Registration for this workshop opens on Wednesday, March 13th at 10 am.
Do you have a desire to create a deeper relationship with the natural world through wilderness survival skills and bushcraft? Do you wish to become a more resilient and nature-connected person?
In order to learn to thrive in a place, first you must learn to survive! Join us as we explore the skills that help us survive in the woods by learning to live with the resources the land and water provide. By tapping into these ancient skills, we also learn how to steward and care for the natural places we rely upon.
In this day-long workshop, we will explore methods for meeting basic human needs: fire, shelter, water and food. Participants will gain a basic understanding of how to be more prepared, resilient, confident and at home in our local landscape. See in-depth details below!
Session price: $115 +HST. If cost is a barrier, please see our Economics for a Changing World page for sliding-scale and mutual aid options.
This workshop will cover:
Fire: Without a basic understanding of what natural materials to use, proper fire structure design and ignition sources, fire can be a daunting task, even on a dry hot day, let alone damp and cold conditions. In order to become confident in survival in any landscape type, fire is a skill that needs to be practiced and honed. We will learn different fire structure types and uses, effective natural tinder and wood, and different fire starting methods.
Shelter: If you got lost and needed to spend a night out in the woods could you build a warm, weatherproof shelter? Could it shelter you from pouring rain, or keep you warm on a freezing cold night? We'll delve into proper shelter construction utilizing materials available in any given ecosystem, and always with stewardship of the land as a main focus.
Water: It is hard to find a natural clean source of drinking water these days. Most water sources need to be purified before becoming safe to drink. We'll look at many different ways to safely and effectively purify water with natural materials and emergency gear.
Food: There are two different main food sources out on the land; plants and animals. In order to safely understand these beings as food, first you must get to know them. Learning a few common edibles can go a long way towards feeling more resilient and feeling confident in the woods. Likewise, in order to catch an animal, we must study it to understand animal behaviours. We'll look at some common wild food sources and proper harvesting methods of both plants and animals.
Tools of the trade: In order to survive well, it's valuable to have an understanding of proper outdoor tools. While there are multitudes of high-end gear available to us at outdoor stores, we'll look at how to use natural materials for tool making, as well as effective inexpensive modern gear.
Meet Your Instructors
Jordan Roth has been mentoring people for over a decade in Deep Nature awareness, Naturalist training and Wilderness skills. He spent 2 years living in the forest while inhabiting natural shelters made from the land and fostering an intimate relationship with the Earth. His passion for connecting people to the cycles of the natural world while creating a respect and love for all living things drives his enthusiasm and creativity for mentorship.
Mac Osborn had the good fortune of growing up in Guelph exploring the Speed River and canoe tripping in Algonquin Park with his dad. Raised with a profound love for nature he decided to enrol at Sticks and Stones Wilderness School as an apprentice. He spent the next two years living outside in debris shelters, studying naturalism and survival living. He has worked as a nature connection mentor for the past 7 years with a passion to share his love of the outdoors. Mac loves canoe tripping, fishing, tracking mammals, listening to the birds and gardening. He believes that nature is really the best “classroom” around and is always ready to be inspired by what it has to offer. Mac is a woodworker by trade and can be found at GOS supervising carving and wood cutting. He loves working with his hands when he’s not busy playing in the forest.
