+
A Weekend of Wilderness Skills Workshops
DATE CHANGE! Due to recent drought conditions, the Wilderness Extravaganza! will be held in October to give Mother Nature a chance to recover. Early-Bird pricing has been extended to 9/30!
Saturday, September 23 & Sunday, September 24, 2023
5 Workshops! Attend all, some or just one!
Register early for Early-Bird prices (ends August 30)
If you plan to attend ALL 5 Workshops: REGISTER EARLY & SAVE 10% (Early-Bird: $238.50/adult, $126/child with adult, attending all 5 Workshops)
Register for individual Workshops below
Join Frank Grindrod & Earthwork Programs to learn new and practice already-learned wilderness skills.
All Workshops are in Conway, MA
For Adults & Families!
I would think everyone from any walk of life would benefit from learning the skills Frank offers and the knowledge he imparts, on any level they wish to learn it. -Mary, Weekend Getaway participant
Saturday
9:00-12:00 Survival Kit Essentials with BONUS Carving & Knife Skills Early-Bird: $50/adult, $25/child with parent
1:30-4:30 Wild Edibles Early-Bird: $50/adult, $30/child with parent
6:00-9:00 Cooking over a Fire – Outdoor Cooking Early-Bird: $65/adult, $35/child with parent
Sunday
9:00-12:00 The Art of Fire Early-Bird: $50/adult, $25/child with parent
1:30-4:30 Animal Tracking plus BONUS–Bird Language Early-Bird: $50/adult, $25/child with parent
WORKSHOP DESCRIPTIONS:
Survival Kit Essentials with BONUS Carving & Knife Skills: Hey hikers, skiers, outdoor enthusiasts! What do you do if you get disoriented or some other unexpected situation arises while you’re out and about? Do you have a survival kit? What are the top 10 things you bring with you when you’re in the wilderness? Plus, study the basics of knife safety, carving methods, handling a knife and blade care.
Wild Edibles: Build your confidence and competence in identifying, gathering, processing, preparing, cooking and eating Wild Edibles and Medicinal Plants! We will learn how to identify and harvest wild plants and mushrooms that we will prepare and eat at the evening Primitive Cooking Workshop. Learn how to ethically harvest wild cherry bark and make Wild Cherry Bark Syrup that works wonders for dry hacking coughs and many other health conditions.
The class on wild edibles was my second with Frank and continued with the same thorough, thoughtful approach I appreciated in the first class. Since meeting him at his recent talk earlier this month, I have already been able to incorporate wild foods into my diet every day. I look forward to deepening my knowledge of wild edible plants as I progress through the yearlong immersion program. -Laurell, a Weekend Getaway participant
Cooking over a Fire – Outdoor Cooking: Do you want to take your campfire cooking to a whole other level? Tired of the same old hot dogs, burgers and marshmallows? Want to learn how to do passive cooking where you can cook multiple items at the same time while you’re enjoying the fire? This Cooking over a Fire – Cooking Outside Workshop is exactly what you’re looking for! In this workshop, we teach you the fine art of being able to cook in style and have the folks that you take camping with you say “wow!” Samples provided!
The Art of Fire: Experience this lost art that we are preserving and sharing with the future generations…see our children rekindle this connection to our past and see for yourself why this is essential to witness.
The art of fire was almost magical – that fire can be created from things that can be found in our surroundings plus a bit of physical effort. I would not have believed it possible if I had not attended the class. -Mary, Weekend Getaway participant
Animal Tracking + Bird Language: There’s no better teacher than experience…learn and practice: the 5 arts of tracking, the art of questioning, 3 perspectives of trackings, mind’s eye training and field journaling! In our tracking classes, throughout the year, beginner and expert trackers come together and are immersed in ancient and modern teachings.
The tracking class was almost more a class in awareness – it made me see the woods and the life of the animals who live in it through the tracks and signs they leave behind as they move. -Mary, Weekend Getaway participant
PLUS learn the 5 main bird voices; by understanding them, and knowing what foundation behaviors to watch for that differentiate baseline and alarm, you can start to experience a more intimate and very powerful depth of knowing.
Bring your field guides, a journal and sense of wonder!
Earthworks workshops provided an amazing educational experience for my three teens and me. With so many great workshops it is difficult to determine which aspect of the wilderness weekend I enjoyed most. Earthworks gives those of us who have read the survival books and watched the shows an opportunity to practice these skills first hand with knowledgeable and patient guidance that caters to both beginners and experienced woodsmen. -Bronya, mom of 3 teens (all attended the Weekend Getaway last Spring)
Register early for Early-Bird prices–limited time only!
If you plan to attend ALL 5 Workshops: REGISTER EARLY & SAVE 10% (Early-Bird: $238.50/adult, $126/child with adult, attending all 5 Workshops)
For specific questions, call 413-340-1161
During the short time that I attended the program, I realized that I was surrounded by people more experience than I had ever known and all of them were more than willing to share their knowledge. -Chris, a Weekend Getaway participant
MAKE A WEEKEND OF IT!
Opportunity to stay overnight on the land on Saturday night!
* Bring own tent & supplies–$25/solo person or $10/person for families
You can set up your tent in our big field – an 8-acre field of mowed grass. It is a short walk from there up to the main lodge where you can use the shower and bathroom facilities, kitchen and dining room.
Book Camping Now
The bathroom and shower facilities are rustic, like a summer sleepaway camp or simple campground. The men’s and women’s bathrooms each have hot and cold water, with 2 showers, 2 toilets, and 2 sinks. Sadly, they are not heated.
Bouchard Lodge
The Lodge is a rustic multi-purpose camp building.
The kitchen has a commercial gas range, several refrigerators, 2 sinks, and a microwave. It is fully equipped with pots, pans, utensils, plates, cups, etc. We just ask that you clean up after yourselves and recycle into the appropriate containers.
The dining area is very flexible. We have folding tables and chairs that you can use as needed, a small nature library for reference, and a cabinet of board games. There is an old tv and a pile of videotapes that you are welcome to use.
PLEASE REGISTER FOR CAMPING AT LEAST 2 WEEKS BEFORE