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Primitive Tools
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PRIMITIVE TOOLMAKING
2000 SCHEDULE
LENGTH: 2 DAYS
DATES: MAR 11-12
COST: $130 |
The
Primitive Toolmaking course will cover making and using tools of stone, wood, bone and
antler. This course is an excellent companion to any of our other courses, as students
will learn to make a wide variety of tools to help them in any survival situation. Some of the tools that will be produced are stone knives, scrapers,
hammers and projectile points; wooden digging sticks, a variety of vices, mallets and
wedges; bone projectile points, fish hooks and punches; and antler pressure flakers,
chisels and more. Cordage, natural glues and using fire as a tool will also be covered.
Each student will have the opportunity to make a primitive tool kit which they can keep
and even use during future courses.
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Bow Drill and Hand Drill Equipment
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FIRE MAKING
2000 Schedule
LENGTH: 1 DAY
DATES: FEB 5
MAY 13
NOV 12
COST: $50
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This course
will focus on the bow drill and hand drill methods of friction fire making as well as the
safe and efficient use of fire. Fire safety, tinder, fire wood selection, setting up a
primitive fireplace and maintaining a fire will be covered in addition to some of the
history and physics of friction fire making. Proper construction and use of the fire
making equipment will be emphasized during the course. Students will construct fire making
sets which will be theirs to keep from a variety of materials provided by us.
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Advanced Fire Making Methods
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ADVANCED FIRE MAKING
2000 Schedule
LENGTH: 3 DAYS
DATE: DEC 1-3
COST: $200 |
The Advanced
Fire Making course will further enhance student’s friction fire making techniques and
understanding. During this course, students will learn more advanced variations of
construction and technique for the bow drill and hand drill. The course will also cover
other friction fire making methods such as the pump drill, fire saw and arctic mouth
drill. Other advanced subjects will include plant and tree identification and use, wet
weather fire making, the use of difficult materials, bow drill cordage construction from
animal sinew and raw hide, the use of stone age tools and much more. Students will also
have the opportunity to make and keep a pump drill, fire saw and an arctic mouth drill.
Students must have completed the Fire Making course and be proficient in the skills
presented there to be eligible for the Advanced Fire Making course.
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Primitive Hand drill kit and the fire it made
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SPIRIT OF FIRE
2000 Schedule
LENGTH: 3 DAYS
DATE: FEB 25-27
COST: $200 |
This course
is designed to teach skills in fire making, the uses of fire and the place fire has held
in many different cultures and time periods. Friction fire techniques and instruction will
include the Bow drill, the Hand drill and the Fire plow; tinder selection; bow drill cord
production from plant and tree sources; fire materials processing and selection for
different weather conditions and many other skills. The uses of fire to be covered are
primitive lighting with torches and lamps; controlled burning to work wood and create
"Fire art"; the production and firing of primitive ceramics; and a variety of
cooking techniques, including a steam pit and clay baking. Fire lore, legends and stories
from all over the world will also be an important part of this course. To get the most
from this comprehensive course, we recommend that the students have taken our one day fire
making course or have prior experience in fire making.
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NEWLY EXPANDED!
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HIDE TANNING
2000 Schedule
LENGTH: 3 DAYS
DATE: JUN 2-4
RAIN DATE: JUN 9-11
DATE: SEP 8-10
RAIN DATE: SEP 15-17
COST: $200 |
| This newly
expanded course will teach the ancient skill of tanning animal skins with animal brains
under both modern and primitive conditions. The tanning method used in this course is the
dry scrape brain tan method. Hides tanned in this natural way are beautiful looking,
pleasant to smell, touch and wear. This course will cover all of the tanning steps that
transform a fresh, raw deer skin into finished brain tanned leather. These steps include
fleshing, drying, scraping, braining, stretching, and smoking. Uses for the hides, brain
extraction with stone tools and storing untanned skins and brains will also be
demonstrated. Students will have the opportunity to work a hide through all of the tanning
stages and go home with the hide that they have tanned. New material in this course will include the skinning of small game, brain
tanning small animal pelts, plant based tanning agents and more demonstrations of
primitive tanning techniques. All tools, materials and a hide will be provided by us.
Due to the fact that it is very difficult to tan hides
outdoors in wet weather, there is a rain date of the following weekend for each Hide
Tanning course. Please be prepared to take the course on either date.
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Fall Wild Edibles
Hickory Nuts, Barberries, Acorns and Persimmons
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SEASONAL WILD EDIBLE PLANTS
2000 Schedule
LENGTH: 1 DAY EACH
DATES:
WINTER: JAN 15, JAN 16
SPRING: APR 15, APR 16
SUMMER: JUL 15, JUL 16
FALL: OCT 14, OCT 15
COST: $50 EACH |
Our Seasonal
Wild Edible Plant courses focus on the different plants and plant uses of each season.
Each course is a guided walk through different habitats, identifying, collecting and
frequent sampling wild plant foods, and pointing out harmful plants to avoid. Each course
will cover approximately 40 plants and trees, depending on the season. We will cover
proper identification and use of these plants, when and where to safely collect plants and
conservation techniques. A wild edible plant lunch and snacks are also part of each
course. These are one day courses that may be taken either on Saturday or Sunday.
Please specify which one you are applying for on your application.
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A stone age tool kit
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STONE TOOLS
2000 Schedule
LENGTH: 1 DAY
DATE: MAY 14
COST: $50 |
| Our Stone
Tools course will teach how to locate and identify stone resources and it will also teach
a variety of stone tool production techniques. Some of the things that will be produced
are stone hammers, flake tools, hand axes and projectiles. Some of the tool making
techniques to be covered are bi-polar percussion, flake and blade production, pecking,
abrading and pressure flaking. All tools and materials will be provided by us. |
Deer ribs on a green wood grill
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PRIMITIVE COOKING
2000 Schedule LENGTH: 1 DAY
DATES: FEB 6
NOV 11
COST: $50 |
The Primitive Cooking course will teach the food preparation skills
of our ancestors as we use traditional cooking skills to create a feast for the mind and
belly. Basic cooking techniques will be taught first and then students will construct and
use a stone fireplace with reflector, a stone oven and a steam pit. Other cooking methods
to be covered are rock frying, coal baking, rock boiling, clay baking and an Algonquin
style green wood grill "Barbecue". Eating utensils, cooking containers and other
subjects will be covered. A lunch, snacks and a big dinner will also be part of this
course.
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A student's survival camp
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WILDERNESS SURVIVAL
2000 Schedule
LENGTH: 3 DAYS
DATES: APR 21-23
AUG 25-27
COST: $200 |
The
Wilderness Survival course is designed to instruct students in a wide variety of
wilderness survival skills using the best of cutting edge modern technology and historic
outdoor skills. Students of this course will learn how not to get lost in the first place,
how to signal for rescue, what to put in survival kits and the priorities of survival.
Skills will include building and staying in one of the many tarp shelters to be covered;
how to collect and purify water with several modern methods; and the basics of making and
utilizing fire including flint & steel, batteries, magnifying lens, waterproofing
matches and tinder. Food gathering instruction will include collecting and preparing
nutritious edible plants, four different traps unique to this course and survival fishing.
How to sharpen a knife with a stone, simple tools from keys and coins, knots and cordage
will also be covered. This course is highly recommended for all outdoor persons.
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Items for shelter, water, fire, food,
signaling
and first aid in a Survival Kit
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SURVIVAL QUEST
2000 Schedule
LENGTH: 3 DAYS
DATES: APR 24-26
AUG 28-30
COST: $150 |
| Our Survival
Quest is the best way to test your survival skills, have an adventure and learn new
survival skills with our continued coaching. Students will be able to work on whatever
skills they like best and our staff will be there to answer questions and help out
whenever necessary. There will also be one on one tutoring in the skills learned here and
in the Wilderness Survival course. We will give three group lessons a day on subjects like
additional wild edible plants, traps unique to this Quest and other modern skills and
historic technologies. The rest of the time will be the students. We will provide most of
the food, but the students will be expected to practice their skills by living out of the
survival kits that they are to bring, purifying their own water, making their own fires,
cooking some of their meals and foraging some of their food. This course is open to prior
Wilderness Survival students or it can be taken consecutively with the Wilderness Survival
course for a six day outdoor skills adventure. |
Bow Drill, Baskets and Flake Knives
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PRIMITIVE SKILLS
2000 Schedule
LENGTH: 3 DAYS
DATES: MAR 24-26
JUN 16-18
SEP 22-24
COST: $200 |
Our Primitive
Skills course teaches valuable wilderness survival skills using stone age technology, and
to many, it is a window into the lives of all our ancestors. Students will learn how to
build a leaf hut shelter, without tools or cord; how to collect and prepare tinder and
kindling; instruction on friction fire with the bow drill; primitive tool making;
primitive water gathering and purification; four primitive traps unique to this course;
making and practicing with rabbit sticks; skinning, cleaning and cooking small game; and
how to utilize the different parts of an animal. Cooking, food preservation and storage,
basketry, plant and tree bark cordage, and burning out wooden bowls and spoons will also
be covered. This course is designed to provide skills for living primitively in the
wilderness and it is a student and staff favorite.
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One Person Leaf Hut
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PRIMITIVE QUEST 2000 Schedule
LENGTH: 3 DAYS
DATES: MAR 27-29
JUN 19-21
COST: $150
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| The Primitive
Quest is a three day test of one's skills and knowledge; a chance to learn new skills and
an opportunity to learn from nature itself. In the time rich environment of the Quest,
students will make their own stone age camp and provide for themselves directly from the
forest. They will be able to practice whatever new and old skills they want; and our staff
will be there to answer questions and help out whenever necessary. We will give three
group lessons a day on subjects like new edible plants, new traps, basket styles,
utilitarian plant and tree uses and other advanced skills. There will also be one on one
tutoring in the skills learned here and in the Primitive Skills course. The rest of the
time will be the students. We will provide most of the food and water, but the students
will be expected to make their own shelters, make their fires with the bow drill,
primitively cook for themselves and forage for some of their meals. This course is open to
prior Primitive Skills students or it can be taken consecutively with the Primitive Skills
course for a six day skills experience. |
Nomadic Lean-to shelter for 6 people
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NOMADIC PRIMITIVE SKILLS
2000 Schedule
LENGTH: 3 DAYS
DATES: FEB 18-20
SEP 25-27
COST: $200
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| The Nomadic
Primitive Skills course is the culmination of all the skills Earth Connection teaches and
is our most advanced course. This course will focus on learning the uses of primitive
technology in a nomadic lifestyle. Some of the many subjects to be covered will be
multi-purpose primitive tools and gear; foraging for food; finding and enhancing natural
shelters; how to make a hot rock mattress; primitive fishing; making and practicing with
slings, making and practicing with raw hide and stone bolas; learning new traps unique to
this course and many other advanced primitive skills. New camps and shelters will be made
for each night of the course. Some primitive gear will be made at the beginning of the
course, but students will mainly rely on a sleeping bag, knife and things they make or
find during the course. Due to the advanced nature of this course, students must have
attended the Primitive Skills course and be proficient in those skills or take Primitive
Skills and Nomadic Primitive Skills consecutively. |
Wicki-up Shelter |
WORKSHOPS 2000 Schedule
LENGTH: 1 DAY
DATES:
SHELTER BUILDING - JAN 29
PRIMITIVE
AGRICULTURE - APR 29
FAMILY WILDERNESS - AUG 12
NUT HARVEST - SEP 30
SHELTER
BUILDING - NOV 18
COST: $20 per person |
| This year we
are offering something new to fill the need for skills instruction for all ages. We are
offering five workshops throughout the year which will each run from 10am to
4pm. This year's workshops will be Shelter Building, Primitive Agriculture, Family
Wilderness Skills and Nut Harvest. These are all ages workshops for our students and their
immediate families only. This is to thank our students for their support of Earth
Connection. Workshop sizes will be limited, and anyone under 18 must be accompanied
by a parent who is an Earth Connection student. If you are bringing anyone under 18,
please contact us for a special registration form and waiver. |
FIRE WEEK
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2000 Schedule
LENGTH: 6 DAYS
DATES: JULY 23-28
COST: $350
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The Fire Week combines our Fire Making, Spirit of Fire and Advanced Fire Making
courses for a six day study in all of the fire making skills that we teach. This course
contains all of the fire knowledge that we have and nothing will be held back.
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FIRE
AND TOOL WEEK |
2000 Schedule
LENGTH: 6 DAYS
DATES: OCT 22-27
COST: $350
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| The Fire and Tool week combines our Fire Making, Primitive Tool
Making and Advanced Fire Making courses to create a six day course that teaches a wide
variety of fire and tool making skills and shows the relationship of fire and tools. This
exciting course will be offered only once this year. |
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