Ancient Skills Workshop

01Through the practice and perfection of skills and through respect for the natural world, individuals come to feel secure in a wilderness environment.These workshops are designed to teach the practical and philosophical skills necessary to survive comfortably in any situation. Skills covered include: shelter building, food identification, water gathering, fire making, tool making, animal tracking, problem solving, walking and listening techniques, increased awareness and respect for the natural world.

[This is a program designed for adults. Students under 12 will be admitted only with prior approval; and those 16 and younger must be accompanied by an adult.]

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Ancient Skills Workshop for Families

An 11 year-old named Noah attended one of our adult Ancient Skills workshops with his dad. A short time later Noah’s mom sent us a note which we quote here with her permission:

“He had such a great time. He was so excited to share the funny stories, great adventures and all that he learned over the weekend (I finally had to tell him I needed some sleep). He woke early Monday morning and immediately said “Mom, I’ll be in the backyard building a shelter.” It is an amazing shelter but even more impressive is the confidence he has in himself and the initiative he is taking in other areas at home.

Thanks to you and all who helped put this together. The experience really touched his spirit and will be forever part of who he is.”

With that incentive we have designed an Ancient Skills workshop especially for family groups. The content of this workshop is the same as our adult Ancient Skills workshop, but the pace and presentation have been modified to accommodate meaningful experiences for parents and their pre-teen and teenage children.

Note: Because of the long hours involved, we encourage parents to use discretion in enrolling children younger than 10 years old. (If you have questions or concerns, let us know. We’ll give you honest answers.)

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05Animal Tracking Workshop

In the animal tracking workshop you will learn to identify the prints and gaits of local mammals, as well as the signs that they leave as they live and move in the natural world – food sources, dens, trails, scat, skeletons and more. Additional skills include walking, seeing and listening techniques as well as awareness skills that will enhance your identification of – and identification with – the animal you are tracking.

[This is a program designed for adults. Students under 12 will be admitted only with prior approval; and those 16 and younger must be accompanied by an adult.]

All workshops include:

  • Meals, snacks, and beverages for your entire stay.
  • Instruction from an experienced faculty with a student/instructor ratio no greater than 6:1
  • All instructional materials