Course Outline

This wilderness skills intensive is designed to teach you the basics of wilderness survival while helping you to develop a more intimate connection with nature.  Our goal is not to show you how to conquer the earth, but rather how to combine both physical and spiritual aspects of living with the earth to improve your survival skills.  We will introduce you to the entire “circle of skills” and help you find ways of incorporating them into your everyday life. 

We will begin with a discussion, on the first night, which will lay the groundwork for the next two or three days.  Topics will include why we should learn primitive skills, our priorities in the wilderness, spiritual aspects of living close to the earth, the caretaker attitude, knife safety and use, and more.  

Over the next two or three days, we will introduce you to the four most important elements in wilderness survival: shelter, water, fire and food.  We will also cover natural cordage, stone tools, containers, wild edibles, tracking, nature awareness, primitive cooking and hunting.  Hands-on learning will be maximized with a variety of fun individual and group activities, games and contests!  

Shelter
Find out why shelter is the biggest priority in a survival situation.  Build one that can save your life and deepen your connection with nature. 

Water
We will show you a variety of ways to find and purify water in the wilderness.  No pot? You will learn how to make a pot to boil water in!
 
Fire
Learn the basics of fire-making and then make fire from sticks!  The bow drill is an ancient method of fire-starting using friction between a spinning wooden drill and fire board to create a coal.  Other methods of making fire will also be discussed. 

Food
Can’t see past the wall of green?  We will show you how to break through that wall with basic plant identification skills that will enable you to distinguish edible plants from their poisonous look-alikes.  There will be opportunities to taste several wild teas and coffee. Our final meal will include several wild dishes that you will help to gather, prepare and cook, using different wilderness cooking methods.  You can even make some delicious dandelion cake - and eat it too!

Rediscover primitive hunting, trapping, and fishing techniques.  Try out some primitive weapons and build your own traps.     

Cordage
If only you had some string…  Find out which local plants can be used to make cordage and then make some yourself!

Stone tools
Fashion your own stone tools such as the hand axe, which was used by ancient hominids for over a million years!  A flint-knapping demonstration will introduce you to the art of making arrowheads and spear tips.

Awareness and Tracking
Awareness is the single most important skill to have, so don’t be surprised to find lessons in awareness built into everything you learn.  It will heighten your senses and provide for a more enriching wilderness experience.  Discover a new way of seeing.  Try new (or old) ways of using your senses and moving quietly through the woods.  

Our tracking exercises are sure to give you a new perspective of nature!