I looked skeptically into the jar I was holding. A whiff of fermentation greeted me. Small bubbles gave the surface of the sourdough starter a foamy look. I gave the soured batter another whiff. Yes, without a doubt. I had created an Accidental sourdough starter. This accident of good fortune would be my main food […]
Harvesting Ripe Elderberries
In this How to article. You will learn how to harvest ripe elderberries with tips and tricks to make your harvesting elderberry simpler.
Visual Man Tracking
Visual Man Tracking in action. Applying the skills of a Visual Man Tracker. A Search and Rescue Tracker scans the area for clues that show spoor of a lost persons trail. What is Visual Man Tracking?Visual man tracking is an ancient hunting technique still in use today for locating and trailing wildlife. But in modern parlance […]
Lemon Balm: herbal tea for stress
Melissa officinalis or Lemon Balm in common speak. Is a member of the mint family (Lamiaceae). A medicinal, square stemmed herb originating from southern Europe. Lemon Balm is now a naturalized medicinal plant in the US and Canada. Sometimes called Bee Balm as honey bees favor this herbaceous plant. Mildly antiviral, the hairy leaves made […]
Woniya Buckskin
Ancestral Skills expert Woniya Thibeault will be joining us this May for First Circle Camp. Woniya operates Buckskin Revolution and survived 70-Days in the Arctic as a contestant on the TV series ALONE. We’re thrilled to have such an experienced, knowledgeable, ancestral skills instructor join us.Ancestral SkillsPrimitive technology is the foundation, the ancestral way of […]
We Train Here
We train here. A metaphor. learning to survive in the shadow of a mountain. Where the sky is great and open. Like our mind curious and open. We train here in forest and meadow where the deer feed and rest. Under a star canopy so clear and bright it takes your breath away. We train […]
Survival Skills: Staying Alive in the Wild
Survival skills include emergency shelter building. The Debris Hut is an example of a survival shelter that can be built without saw or ax. All you need is an abundance of debris at hand. Make sure the spot you choose for your debris hut is plentiful in leaf litter. The lack of leaf debris will […]
Mountain Lion Facts for Search and Rescue
The mountain lion, Felis concolor, or cat of one color, is also known as cougar, panther, ghost cat, catamount, and puma. The mountain lion is the largest feline carnivore of North America. Adults are tawny to chocolate-brown with black tips on their ears and their long tails. Mountain Lion Facts On average, females measure 7 feet from nose to […]
The Best Bow Drill Woods
Best woods for the bow drill create a hot coal faster. Imagine you’re shipwrecked like Tom Hanks in Castaway. Stranded on a Pacific island with no matches or lighter. Or, lost in east Texas. You can’t boil your drinking water or cook the mouse you trapped for your survival stew without fire. What are you […]
The Amazing Blue Elderberry
I am a pushover for the edible blue elderberry. Sambucus cerulea and S. racemosa, an amazing shrub that offers the knowledgeable forager a tremendous bounty of uses. Parts of the blue elderberry are used for making friction fire, musical instruments, hunting weapons, and traps. late summer and early autumn are the best time to harvest […]
Summer Adventure Camp for Teens in California
Teens camp out in a pristine wilderness setting. Activities include hiking and backpacking. Teens learn and practice woodcraft and camping skills. For many of our teens catching their first fish is a memory that lasts a lifetime! Your teen will enjoy sleeping under the stars and sharing stories around the campfire. Summer Adventure Camp for […]
Wilderness Teen Camp: a Wonderful Eye Opening Experience
Wilderness Teen Camp A review. Last summer I had the good fortune to be a guest at Lifesong Wilderness Adventures wilderness teen camp during the month of July. What a great adventure for all involved! The students were a diverse group. One from Holland, another from Chicago and several from the San Francisco Bay Area. […]
Chickweed Power
Chickweed is a common wild edible plant that is packed with vitamins and minerals. What does a hardcore macho, worm eating, outdoor survival teaching, professional eat for breakfast? Chickweed of course. Chickweed or Stellaria media, has juicy, tender, slightly sweet leaves and stalks. For a quick go to food in spring. Chickweed is an excellent […]
Make Drinking Water Safe
How to make water safe to drink during an emergency. Water must be potable, drinkable, filtered, or boiled, to be safe to drink. Otherwise you could become debilitated with Giardia or other waterborne disease. Water, you need it to survive. If you are in an emergency situation right now. You will need safe drinking water […]
Rite of Passage for Teens
Rite of Passage for Teens A teens rite of passage. A wilderness journey to adulthood by Henry Poole Last year I ran across some research that discussed the history of rite of passage into manhood for boys. Recalling my experience of growing up in the 70’s and 80’s, I felt an “aha” while reading about […]
What should I take for a Wilderness Survival Weekend
This is the recommended gear list for our California Weekend Survival School. All items on the checklist below are important for an enjoyable and comfortable wilderness survival weekend experience. Gear List Tent, ground tarp, and sleeping pad. Rent a tent/pad, and a carving knife for camp Sleeping bag, pillow Eating utensils – cup for hot […]
Sign language – reading natures clues with Mark Wienert
Sign language – reading natures clues with expert tracker Mark Wienert BY GARRET JAROS For The Register-Guard Appeared in print: Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2011, page D2 Tracking as a doorway to nature “Tracking is a doorway to nature,” he says, studying an array of tracks that merge and overlap with the bear tracks. “It’s a […]
Cobra Lily
One fascinating plant species, Darlingtonia californica, or Cobra Lily. Grows in boggy habitats in the western US. This includes southern Oregon and northern California. The Cobra Lily is carnivorous. It lures its prey with a foul smelling stench, traps it. Then digests insect prey for food.Cobra LilyAlthough the distribution of the Cobra Lily aka Darlingtonia, is similar to […]
Teen Camp Conservation Project
Teen camp conservation project is held during the month of July. This project is on a remote property in the Eddy mountains of northern California. Each summer our young campers discover the importance of restoration and the techniques used. We developed this program over the years to repair the damage done by illegal off-road drivers. […]
Sharpening the Tracker Knife
Sharpening the Tracker Knife looks complicated, and it is at first sight. But read-on for some simple tips on knife sharpening. The UKW Survivor pictured here is not the Tracker Knife. But the similarities are virtually the same when it comes to sharpening either The Tracker or UKW Survivor. I’m using Russon’s version as I […]
Wing of bat, eye of newt….
Wing of bat eye of newt so the incantation may go. What is safe to eat and what is not. A good thing to know in any situation, and vital when you are trying to survive. The Oregon Coast has much to offer on both counts. Take the Rough Skinned Newt for instance. I have […]
Predators Fang
Roosevelt Elk in Oregon clear-cut Predators fang. In general, hunters take animals in the prime of life, while predators disproportionately take out the older, younger, or less fit individuals. As poet Robinson Jeffers has noted, it is the fang that has created the fleet foot of the antelope.” By George Wurthner Predators Fang “Beyond the […]
Extreme Survival Camp Reviews
Extreme Survival Camp Reviews. I have been running this extreme survival course since 2006. And true to it’s nature it has been a great program. The term extreme survival camp refers to what the training prepares you for. It’s not about risking your life. The camp prepares you for an extreme survival in the backcountry […]
Shadow Wolves
Shadow Wolves. “In brightest day, in darkest night, no evil shall escape my sight, for I am the Shadow Wolf” — U.S. Customs Patrol Officer motto. Shadow Wolves are children of the wilderness. “This tracking, in the ancient way, is often called “cutting sign” or “checking spore” by members of tribes such as the Sioux, […]
