Courses

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…

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…

A chainsaw is a powerful and efficient tool that requires a specific set of skills and experience to safely operate and maintain, even if those skills are used only on an occasional weekend at the cabin. This course will teach students to recognize and avoid the the hazards that surround…

Early July marks the peak of northern Minnesota’s famous hexagenia mayfly hatch, a time when brook and rainbow trout readily rise to a dry fly on Minnesota’s designated stream trout lakes. This course is scheduled to take full advantage of this fly-fishing opportunity. Beginners, as well as experienced fly fishers,…

The North Shore area of Lake Superior provides some highly prized fly fishing opportunities. Many inland lakes are stocked with rainbow, brown and brook trout, and are accessible by float tube. Tributaries to Lake Superior contain trout and salmon species and are accessible by foot. This course is for the…

Scandinavians know how to move on snow. Follow in their tracks, and take advantage of snow-covered roads, sidewalks, and trails by crafting a kick sled this winter. Learn both basic and advanced woodworking skills. From laminating wood to making runners to shaping a customized handlebar used for steering, you’ll walk (or…

Manoomin, Zizani aquatica, wild rice… the symbolic grain of the North. Wild rice has been a significant food source for the people who have inhabited the Great Lakes region for centuries and who have harvested this annual grain generation after generation. After an overview of wild rice harvesting students  will…