Wilderness Skills Workshop
Dates: July 27 to 29th, 2012 at the Harvest Moon Learning Centre in Clearwater.
As part of the Prairie Culture workshop series we offer a Wilderness Skills Workshop.
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.
Workshop content:
Shelter
Find out why shelter is the biggest priority in a survival situation. Build a shelter that can save your life and deepen your connection with nature.
Water
We 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.
Instructors
Dwayne Logan – He has successfully completed three courses at Tom Brown’s Tracking, Nature, and Wilderness Survival School including Standard, Advanced Standard, and Advanced Tracking. He began his journey learning by trial and error on his own, without teachers, using books, etc. to answer the questions that came up. Attending Tom Brown’s school improved his skills and pushed him to higher levels. He has lived most of his life near Nesbitt (between Brandon and Wawanesa) farming (now organically) with his family and hunting, fishing, exploring and learning about nature.
Laura Reeves – Laura has taken 8 courses at Tom Brown’s Tracking, Nature and Wilderness Survival School in New Jersey, including Standard, Advanced Standard, Advanced Tracking and Awareness, Caretaker and Philosophies I – IV. She graduated from the U of M with a BSc, Major in Botany and has 14 years of experience working as a botanist for the Manitoba Tall Grass Prairie Preserve near Gardenton, MB. She is currently completing Kamana II naturalist training through Wilderness Awareness School.
Her passion is wild edible and medicinal plants. Over the years she has increased her use to the point that she rarely goes a meal without wild edibles, be it a main dish, bread, beverage, or even dessert. For her, it’s about feeling connected to the Earth. At this workshop, Laura will teach you to identify, gather and prepare wild edibles using recipes that are easy to repeat when you get home.
Where
The workshop is held at the Harvest Moon Learning Centre. Camping at the site is included in the cost. Inside lodgings may be available if needed.
Cost and Registration
$230 for adults, $190 for youth. The course fee includes certain meals, accommodations (tenting space) and instruction.
