Summer Camp and Weekend Survival Course

Hello Alderleaf Blog readers.  Our summer here at the school has been jam packed, with classes following one after another, and much learning going on.  We just completed our first week of Alderleaf Summer Nature Camp for kids.  It went wonderfully, and we ended the week feeling like a big family.  The wonderful kids we worked with had so much fun they did not want to go home at the end of the day.  We will miss them and hope to see them again.

Here is a photographic highlight of some smiling faces during our time cooking lunches over an open fire.

Following on the heels of the summer camp was our 2 day, weekend wilderness survival course.  It was great fun working with some really focused, and enthusiastic learners.  We went over many different wilderness survival topics, including shelter building, water purification, wild foods basics, trapping, cordage making and friction fires.

Here are 2 photos demonstrating the challenge and success that comes with making fires using the bow and drill friction fire method.

You know you are close to getting a coal when you see this much smoke!

And a coal at last!  Hard work and persistence pays off in the end.  Nothing like having a tinder bundle bursting into flames right in front of you for the first time. The smile says it all.

A big thank you to the participants who joined us for the weekend wilderness survival class, as well as to all the wonderful kids that spent a week with us in the woods.  We hope to see you all again!

And if you'd like to join us, we're holding one more Nature Camp and one more Weekend Wilderness Survival Course in August! - Check out the Course Calendar.