team of more than 1,500 people within an international corporation and also competed professionally in cross-country skiing. He is certified by the Canadian Red Cross in First Aid and CPR/AED.
Whether teaching beginners or experienced outdoor professionals, Vitaliy’s mission is to inspire a deeper connection with nature while equipping people with the practical skills, resilient mindset, and confidence to live, travel, and thrive in the wilderness.
Renita Silva
With a background in Biology, Animal Behaviour, and Limnology, Renita brings a strong scientific foundation to outdoor education. She predominantly works with young people and is passionate about helping them build confidence, resilience, teamwork, and self-reliance through hands-on outdoor learning.
Combining her scientific knowledge with practical wilderness living and bushcraft skills, Renita creates engaging, safe, and educational experiences that foster a deeper understanding of the natural world. Her calm, encouraging approach helps participants of all ages and experience levels develop the skills and confidence to thrive in the outdoors.
Renita is certified by the Canadian Red Cross in First Aid and CPR/AED.
Like all instructors at ONE WITH NATURE Survival School, Renita has completed a Police Information Check with Vulnerable Sector Screening, ensuring the highest standard of safety and professionalism when working with children, youth, and vulnerable participants.