Directory of Hands-On Learning

Collection of local and small-town workshops

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Featured School

Hammersmith Studios / Classical Blacksmithing School of Boston

Location: 70 Linden Street, Newton Upper Falls, MA 02464

Description: A school with the hopes of providing people that are interested in the art of blacksmithing a venue to go to and learn the basic skills needed to create hand forged objects and art

Contact: http://hammersmithstudio.com/, info@hammersmithstudio.com, 617-969-5424

Category: blacksmithing, metal work

Search Results for: foraging

Wild Abundance

Location: P.O. Box 1991 Asheville, NC 28802

Description: Wild Abundance is here to empower people with skills for self-sufficiency and interdependence. We develop deeply meaningful and effective classes, programs, and demonstration sites to bring people closer to the each other and to the web of life. We believe that these skills are humanity's legacy; we strive to make them accessible to all people with a hunger to learn through sliding scales and scholarships.

Contact: http://wildabundance.net/, info.wildabundance@gmail.com, (828) 775-7052

Category: Permaculture, Gardening, Foraging, Carpentry, Homebuilding, Butchering,Tanning, Food preservation, Cooking

Eat Wild with Russ Cohen

Location: Arlington, MA

Description: We usually encounter 25-40 different species of edible wild plants (and, in season, pending favorable weather conditions, mushrooms). Keys to the identification of each species are provided, as well as information about its edible portion(s), season(s)of availability, flavor and nutritive value, and some tips on preparation if necessary. Guidelines for safe and environmentally responsible foraging are also provided. In addition, there is a constantly changing variety of edible wild plants throughout the year, even at the same location, so that different plants are typically encountered on each visit.

Contact: http://users.rcn.com/eatwild/bio.htm, eatwild@rcn.com , (781) 646-7489

Category: Foraging, Plant ID

Owl Ridge Homestead - Homesteader's club of CT

Location: 06010

Description: The Homesteading Club brings together a community of like-minded people who are living, or aspire to live, a more self sufficient lifestyle. The club fosters a support system where ideas, projects and experience can be shared in casual conversation. The club is a steady growing group of Homesteader's that have a wide range of skills and experience that we share with each other. We run workshops, talks, and organize tours of farms, homesteads, breweries, and wild edible forages. We have lots of plans for the upcoming fall and winter!

Contact: https://www.facebook.com/groups/238004919636636/, 860-508-0552

Category: beekeeping, animal husbandry, foraging, gardening, wine/beer/cider, fiber arts, off the grid, survival , permaculture, land surveying

Pennsylvania State University

Location: The Pennsylvania State University, 323 Agricultural Administration Building, University Park, PA 16802

Description: An online reference and course listing for all types of farming.

Contact: https://extension.psu.edu/, https://extension.psu.edu/contacts, 877-345-0691

Category: animal husbandry, Foraging,farming, Forestry, Pest Control, soil management

Koviashuvik Local Living School

Location: 71 lake Drive, Temple, Maine

Description: Founded in 2008, Koviashuvik is a working homestead and school of simple living. We offer the Family Sustainability Stay, programs for schools, The Simple Life Internship, and weekend craft classes. Through these venues we teach skills that inspire a lifeway of connection, resilience, and gratitude. Woodwork, wild gathering, tool sharpening, homestead agriculture, food preservation, basketry, fire from friction, leatherwork, acorn processing, rocket stove construction, cooking over fire, humanure composting…. These skills, from all different traditions and times, empower us to choose a positive relationship with mother earth.

Contact: http://koviashuvik.com/, info@koviashuvik.com, 207-778-0318

Category: Carpentry,foraging, homesteading, sustainable agriculture, gardening, food preservation, basketry, basket making, camping, leather,homebuilding, cooking , composting

Prepper Camp

Location: 460 Orchard Lake Rd, Saluda, NC 28773

Description: An annual event where vendors and attendees alike can learn preparedness skills.

Contact: http://www.preppercamp.com/, SurvivorGarden@att.net,

Category: Aquaponics, Beekeeping, Hunting, Survival, Cooking, Blacksmithing, Beer, Wine, Cheese making, Food Preservation, Camping, Gardening, Animal Husbandry, Fiber Animals, Firearms, Off the grid, Trapping, Foraging, Plant ID

Edible Wild Food

Location: Shepherd’s Bush, Aurora, Ontario

Description: Wild edibles exist almost everywhere and are in abundance if you feel like foraging for them. Edible wild food has existed in almost every corner of our planet for tens of thousands of years. Edible weeds, flowers and wild herbs were foraged and used as food (as well as medications); and they provided all the vitamins, minerals and other nutrients required for the human body to maintain good health. Foraging for food used to be the way to survive.

Contact: http://www.ediblewildfood.com/, info@ediblewildfood.com,

Category: Foraging, Plant ID, survival

Cooking with Mrs. G

Location: Millbury, Massachusetts

Description: Rachel Goclawski is a Massachusetts Certified Educator, Wild Foods Foraging Guide, and Programming Partner with the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History, Sudbury Valley Trustees, and Girl Scouts of Eastern MA. For her "day job," she is a US Army Information Technology Specialist assigned to a Green Energy Testing camp at Ft. Devens. Including sugar maple classes.

Contact: https://www.facebook.com/cookingwithmrsg/, goclawski@msn.com,

Category: foraging, plant ID, cooking, food preservation.

Christopher Nyerges

Location: 4550 Oak Grove Dr, La Cañada Flintridge, CA 91011

Description: Regular field trips and workshops to learn about urban and wilderness self-reliance and survival. Learn about WILD FOODS, WILDERNESS SKILLS (such as fire-making, weaponry, shelter-building, etc.), URBAN SKILLS (such as food and water storage, emergency preparedness, alternates to electricity, etc.), and general NATURE AWARENESS and ECOLOGY awareness.

Contact: http://www.christophernyerges.com/, christopher_nyerges@yahoo.com, (626) 791-3217

Category: plant ID, survival, foraging, off the grid, biology, Basket making, camping,cooking, trapping, hunting, blacksmithing

Earthwork Wilderness Survival Training School

Location: PO Box 961 Williamsburg, MA 01096

Description: Classes and workshops that are experiential and teach true sustainability through methods of living with nature in ways that benefit both us and the environment

Contact: http://earthworkprograms.com/, frank@earthworkprograms.com, 413-340-1161

Category: Plant ID, Foraging, Survival

Josh Fecteau

Location:

Description: An online journal focused on observing nature and earth skills

Contact: http://joshfecteau.com/, josh@joshfecteau.com,

Category: Plant ID, Foraging, Survival

Maine Primitive Skills School

Location: 716 Church Hill Rd, Augusta Maine

Description: The Maine Primitive Skills School is an intentionally small learning facility with a mission to provide quality instructor level courses. These courses teach primitive skills, bushcraft, wilderness survival, self reliance, permaculture design, and outdoor education. These are ancient skills that develop awareness and sufficiency with the focus of individuals, community interactions and the environment.

Contact: http://www.primitiveskills.com/, staff@primitiveskills.com, 207-623-7298

Category: Foraging, Plant ID, Camping, Survival, Backpacking, Off the Grid, Home building

Sacred Earth

Location:

Description: Sacred Earth is a private, grass-roots organization dedicated to exploring traditional plant knowledge & cosmologies. Ethnobotanists, Ecologists, Botanists, Conservationists, Eco-psychologists, Herbalists, Mythologists, Cosmologist, Philosophers and all other people of any age, race, and spiritual background who share a passion for nature and a concern for the well-being of Mother Earth are invited to participate in this forum of cross-cultural exchange.

Contact: http://www.sacredearth.com/, kmorgenstern@sacredearth.com, 607-821-1423

Category: Plant ID, Foraging

Boston Mycological Club

Location: Boston, MA 01841

Description: Each year, we offer a short series of classes in fungal ecology, collecting, and identification at Harvard's Farlow Herbarium. Presented by Club members, with the occasional guest, these classes are illustrated with photos and specimens. The easy interaction between the presenter and the class participants encourages student questions.

Contact: http://www.bostonmycologicalclub.org/, bostonmycologicalclub@gmail.com,

Category: plant ID, foraging

Wild Edibles

Location: NJ /PA

Description: As an expert in wild edible plants, Debbie works with the plant identification team for the annual Union County BioBlitz, a 24 hour event that seeks to identify as many species of flora and fauna as possible within a particular habitat area of N.J. She has lead field trips and conducted programs for Morris County Parks, Great Swamp Outdoor Education Center, NJ Mycological Association, Hanson Park Conservancy, NJ Native Plant Society, Highlands Coalition, and Sierra Club, as well as municipal environmental commissions and other organizations.

Contact: http://www.wildediblesnjpa.com/, debbienaha@gmail.com, 908-456-1681

Category: plant ID, foraging

Urban Farming Institute of Boston

Location: 34 Linwood St Boston, Massachusetts

Description: The Urban Farming Institute of Boston’s mission is to develop and promote urban farming as a Commercial sector that creates green collar jobs for residents; and to engage urban communities in building a healthier and more locally based food system.

Contact: https://urbanfarminginstitute.org/, (617) 989-9920

Category: urban farming, plant ID, foraging, beekeeping, sustainable agriculture

Farrington Nature Linc

Location: P.O. Box 293 Lincoln, MA 01773

Description: Organizer of Into Our Woods: An Adult Forest School Series of Workshops Farrington Nature Linc’s mission is to enhance the well-being of children from low-income communities through a connection with the natural world.

Contact: http://www.farringtonnaturelinc.org/, info@naturelinc.org, 781-888-0868

Category: plant ID, foraging,

D Acres of New Hampshire

Location: 218 Streeter Woods Road PO Box 98 Dorchester, New Hampshire 03266

Description: D Acres of New Hampshire is a not-for-profit Permaculture Farm and Educational Homestead located in Dorchester, NH. The Mission of the organization is to function as an educational center that researches, applies and teaches skills of sustainable living and small-scale organic farming. Striving to improve the human relationship to the environment, the center functions as a demonstration farm to role model exemplars of healthy living. Sharing a communal living situation, individuals come to respect and share values of interdependence and love of nature. In addition, the organization supports educational activities directed toward improving the quality of life of residents and the larger community.

Contact: http://www.dacres.org/, info@dacres.org, (603) 786-2366

Category: essential oils, permaculture, sustainable agriculture, foraging, food preservation, farming

Outdoor ESCAPES New Hampshire, LLC

Location: P.O. Box 104, Freedom, NH 03836

Description: Offering year-round guided outdoor adventures & lessons, sightseeing tours, adventure programming, and indoor educational programs, our mission is to immerse participants in New Hampshire's nature and heritage as they develop memories and life skills. Through these experiences, participants may learn one or more of the following: basic and advanced recreational sports, backcountry and survival skills, New Hampshire nature/culture/history, fundamentals of leadership (and followship), self-awareness and development, team-building, environmental awareness, and ecological relationships.

Contact: http://outdoorescapesnewhampshire.com/, naturenut@outdoorescapesnewhampshire.com , (603) 528-0136

Category: survival, camping, backpacking, plant ID, foraging,

Mountain Scout Survival School

Location: Hopewell Junction, NY

Description: In the woods...Wilderness 1, offered in Hopewell Junction, NY introduces the seven arrows of primitive skill; shelter, water, fire, food, tracking, awareness & movement. In the city...Urban Preparedness offered near Central Park in NYC will open your eyes to becoming prepared regardless of your environment.

Contact: http://mtnscoutsurvival.com/, mt.scoutsurvival@gmail.com, 845-629-4866

Category: survival, camping, hunting, plant ID, foraging,

Sigma 3 Survival School

Location: 1233 Highway B Mansfield, MO 65704

Description: Sigma 3 Survival is an extremely unique entity in the survival community. We are setup to offer a broader array of training than any other survival school in the country. Sigma does not differentiate between the different skills sets involved in the survival philosophy. Because just as bushcraft is pivotal for your survival in the wilderness, tactical and defense related skills are important for your urban and combat related survival. All in all, survival is the study and practice of keeping your ASS alive no matter what is happening around you!

Contact: https://www.survivalschool.us/, 479-426-7990

Category: survival, trapping, first aid, plant ID, backpacking, foraging,

Sigma 3 Survival School

Location: Gravette, Arkansas

Description: Sigma 3 Survival is an extremely unique entity in the survival community. We are setup to offer a broader array of training than any other survival school in the country. Sigma does not differentiate between the different skills sets involved in the survival philosophy. Because just as bushcraft is pivotal for your survival in the wilderness, tactical and defense related skills are important for your urban and combat related survival. All in all, survival is the study and practice of keeping your ASS alive no matter what is happening around you!

Contact: https://www.survivalschool.us/, 314-308-6955

Category: survival, trapping, first aid, plant ID, backpacking, foraging,

Sigma 3 Survival School

Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado

Description: Sigma 3 Survival is an extremely unique entity in the survival community. We are setup to offer a broader array of training than any other survival school in the country. Sigma does not differentiate between the different skills sets involved in the survival philosophy. Because just as bushcraft is pivotal for your survival in the wilderness, tactical and defense related skills are important for your urban and combat related survival. All in all, survival is the study and practice of keeping your ASS alive no matter what is happening around you!

Contact: https://www.survivalschool.us/, 719-930-9714

Category: survival, trapping, first aid, plant ID, backpacking, foraging,

Sigma 3 Survival School

Location: Jacksonville, FL

Description: Sigma 3 Survival is an extremely unique entity in the survival community. We are setup to offer a broader array of training than any other survival school in the country. Sigma does not differentiate between the different skills sets involved in the survival philosophy. Because just as bushcraft is pivotal for your survival in the wilderness, tactical and defense related skills are important for your urban and combat related survival. All in all, survival is the study and practice of keeping your ASS alive no matter what is happening around you!

Contact: https://www.survivalschool.us/, 401-632-1670

Category: survival, trapping, first aid, plant ID, backpacking, foraging,

Sigma 3 Survival School

Location: Ridgeway, VA

Description: Sigma 3 Survival is an extremely unique entity in the survival community. We are setup to offer a broader array of training than any other survival school in the country. Sigma does not differentiate between the different skills sets involved in the survival philosophy. Because just as bushcraft is pivotal for your survival in the wilderness, tactical and defense related skills are important for your urban and combat related survival. All in all, survival is the study and practice of keeping your ASS alive no matter what is happening around you!

Contact: https://www.survivalschool.us/, 276-226-9104

Category: survival, trapping, first aid, plant ID, backpacking, foraging,

Tom Brown Jr's Tracker School

Location: 529 Route 9, Unit #10 Waretown, NJ 08758

Description: The Tracker School was founded in 1978 by Tom Brown Jr, Americas most renowned Tracker, and Wilderness Survival expert. Based on the teachings of Stalking Wolf, the Apache elder from whom Tom learned his skills when he was just seven years old, he began teaching. The school has expanded to include over 75 classes, divided into eight course tracks.

Contact: https://www.trackerschool.com/, registration@trackerschool.com, 609-242-0350

Category: Survival, Homebuilding, Hunting, Trapping, Camping, Off the Grid, Fishing, Foraging, Basket Making,

Wilderness Awareness School

Location: 26425 NE Allen St, Ste 203 Duvall, WA 98019

Description: Wilderness Awareness School, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization founded in 1983, is an internationally-recognized leader in outdoor education. Our mission is to help children and adults cultivate healthy relationships with nature, community and self. We are based in the foothills of the Cascade mountains about 45-minutes outside of Seattle, WA.

Contact: https://wildernessawareness.org/, 425-788-1301

Category: Survival, Plant ID, Foraging, Hunting, Land Surveying, Fishing,



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