Courses

Explore the history, construction, and use of the Native American birch bark canoe in this hands-on course. Paddled for centuries on the lakes and rivers of the interior, all the necessary materials can be sustainably harvested from a healthy boreal forest: birch bark, cedar, spruce root and spruce gum. During…

Most birds are not known for sitting still. By learning to recognize their songs, calls and the habitats they live in, you can have a satisfying birding experience every time you step outdoors, with or without your binoculars! In this one-day workshop we’ll travel to various habitats and birding hotspots…

Most birds are not known for sitting still. By learning to recognize their songs and calls and the habitats they live in, you can have a satisfying birding experience every time you step outdoors, with or without your binoculars! In this morning workshop we’ll travel to various habitats in Cook…

Soup and bread are some of the most elemental comfort foods; rediscover how good these staples can be – in distinctly French fashion – with Chef Scott Graden of New Scenic Cafe. Class will start by preparing a country sourdough and the quintessential baguette. While it rises, Scott will lead…

The market basket will take you many places: from the market to the beach, from picnics to the grocery stores. This course is an introduction to the awesome qualities of the ash tree, which we will use for both weaving the basket and making the handles. We will prepare the…

The black ash pack basket: It's beautiful, highly functional, and can be made using simple materials. The first part of the class will be spent preparing black ash splint for your basket by pounding a locally harvested log. Next, you'll weave the basket and finish it with a rim, handle,…

Outfit your own blacksmithing tool chest while developing and refining your skills on the forge. In this course, you will create the set of tools needed to become a backyard blacksmith, while simultaneously learning the basics of blacksmithing. Initial tool projects will include tongs and fire-tending tools. Heat treatment, forging,…

Always wanted to try your hand at the forge? This is the place to start and continue to develop your blacksmithing skills. You will be introduced to the basic skills of the blacksmith, including safety, fire control, tools, and equipment in both a classroom and "on the forge" setting. Student…

Building a book is like building a a timber frame - the parts are smaller and they do bend easier, but they must all fit together for it to work!  In this introductory bookbinding class, students will bind a 7 x 10 hard-cover, multi-section book, perfect for recording details of…

Side-sewn binding is one solution for binding together single sheet pages. Any number of sheets can be bound, and additional sheets can be added or removed even after the book is bound. Using a sewing machine, and a Dremel drill, students will make two versions of side sewn bindings -…

Boro is a Japanese folk textile with an indiscernible eloquence and aesthetic that was originally created out of necessity, in which small scraps of precious fabric are carefully stitched together to create a larger cloth or repair a garment. In this course students will review a brief history of Boro…

Make the wood chips fly!  This course is for students ready to stand at the chopping block and learn to use classic wooden bowl-carving hand tools – the adze, axe, gouge and push knife.  During this class, topics including selection of wood stock, elements of bowl design, strategies for hand-hewing,…

This course takes students through the step-by-step process of crafting a wooden longbow, wooden-shafted arrow and bow string. To facilitate learning about constructing a traditional bow, students start with a rough-cut stave of hickory. Bows are backed with flax-fiber linen. Arrows include field point and feathers. String is made using…

Pick up your hammer! This course is designed for students with little or no building experience who want to build a tiny home, small cabin, or workshop. The techniques for building a small frame building are not only for the skilled carpenter; nearly anyone can come away from this course…

There’s that old saying about teaching a man to fish, but this course lets students go a step beyond fishing to building their own fishing rods. We’re not talking sapling, string, and safety pin; under the guidance of professional rod builder Kris Kristufek, students will build a technically perfect spin…