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Check back often... many more classes will be added over the next few months

Classes

The following classes will be offered at this year's gathering

*** Denotes a Thursday Skills Faire Class or Demo

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Acorn Processing: From Tree to Table with Arthur Haines

Despite the fact that acorns have been used on four continents as a staple food, they are probably one of the most misunderstood wild foods among academics and foragers alike.  This class will dive into the gathering, storage, and processing of acorns and discuss the nutrition and anti-nutrition of these nuts.  Acorn-flour pancakes will be offered to the students of this class.

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Animal Processing with Karissa Knudsen

Description coming soon!

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Archery Challenge with Arthur Haines

​This walk through the trails and forests at Moose Ridge will give participants the opportunity to test their marksmanship with primitive and traditional archery equipment.  A series of targets will be placed at varying degrees of challenge and a simple scoring system used to establish a rank.  Those using fiberglass limbs and plastic nocks will get a small penalty (in distance from target) over those shooting wooden bows and wooden arrows/nocks.  A small prize will be offered to the winners.

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Archery Competition with Tim Swanson

Bring your bow! (We also have a few to lend.)  This classic archery competition takes place in front of cheering spectators as archers vie for a 50/50 cash prize.  This competition will have an entrance fee, and our portion (50%) will go towards land preservation.​

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Bear Fat for Food & Medicine with Aileen Peterson

This class is an exploration of the traditional applications of ‘bear grease’, how to process and render down bear fat for long-term shelf stability, and how to make herbal-infused bear fat and use it for crafting potent herbal medicines.

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Botanical Illustration with Jackie Ryan

Description coming soon!

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Broom Making with Hannah Mitchell

Cobwebber-Made to be thin and long, this design is great for over-head and corner dustings. We will use basic woodworking skills and tools and will weave sorghum, also called broom corn, to create a cobwebber broom together. This is a great class for kids 6yrs and up or first-time broom makers. 

 

Full Size Broom- this large traditional broom is a beautiful and functional tool for home and hearth. We will use basic woodworking skills and tools and will weave sorghum, also called broom corn. This class is an intermediate level but first-time makers welcome! 

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Campfire Cookery with Kevin Bouck

Learn how to cook over an open fire in cast iron. 

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Carving Wooden Animals with Emma Markowitz​

Adults and kids both welcome!

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Combatives with Arthur Haines

Defending the family, home, and land are imperatives of persons who wish to keep safe those people and places they hold dear.  Strength alone is not enough to ensure victory during confrontations.  Mastery is an important aspect of tactical situations and is demonstrably more important than physical stature.  Combined with courage and strength, mastery of combative techniques can make the difference in potentially injurious and deadly encounters.  This class focuses on ground fighting and making safe from larger and more physically dominating opponents.  Open to all teenagers and adults.

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Core Temperature Control with Jonathan Burton

Description coming soon!

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Creative Mending with Susan Theberge

Join Susan in making the clothes you love last a little bit longer.  Simple darning and mending techniques demonstrated and discussed.  Bring a favorite pair of socks or a sweater to work on.

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Deer Sinew Sewing Thread & Buckskin Pouch with Robin Blankenship

Just like your ancestors did, learn to process deer leg sinew with stone tools to make sewing thread.  Then, stitch naturally tanned buckskin into a small pouch using an awl and sinew thread.

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Drum Circle with William Ruiz

Description coming soon!

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Fish Skin Tanning with Thabani Ndlovu

Description coming soon! $20 materials fee

 

Fishing Hand Lines with Tim Swanson

In this multi-part class, students will learn how to carve a wooden fishing hand 'reel', make cordage for the line, and make a hook from carved bone.  Sessions can be taken individually, and students who attend all three will have a finished hand line.

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Forest Feast: Wild Edible Cooking Class with Justin Pegnataro

In this class, 8 or more wild gourmet dishes will be cooked in a wild circus of chaos!

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Hacking the Hand-Drill with Jonathan Burton

Description coming soon!

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Herb Walk with Grace Krupkowski

Description coming soon!

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Kid's Archery Competition with Kevin Bouck

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Knots with Cheeny Plante

Description coming soon!

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Mead Making with Anthony Pono

Description coming soon!

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Medicinal Teas & Herbal Extracts with Grace Krupkowski

Description coming soon! $20 materials fee.

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Melon Baskets with Doug Householder

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Men’s Triangle with Arthur Haines

Masculinity, one of the divine archetypes of humans, is under threat from a variety of sources, including feminist reactions to toxic, immature, self-gratifying, and/or bullying behavior from biological males. However, these males do not embody masculinity (quite the opposite) and are not representatives of masculinity.  This evening gathering of men for men will discuss a variety of topics surrounding masculinity and its sacred roles (including threats to those roles).  Attendees can listen or share their experiences.

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Mindfulness Walk & Talk with Sarah White

Description coming soon!

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Natural Dyeing with Maggie Ruth Haaland

Description coming soon!

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*** One Strike Stone Tool Making with Robin Blankenship

The backstory of stone tool making and use before the advent of flintknapping will be shared.  Learn to strike a stone with precision to get a variety of tools used in daily ancestral life.  Learn the simple principles to quickly create a tool on the go.  If you have found flintknapping difficult, you will love the one strike methos of making useful tools.

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Pack Baskets with Jes Steele

A pack basket is a traditional type of backpack used for carrying items while hiking, hunting, or for general outdoor activities. Pack baskets have a long history dating back centuries and have been used by various cultures around the world. Here in Maine, many people walked the woods with these packs to transport tools, supplies, and wild game through rugged terrain.  

In this course, we will weave a 10-12” tall basket with premium reed (Ash will be available at an additional cost). We will go over the history of pack baskets and what materials have been used. The instructor will go through the process of making the basket step-by-step ensuring all will walk away with a finished basket. The baskets will have a base and feet along with pack straps.  We will bring a variety of color straps and even color reeds to add a little color to your basket.

An Ash log will be available for students to watch a demo and have some hands on time for making their own splints. Due to the length of the class, we will not have time to process our own ash splints, all material will be provided.

Walk away with a pack basket and the knowledge for life!

All level weavers are welcome EVEN if you have never weaved! $75 materials fee​

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Soap Making with Marie Somers

Once you learn this traditional skill, you will never have to buy soap again.  Everyone will go home with their own batch. $40 materials fee

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Soldier's Rations with Kevin Bouck

Learn how a Revolutionary soldier made do with the rations they were given, how they cooked over a fire each day, and the different ways they used the ingredients they had on hand.

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Sourdough with Sarah White

Description coming soon!

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Tracking with Mike Dube

Learn the ancient art of tracking from an instructor of traditional native skills!​

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Tracking Woods Walk with Andy Dobos

Join Andy on a walk through the forest identifying and learning about animal sign.

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Tumpline, Strap & Leggings or Hatband Weaving with Robin Blankenship

Learn to weave tumpline, sashes, straps or bands for a multitude of uses.  Ancient tablet weaving and straw weaving techniques will be used.  The historical worldwide development of these techniques will be shared.  Fee to take home an 8 tablet card weaving set: $15 materials fee

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Wild Minds in the World with Michael Douglass

Part I: Maintaining your sacred fire

Part II: Integration

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Women's Circle with Kelly Farris

Women are naturally cycling beings, going through all the seasons during one moon cycle. Menses as winter, follicular phase as spring, ovulation as summer, and luteal phase as fall. We will gather in circle to honor women and each other in ceremony. The flow of the evening will include singing, sharing, pausing, presence, and drinking the beautiful, gentle, loving, heart-opening medicine of cacao. Women are considered those who have experienced their first bleed; crones are most welcome. Bring all or none of the following: a special item for the altar, a blanket, a cushion to sit upon, a favorite mug, and water.

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Women's Fire Making with Robin Blankenship

Learn tips and tricks especially suited to the female physique and structure, body balance and attitude!  Get good information for successful fire making, and ideas for building muscle memory, strength and stamina in the movements.  Making fire with two sticks?  Yes you can!

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Wool Witchery with Aileen Peterson

Wool Fiber Processing & the Folk Magic of Hand-spinning – easy and accessible cleaning and processing of sheep wool for spinning or felting, discussion on thread and spinning magic, and drop-spindle hand-spinning practice.

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Yoga with Jackie Ryan

Join Jackie each morning before breakfast for a relaxing session of woodland yoga!

Kid's Camp Classes

Ash Cakes with Ryan Johns

Beaded Bracelets with Gaianne Dube​

Herbal Lip Balm with Krystle Bouck


Intro to Survival for Teens with Emma Markowitz
Description coming soon!

Making Fire with Ryan Johns

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Map & Compass/Navigation with Carrie McMillen

Paracord Bracelets with Gaianne Dube

Pottery with Wren Morocco

Shelter Building 
with Ryan Johns

Trigger Trap Carving with Thomas Shealy
Description coming soon!

Wildlife Bingo with Leah Dunwoody
The classic game of bingo, appropriate for all ages, with a woodland twist.


Woods Walk with Tim Swanson
Wander through the woods with Tim and learn all kinds of cool stuff!

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