Tracking • Wilderness Survival • Plant Uses • Traditional Skills • Earth Philosophy

2010 Class Descriptions

Below are the descriptions of the classes offered at Earth Skills. You can also download the information here. (Includes the summary schedule and the enrollment form)

This year take advantage of discounts offered under Jim's Groundedness Project!

TRACKING
SURVIVAL
TRADITIONAL SKILLS
EARTH PHILOSOPHY

Tracking

Basic Tracking & Awareness

(No Prerequisite)

• February 27 (Saturday), Malibu Creek State Park
• April 17-18 (Saturday-Sunday) Tracking in Joshua Tree, see below
• June 25 (Friday)*, Windy Springs Preserve
  
• September 18 (Saturday), Malibu Creek State Park
• November 20 (Saturday), Malibu Creek State Park
  

* May be taken by itself or in conjunction with Advanced Tracking.

$68 / (+$15**) for all one-day classes

Basic Tracking gives you a solid introduction into mammal track and sign identification, as well as nature awareness techniques that will make your future outings exponentially richer. Working closely with the instructors, you will practice identifying and interpreting tracks from clear prints and patterns, and will learn how to read signs and what they say about animal feeding, breeding and behavior. We show you how tracks are "windows" to animals' body language and biology. Finally, you learn methods to slow the mind and body so that you see, hear and experience more than you ever have -- a building block to become " the complete tracker. "

** One copy of The Tracker's Field Guide is also available to each Basic Tracking enrollee at a discounted price of $15.00 including tax (reg. $19.95 + tax); see enrollment form.

Basic Tracking in Joshua Tree

(No Prerequisite)

November 6-7 (Saturday-Sunday), Joshua Tree National Park

$110

This two-day Basic Tracking class takes advantage of a splendid location, a private campground in Joshua Tree. We will introduce track identification with abundant field practice tracking jackrabbits, foxes, bobcats, coyotes and other desert animals. We will cover mammal signs, track interpretation and awareness skills. This class is offered through the Desert Institute. To enroll, call the Desert Institute at 760-367-5535 or go to

http://desertinstitute.homestead.com/classes/survival/tracking.html

This class counts as a Basic Tracking class, but is also open to those who have already taken Basic Tracking.

Advanced Tracking

(Basic Tracking Required)

June 26-27* (Friday evening-Sunday afternoon), Windy Springs Preserve

* May be taken by itself or in conjunction with Basic Tracking.

$210

Becoming an advanced tracker means above all being able to see nuances the novice would miss: spotting tracks in pine needles, leaves or on hard-packed ground; noticing subtleties in track aging; being able to follow an animal across difficult terrain. The advanced tracker also gains confidence in reading tracks for motion and in distinguishing tracks of individual animals of the same species. Finally, he or she learns to be less obtrusive and more alert to the rhythms of nature. As real students of how people learn, we instructors know that the complete tracker must draw on the different talents of analysis, perspective and intuition. Thus the Advanced Tracking class gives you practice in all of those things. You will track animals across challenging terrain, practice reading soil movement or “pressure releases” in tracks, learn to read patterns of animal movement on the landscape, and stalk quietly at night. In teams, you will track the instructors as a final exercise. Advanced Tracking is a prerequisite for some of the Dirt Time workshops.

The class will be at Windy Springs Preserve in the southern Sierras near Kennedy Meadows, where the tracking is fantastic.

Nature Awareness

(Basic Tracking Recommended)

September 11 (Saturday), Los Padres National Forest*

$70

In this one-day class we'll practice nature awareness skills at the top of a spectacular 8200 foot mountain. We will learn to read the concentric rings of the forest, practice the Grandfather walk, move like shadows in scouting parties, and master mental and physical camouflage. This class is offered back-to-back with the Intuitive Skills workshop on Sunday at the same location to provide an awesome weekend. (If you've taken the latter class already, you may join it as a refresher at no cost.)

* Under permit from LPNF. We operate on a non-discriminatory basis.

Tracking 201: Deer Tracking in Spring

(Basic Tracking Required)

March 21 (Sunday), Malibu Creek State Park

$60

We learned so much by following, observing and tracking deer in our November 2009 deer tracking workshop, that we resolved to come back in spring for a repeat in another season. Deer habits, trails, bedding areas and feeding routines will be different, so we will spend the day observing which groups travel together, what they are eating and where they are bedding. We’ll work with tracks to distinguish individual deer, we’ll trail fresh tracks to determine the most current travel patterns, and we’ll watch deer body language to help with our track interpretation.

Dirt Time Workshops

Because dirt time is so varied, we offer Dirt Time Workshops that will enable you to get out in the field to learn from different approaches in different locations. These workshops are one-time only, or at least will not be repeated often. Some require only the Basic Tracking class as a prerequisite; others require Advanced Tracking. (The prerequisites are there for a reason, but we make occasional exceptions for those who've had training with other schools.)

For 2010 we are offering:

Human Tracking Introduction

(Basic Tracking Required; Advanced Tracking recommended)

May 15* (Saturday), Frazier Park area

$75

Human tracking can teach a lot about technique and awareness at the same time it improves your tracking skills and confidence, so we’re offering this introductory workshop to give you a lot of practice in one day. We’ll cover measuring and recording tracks, recognizing and confirming tracks in varying substrates, sign-cutting and track traps – practicing this all day in different settings. This is not a search-and-rescue class per se, but it covers similar ground and will be useful for hikers, parents and trip leaders, because the skills can be applied for safety and confidence as well as for pushing your tracking skills. This class is offered back-to-back with track interpretation the following day.

*May be taken back-to-back with Track Interpretation the following day.

Track Interpretation Clinic

(Basic Tracking Required; Advanced Tracking recommended)

May 16* (Sunday), Frazier Park area

$65

The true richness of tracking emerges when you can read in tracks exactly how a person or animal moved in one moment; it’s a wonderful, dynamic access point to the life of the animal, and truly sparks fly when I go through this portal. While it may sound mystical and inaccessible to the beginning tracker, I can assure you that it’s a learnable skill, and that’s what we will do in this intensive one-day class. You’ll learn how, as the body’s balance changes, tracks record even subtle movement on several different levels. You’ll practice seeing the relationship between motion and human tracks, we’ll use video to build your confidence and you’ll try your hand at interpreting animal tracks as well. You’ll find your tracking abilities boosted to a level you might not think possible. This class is offered back-to-back with Human Tracking Introduction the previous day, and the workshops dovetail nicely.

*May be taken back-to-back with Human Tracking Introduction the previous day.

Tracking at Wind Wolves Preserve

(Basic Tracking Required)

October 22-24 * (Friday night-Sunday), Wind Wolves Preserve

$210

The last time we tracked at Wind Wolves, a 97,000 acre natural area in the southwestern San Joaquin Valley, we stayed in the lowlands tracking and observing elk (spotting the first calf dropped that season) and pronghorn. Elk were primarily in female-led herds prior to calving. This fall, we will hit the post-rut season when the tule elk are likely to be in larger herds including large bulls. As we follow them to higher elevations we’ll also look for tracks of bear, mountain lion and gray fox to work on. This is a very special location – the largest non-profit owned preserve on the West Coast – to  work on your tracking skills as you roam wide-open spaces unusual for this part of California.

Wilderness Skills

Wilderness Skills

(No prerequisite)

July 9-11 * (Friday 9:00 am-Sunday 3:00 pm), Los Padres National Forest**

* Held in the Frazier Park area; may be taken by itself or in conjunction with Plant Uses the previous day.

$260

A full three days of projects involving shelter, water, fire and food will give you a solid background in wilderness survival priorities, and what it is like to set up a “survival camp.” Individual and group projects include debris huts, bow drill firemaking, cordage, survival basket weaving, stone tools, traps, and primitive hunting tools among others. Many novices as well as experienced outdoorspeople have taken this class, and it is likely that one or more of the skills will become a longtime pursuit for you, increasing your confidence and enjoyment in future wilderness travels. The purpose of the class is not to test how tough you are; however, there is a fair amount of physical work. We hold the class at a car campsite, enabling us to bring in a variety of materials for practice and demonstration.

** Under permit from LPNF. We operate on a non-discriminatory basis.

Plant Uses

(No Prerequisite)

• March 20 (Saturday), Malibu Creek State Park
• July 8* (Thursday), Frazier Park area
  
• September 19 (Sunday), Malibu Creek State Park

* Held in the Frazier Park area; may be taken by itself or in conjunction with Wilderness Skills immediately following.

$68

In our study of wilderness skills, we have learned a lot from the “plant people” as well as the native peoples who used them for shelter, food, clothing, tools and medicine. When you make baskets, bows, arrows, rope, smudges and firemaking apparatus among many other things from plants, you begin to know not only their names, but their personality and how and where they grow. In this one-day class, you will get to know intimately the local plants with multiple uses as you work on projects including making cordage and processing and preparing edible plants. This class combines the perspective of the survivalist with that of the ethnobotanist. A thorough written summary of local plant uses which we have prepared is included.

Basketry with Karen Osland & Kathy Badrak

(No prerequisite)

April 24 (Saturday),Santa Monica Mountains

$68

At last, after many requests, we are excited to offer a basketry class, and are fortunate to draw on the experience of Karen Osland, ethnobotanist, naturalist, and active member of the Central Coast Basketweavers, along with her colleague Kathy Badrak, who has taught basketry for fifteen years. Karen was staff archeologist at Vandenberg Air Force Base and has taught ethnobotany at venues far too numerous to list. In this one-day class you will make a twined tule basket as well as learn about basketry technique and about collecting and preparing various local materials. Karen tells us, “A basket is much more than a container. it is a tangible expression of human energy, beliefs and knowledge of the natural world. Creating a basket is one of the oldest, most useful and meaningful crafts in all cultures.” Class size is limited to 12 so enroll early!

*May be taken back-to-back with Medicinal Plants the following day

Medicinal Plants with Sue Reinhart

(No prerequisite)

April 25 (Sunday), Santa Monica Mountains

$68

Sue Reinhart has been teaching a popular weekly Edible and Medicinal
Platns class for the past seven years through the Adult Education
program of Santa Barbara City College. She has journeyed, literally
and figuratively, to find a synthesis of herbal traditions and
spiritual healing from indigenous knowledge systems including those of
the Native Americans and South Africans. A licensed and certified
message therapist and spiritual healer, Sue is also a local plant
expert who has catalogued over 300 Central Coast plants as a photo-CD
library. This one-day program will include plant field identification,
information about poisonous plants, and hands-on projects to help you
get started collecting and processing various plant parts, and using
them to make tinctures, oils, and other herbal preparations.

*May be taken back-to-back with Basketry the previous day

Bowmaking with Gary Baugh

(No prerequisite)

May 1-2 (Saturday-Sunday), Frazier Park area

$210

We are honored to have Gary Baugh return to teach a weekend class in bow-making. Gary is a fine archer with much experience in making excellent bows and arrows with many woods. A real student of the history of bowmaking throughout the world, he will convey a thorough understanding of bow physics as each participant makes a shootable bow by the end of the weekend. The class is limited to five students, so enroll early.

Price includes all materials. Preference will be given to those who have not taken bowmaking with Gary before. Students are responsible for their own meals and for accommodations Saturday night; local camping is nearby. Cancellation policy for this class: Full payment must be received three weeks before the class, and there are no refunds after that date unless your spot is filled from a wait list.

Camp Project Day

(Wilderness Skills or Plant Uses recommended)

June 19 (Saturday), Frazier Park area

$60

Surely, since your Plant Uses or Wilderness Skills class, you’ve had your mind set on a project or two you’ve not gotten around to – burning a bowl or spoon, making a tobacco pouch, constructing a survival arrow, making a natural paintbrush or working with natural fibers among many others. We could call this Finish Your Project Day and it’s all about working with your hands in the company of like-minded folks, as we help with the nuances of primitive skills such as natural adhesives, knife work, bending and straightening, preparing and shaping. You pick one or two projects from a list we send you before the class – or suggest one of your own – and we’ll tell you what to collect or we’ll have the materials for you. Relax with us, let life’s tensions slip away as we revert to the Old Way of being around camp making tools and implements.

Traditional Skills Weekends

In the Traditional Skills Weekend, which we have taught since 1995, we honor the Old Ways by working on many traditional hands-on projects including the preparation of indigenous foods. Every class has a different theme and most rely on Native American co-teachers. The atmosphere is relaxed and friendly.

Culture & Crafts of Native Alaska

(No prerequisite)

October 2-3 (Saturday-Sunday), Wrightwood

$235

With craft projects, food, songs and stories we experience the culture of Native Alaska – the Dena’ina or Athabascan people of the interior and the Eskimo and Yup'ik of the north coast. The former were people of the raven whose staple foods included salmon, moose, wild  berries, Yukon potatoes and low-bush cranberries. We will make traditional Athabascan carry-all bags and Eskimo yo-yos, experience the Eskimo owl dance and sample native foods, and there will be demonstration of other native Alaskan crafts and traditions. Our instructor, Jacques Condor, grew up in the culture of the Dena’ina, who were his in-laws; we will be joined also by other Native American instructors familiar to those of you who have joined us for these Traditional Skills classes in the past. Newcomers are welcome to join this rich weekend!

 

Earth Philosophy Series

“…My world turns and goes back to the place
Where, a thousand forgotten years ago
The bird and the blowing wind
Were like me, and were my brothers…”
                                    -- Hermann Hesse

Think for a moment of a time when you were in nature and you felt at home, comfortable, peaceful, free from the demands we let into our hectic lives.  This oneness we all recognize as natural, yet is something our modern culture has abandoned all too easily.  It was the norm for our ancestors.  Too often we misplace or ignore this essential part of ourselves that gives us balance in our lives, a connection to all things around us, and an intuitive ability to read what is happening on many different levels.

We offer the “earth philosophy” classes as a bridge to return to that place within each of us and to build the skills to keep it with you wherever you are, whatever the circumstances.  Nature teaches and communicates on many levels but we must be truly present to hear and learn what it has to offer. If you have taken a tracking or skills class, you’ve already begun to reconnect with what may have challenged you as a new a type of communication or a new way to focus. You probably sensed that the possibilities were vast but within your reach.

The classes pass on simple techniques – a way to focus, to stay open, and to increase awareness while eliminating distractions. They can be applied to tracking, survival skills, relationships, a work environment, or personal questions. You will feel more grounded and centered, regaining that balance you felt when nature held you in its embrace.

We learned these skills initially from Tom Brown, Jr.,  as essential undercurrents of every tracking and survival skill – literally within every assignment in every class – and they are passed on unaltered from his mentor, a Lipan Apache scout, shaman and tracker.

Intuitive Skills Workshop

(Any Earth Skills class serves as a prerequisite)

February 28 (Sunday), Malibu Creek State Park
June 11 (Friday), Frazier Park area**
September 12* (Sunday), Frazier park area**

$50

Through many activities, lots of practice, and sharing with classmates, we show you how to own and trust your intuition through deep awareness techniques passed on from Tom Brown, Jr.'s Apache mentor. We show you how intuitive communication skills depend upon mental triggers that you learn and carry with you, show you how to perfect them, and give you exercises and assignments to take home with you for further practice. This class is the first of our four-part Earth Philosophy series, and is based entirely on Tom Brown, Jr.'s philosophy classes.

* May be taken with Nature Awareness the previous day at the same location..
**Under permit from Los Padres National Forest. We operate on a non-discriminatory basis.

Personal Skills Workshop

(Intuitive Skills Workshop required)

June 12-13* (Saturday-Sunday), Los Padres National Forest**

$210

The focus of this class is to show how interactions with the natural world can address personal questions and empower personal gifts that may be temporarily lost in the modern world. As our ancestors experienced, teachers in nature motivate, clarify, cleanse, heal, balance and prioritize. This direct teaching from non-humans was an essential part of our evolution and remains valid and powerful today. In this second-level workshop we deepen and expand the tools of intuition and awareness, and show you how to use them to honor your personal gifts, get out of ruts and stay in balance.

*May be taken with Intuitive Skills Workshop the previous day.
**Under permit from Los Padres National Forest. We operate on a non-discriminatory basis.

Community Skills Workshop*

(Personal Skills Workshop required)

September 25-26 (Saturday-Sunday), Frazier Park area

$210

“The goal of the community,” writes West African author Sobonfu Somé, “is to make sure each member of the community is heard and is properly giving the gifts they have brought to this world.” We offer this workshop, as it were, for the “scout” (the Personal Skills graduate) who has come back to the community with wisdom and the desire to contribute gifts for a larger purpose. We work on larger awareness tasks, as well as introduce healing skills in the broad and specific sense.

"Razor's Edge" Workshop*

(Community Skills Workshop**required)

Will be offered in 2011

$210

By invitation to Community Skills workshop graduates; this clinic is about greater personal commitment and responsibility.

Solo Spiritual Quest

(No prerequisite)

August 7-14 (Saturday-Saturday) Call or email us for details

Note on Solo Wilderness quest cost: We set the price to cover direct expenses only. Some scholarships are available.

For the fourteenth year, we are excited to offer the Solo Spiritual Quest, an experience for answering deep personal questions, balancing and grounding one's life, and empowering one's personal gifts. Our past quest participants have ranged in age from 18 to their 60’s, with extraordinarily varied backgrounds.

While the quest has roots in ancient ceremonies that have occurred in many cultures around the world, it maintains its relevance and power for us modern people. This is because the very act of being alone for four days and nights, and fasting within the rhythms of nature, brings you to a threshold of teaching and centering. The unessential tends to be stripped away, allowing you to discover what is real and necessary for you at this time. Some have quested to sort out important decisions, some to empower underused gifts, and some to shed the complicating “chaff” that modern life bestows. Some of our questers repeat the quest every few years.

Like most significant learning events, the quest does require sacrifice and usually has challenges that tend to be unique for each quester. It is not an experience to undertake out of mere curiosity because it requires a significant commitment. However, the strength you find within yourself, and your willingness to go to the edge of the unknown to learn, create an experience that you can draw on for a lifetime.

Our Solo Quest borrows from no specific tribal tradition. It is a four-day fast, during which you drink ample water. Though others will be questing at the same time, you will be alone in your personal quest circle in a pine/oak woodland. You will have no distractions (journals, cell phones, music, etc.) but will have a sleeping bag and sufficient clothing. You leave your circle only to use your personal latrine and to leave a marker for the facilitators once a day. You will see no one during your fast, though we do set up a communication system for your safety. There is a day and a half of orientation and preparation before you begin your quest, and there is a day of transition after you come out. We feed you before and after your fast and watch over the area 24 hours a day during it. The 2010 quest will be held on 320 acres of private land in the southern Sierras at about 7000 feet elevation.

To participate in this year’s quest you must ask for an application and return it to us by June 15, 2010. If you have any questions, please contact Jim or Mary at any time and we would be happy to talk to you.

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