Elements of Survival: Wilderness Skills Series

About this Event

A three-part wilderness skills series that explores the essential forces of Water, Earth & Air, and Fire, guiding participants to reconnect with nature while learning practical skills for resilience and self-reliance in the wild. Register for individual days or the whole session. Saturdays, 1:00-4:00pm, beginning May 9th.

Elements of Survival is a three-part, hands-on wilderness skills series that teaches practical techniques for thriving outdoors, including building shelter, making fire, and finding and purifying water. Each 3 hour class focuses on a different set of survival techniques, blending practical “make and take” projects with outdoor instruction.

Classes begin at the corn barn, where participants may craft useful tools and learn foundational concepts, before taking a short hike into the woods to practice skills at the outdoor classroom. While geared toward a mature audience, students ages 12 and up are welcome when accompanied by an adult. Whether you join for one class or the full series, you’ll walk away with lasting tools, knowledge, and confidence to thrive in the outdoors.

May 9th – Water

In this class, you’ll learn how to find, filter, and purify water using both modern tools and primitive techniques. From building your own water filter to recognizing natural collection methods, this course will give you the knowledge and confidence to stay hydrated in the wild. Here’s what to expect:

Make & Take Projects:

1. DIY water bottle filter
2. Solar still kit

Hands-On Skills:

1. Using your handmade water filter and solar still
2. Understanding LifeStraw basics
3. Effectively using aqua tabs 
4. Setting up a tarp rain catch
5. Water boiling methods for disinfection
6. Using bleach safely to purify water
7. Filtering with a cloth 
8. Drinking from moss
9. Collecting water with bags over leafy branches

You’ll leave with your own water-purification projects and critical skills to locate, collect, and make safe drinking water in nearly any environment.

May 16th – Earth & Air

This class combines the grounding skills of Earth with the vital role of Air to teach you how to build shelter, work with natural resources, and use your environment to survive. From stone-boiled water to woodland shelters, you’ll gain practical skills that transform the wilderness into a place of resilience and home. Time in this class will be spent on the following:

Make & Take Projects:

1. Bamboo bellows (to breathe life into your fires)
2. Wooden cup (crafted with your own hands)

Hands-On Skills:

1. Boiling water with heated stones
2. Cooking meals on flat rocks
3. Building a Dakota fire hole
4. Constructing a woodland shelter from natural materials
5. Using leaves for insulation and rain protection
6. Crafting a cooking hook from a Y-branch
7. Practical uses of dirt in survival situations

By the end, you’ll leave with handmade survival tools and a deeper connection to the earth beneath your feet and the air that fuels every fire and breath.

May 23rd – Fire 

Fire is one of the most essential survival skills—and one of the most rewarding to master. In this hands-on class, you’ll learn both practical fire-starting projects to take home and the fundamental techniques to confidently build, maintain, and use fire in the outdoors.

Make & Take Projects:

1. Wax fire starter
2. Ferro rod keychain, necklace, or bracelet
3. Waterproof matches

Hands-On Skills:

1. Breaking down firewood safely with a hatchet and knife
2. Understanding the Rule of 3s in survival
3. Choosing the right fire lay for cooking, warmth, and efficiency
4. Identifying dry, ready-to-burn wood
5. Striking a ferro rod to start a fire
6. Making simple hooks for campfire cooking
7. Cooking ash cakes over the fire
8. Directing and reflecting heat with stones and fire placement
9. Extinguish a fire completely and responsibly

By the end of this class, you’ll bring home your own custom fire-starting tools and gain the confidence to safely build and use fire in any outdoor situation.

Event Ambassadors

Grace F

Youth Ambassador

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