EC Blog

Wild Brew 101 -- NEW CLASS

2009-07-06T20:23:00.002-05:00

A Brand Spanking New Class that introduces the art of home brewing wine, mead, and beer. We do this classic class our own way using wild plants for the flavoring. Come and learn the basics of fermentation and create your own special brew. At the end of the day, students will go home with a few brewski's they truly can call their own. (21 and older only!)

For those who cannot wait:

Nettle Beer Recipe

Ingredients:

a mess of nettle tops
2 1/2 gallons of water
3 lbs of sugar (or equivalent in Honey)
50g cream of tartar
15g of beer yeast or brewer's yeast (you can chance a harvest your own at your "own risk")

Procedure:
Bring Nettles and water to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes.
strain Nettles and bring liquid back to boil... add sugar and cream of tartar.
simmer and stir until it is all dissolved.
let cool to warm... add yeast, stirring well.
fill your bottles with vapor lock and let brew for a few week to three months.
when bubbles of CO2 slow to a minimum, cap or cork bottle.
let age for a while and enjoy fruits of your labor.

You can learn so much more at the class. See you there.
Dont Drink and Do Primitive Skills!

Wolf Moon Camp Was a Howling Success

2009-01-21T15:10:00.010-05:00

Our first seasonal moon camp was a success!

Three days of winter skills and crafts; including, Flint knapping and Pottery Making/firing with special guest instructor Keith Grenoble, Brain tanning, making things from buckskin and Mead making with special guest instructor Natalie Bogwalker, Bow Drill Friction Fire and Grass Coil Basketry with Tim MacWelch, and Wilderness Self Defense with Hue.

Take a look at the Happy pics!!

Pam stayed the night in the wicciup.

Keith warms the pottery by the fire before firing...

Fire Keeps them warm between classes.

The finished product.

Natalie stirs the wort.

Wolf Moon Camp - Jan 16-18

2009-01-07T14:56:00.003-05:00

Earth Connection is very pleased to announce a series of primitive skills gatherings hosted by the Earth Connection Family of schools. The events will be run at our Virginia camp near Fredericksburg, VA. The events will happen each season and be closely tied to the traditional skills and activities of that time of year.

Wolf Moon Camp, this first of these events is our Winter Primitive Skills Gathering - Jan 16-18

The Wolf Moon is the season when our ancestors would draw close together as the hungry wolves howled around the edges of their camp. Join us as we make use of this cold season with our theme of "Winter Skills and Crafts". This event is for ages 18 and up.

Lessons currently being planned include Flint knapping, Pottery Making and Pottery Firing with special guest instructor Keith Grenoble - Brain tanning and making things from buckskin with special guest instructor Natalie Bogwalker - Wilderness Self Defense with Earth Connection North Carolina - Winter wild edible plants with Hue Hueston - Friction Fire with the Bow Drill and Grass Coil Basketry from Tim MacWelch - Primitive Winter shelters, Coal burning wood bowls, String and fiber arts, Primitive jewelry and more.

Happy Holidays

2008-12-25T17:16:00.009-05:00

The Earth Connection family wishes everyone who attended our classes in 2008 a wonderful and happy holiday. Those of you who could not make it to an EC class this past year... well, we wish you the best too!!
Survive Smarter, Not Harder!
Why learn primitive skills from the not-so-in-touch with their primitive self? Learn from the best... Earth Connection. 250, 000 years of hunter-gatherer skills in one school. Now that is cool.

You choose!

Tim, Hue, Wes, Hardee and Todd -- the original cavemen.

Fire Palooza in a Family Basket

2008-12-10T16:42:00.000-05:00

EC recently held thefirst triple deluxe set of classes contained by one entire weekend at Earth Connection school in VA--Fire Palooza, Primitive Basket Making and a EC family friendly class with Kate's family.

Wes Massey, a Fire Plow Boy, conducted Fire Palooza, Earth Connection's friction fire making extravaganza, with Hue's help. Tim taught the basket making class with the help from Jamey's dextrous fingers.

Despite the cooler weather and some moisture in the air the Palooza class actually make fire the island way--fire plow. Wes was a proud fire father coaching the crew on to a coal and nuturing into full flame. Hand drill was more challenging that day than the fire plow, but Wes pushed one out anyway. He's a stud when it comes to hand drill technique.

Baskets materials were provided for the first coil basket. Later in the day the group collected local wisteria vines to make their own wild baskets. If it was spring all would have been annoyed with the constant pounding for the production of oak splints. But, the pounding always produces a fine burden basket.

The family class took place in the new wicciup Tim made for Kate and family. Stories and tales punctuated the clay bowl making and other skills that were presented. The kiddies had fun even though the cold was a little uncomfortable.

North Carolina Games and More

2008-09-22T15:39:00.008-05:00

On Saturday, EC-NC hosted its first survival workshop. The participants used a few pieces of equipment they might have with them in a survival situation to create shelter, build a fire, boil water, and even do a bit of fishing and trapping (everyone escaped their own traps unscathed).

As always, Wes Massey impressed the group with his ability to make fire seem to appear out of nothing. He also showed courage by demonstrating his faith in iodine tablets for water purification by drinking the water Hardee Merritt obtained "from somewhere." We expect him to make a full recovery.

The group came away with a greater appreciation for the elements needed to survive in the wilderness, and the reassurance that the necessary resources are available to them, if they just know how to look.

On Sunday the intrepid band of EC-NC instructors took on twenty-two even-more-intrepid young warriors. Alpha, Bravo, Charlie and Delta squads raced through the woods, swinging over a perilous chasm, walking a rope bridge, and encountering numerous obstacles in their path to be the first groups to return to base.

Later, armed with swords and armored for battle, these promising fighters defended their group's flag to the death on the field of glory. Returning to camp after a bloody afternoon, they had the opportunity to improve themselves with lessons in fire safety and other wilderness skills.

The highlight of the afternoon was an unusual repast of copperhead snake (minus the head), roasted over the fire by chef Massey.

Everyone had a great time, and returned home to tell their valiant tales.

Earth Connection - North Carolina's First Fire

2008-08-27T18:37:00.011-05:00

EC-NC, the newest addition to the Earth Connection family, held their very first classes on 23-24 Aug, Emergency Fire Skills (half-day) and a youth survival class.

The inaugural Emergency Fire Skills class enjoyed a beautiful afternoon on Saturday. Wes Massey led the class through a wide assortment of fire skills from identifying and locating good tinder to appropriate location and construction, to the proper use of modern and primitive fire starting tools.

Walking around the woods, Wes showed everyone how to identify trees such as tulip poplar, cedar and birch, and how to harvest resources from each. Discussing the best way to get a fire started in the rain, Wes gave an impressive illustration of the value of "fat wood" from a dead pine.

By the end of the day, everyone had tried their hand at using a bow drill, had given a lot more thought to carrying fire tools, and had enjoyed a few hours in good company appreciating the variety of natural resources available if they need them.

On Sunday, the youth class had an exciting time exploring the woods. The group built a sturdy shelter out of readily-available materials that would have protected them from the elements easily in an emergency survival situation. Throughout the class, the instructors emphasized ways of avoiding becoming lost, staying safe, and enjoying the outdoors.

There was one interesting character visiting the school that provided the band of survivors with some excitement and laughs.

Our wily crew easily caught a fish from the pond, and learned how some primitive fishermen might have done that work. This valiant band of young woodsmen had a great time, and are looking forward to seeing more wildlife at the next EC-NC class.

All of the attendees were present and accounted-for at the end of the class, and in mostly the same condition in which they arrived.

This weekend will go down in Earth Connection history!!

EC @ Ninjutsu Mountain Quest

2008-08-04T14:12:00.005-05:00

Tim MacWelch, An-shu Steven K. Hayes, Rick Hueston

This past weekend Earth Connection participated at North Carolina Quest Center's request in their annual Mountain Quest seminar. Mountain Quest seminar, unique to the North Carolina Quest Center, consists of a three-day event in the North Carolina Mountains at a location reminiscent of the original Togakure mountain training ground of the ninja warriors of the past. It is here they learn new skills and promote their newest black belts.

The founder of the To-Shin Do Ninjutsu An-shu Steven K. Hayes provided seminars in special martial arts skills that were not only impressive, but also inspiring. Earth Connection staff provided friction fire demonstrations and participated in the seminars.

Stephen K. Hayes was the first martial artist in the western world to be taught the secrets of Ninjutsu by the 34th generation Grand Master Masaaki Hatsumi in Japan. Mr. Hayes organized these teachings into an easily understandable curriculum called To Shin Do.

The North Carolina Quest Center is the first to open in North Carolina. It was founded by cardiologist and martial artist Richard S. Stack, M.D. Dr. Stack practices Cardiology at Duke and and has lived in Chapel Hill/Durham for the past 20 years. He is a fifth degree black belt and a Master Instructor in Ninjutsu. He is the personal student of both Stephen K. Hayes and Grand Master Masaaki Hatsumi, with whom he has trained extensively in the United States and in Japan for the past 14 years.

Tim and Hue were honored to be gifted this unprecedented experience. We met so many wonderful people that will hold special memories in us both. We are also looking forward to offering our brand of survival and wilderness skills training to more of their students. In a way, we compliment each others goals of self-development and self-sufficiency.

Other links of interest:
Steven K. Hayes Dayton Ohio Quest Center

Earth Connection - North Carolina Ribbon Cutting

2008-08-01T16:02:00.008-05:00

Tim MacWelch, EC founder, and Wes Massey, EC-NC head instructor

It is official, the Earth Connection branch near Raleigh/durham North Carolina (EC-NC) is open for training.

Welcome to the family!

This new Earth Connection affiliate is run by Wes Massey, Hardee Merritt & Todd Magers; along with the help from many of their colleagues at the North Carolina Quest Center.

Tim and Hue visited the property EC-NC purchased to train Earth Connection's newest students recently for the ribbon cutting. It has so many possibilities. The site has a pond with fish (hmmm... primitive fishing skills), access to a large stream that feeds into a larger lake (hmmm... kayaking survival adventures), 10+ acres of trees (hmmm... area for a ropes course) and many, many resources for primitive skills classes.

Attend a class and experience the difference that EC-NC is making.

BTW, these guys are good. We are not telling you this because we have to, but because we know they are. We trained them. In particular, their friction fire skills are impeccable. We expect this affiliate to grow beyond all expectations. Sign up for a class soon!

Earth Connection - North Carolina 2008 Class Schedule

August 23rd – Emergency Fire Skills - Half Day

A well constructed fire can dry your clothes; increase your core temperature, cook your food, purify your water, and light your way. This course will cover skills including fire safety, proper fire materials, fire lay construction, and many methods of starting and maintaining fires, both modern and primitive.

September 20th – Survival Strategies I - Full Day

Do you know what constitutes a survival situation and how to properly navigate it? In this course we go over both modern and primitive skills necessary in any survival situation. Topics of instruction include: priorities of survival, survival kit construction, fire strategies, and building and using tarp shelters.

October 11th – Friction Fire - Full Day

This course will focus on the Bow Drill and the Hand Drill methods of Friction Fire. Proper construction and implementation of fire making equipment will be emphasized along with fire safety, tinder and firewood selection, and the construction of a primitive fireplace.

November 1 – Survival Strategies II - Full Day

Like Survival Strategies I, this course covers crucial skills to ensure your safety and well-being in any survival situation. You do not have to attend Survival Strategies I to attend Survival Strategies II. Topics include: Priorities of Survival, leaf hut shelter construction, tracking, stalking, primitive fishing, trapping skills, primitive cooking, using fire to make wooden dishes and making string using plants and bark.

Here is Earth Connection - North Carolina's Staff:

EC T-Shirt/Bag/Thong Sale

2008-06-26T21:02:00.006-05:00

Beginning on July 28, 2008 CAFEPRESS will be implementing Base Price increases to some of EC products.

With the rising cost of goods and labor modest, price increases became a necessary business decision for CAFEPRESS.

HOWEVER...

We at EC will not raise the price for EC products until 1 January 2009. We'll take it in the pants for you. Helping you survive the economic downturn with a price hold. Think of it as a SALE.

Visit the EC CAFEPRESS Store to get your T-shirts, mugs and hats. Even the EC thong is on price hold.

Two New Week-Long Classes @ EC

2008-06-23T20:12:00.004-05:00

We have just added 2 new classes to our summer class schedule. They are jam packed full of smart and realistic skills.

We have combined several very practical and popular classes to offer a 5-day Primitive Skills Week and a 5-day Ultimate Survival Week.

PRIMITIVE SKILLS WEEK - July 21-25, 2008

This course is a 5-day immersion in the Primitive Skills world, living much like our ancestors have lived before you or I. Get ready to see if you can leave the modern world behind!

Students will learn how to build a leaf hut shelter, without tools or cord. We will spend an entire day learning and practicing our vital fire making skills, including the ways to collect and prepare tinder and kindling and how to do friction fire making with the bow drill and hand drill.

We will learn the following skills: primitive tool making, primitive water gathering and purification, four primitive traps, how to make a rabbit hunting stick, primitive fishing, primitive cooking, food preservation and storage, wicker basketry from vines, plant and tree bark string, and burning out wooden bowls and spoons. Finally, an entire day will be devoted to Wild Edible Plants, the food source that can't run away.

ULTIMATE SURVIVAL WEEK - August 11-15, 2008

This is a brilliant 5-day combination of our Primitive Skills and Wilderness Survival classes. If you're not ready for the outdoors after this one, you weren't paying attention in class.

Our information packed class will cover modern wilderness survival skills with primitive skills as the ultimate back up plan. You may not have any modern survival supplies in an emergency, but you've always got sticks and stones (and we'll give you the knowledge of how to use them).

The curriculum includes: The Priorities of Survival, how not to get lost in the first place, how to signal for rescue, what to put in survival kits, building and camping out in one of the many tarp shelters to be covered, collecting and purifying water with several modern methods, and basics of making and utilizing fire (including flint & steel, batteries, magnifying lens, waterproofing matches and tinder). Food gathering instruction will include collecting and preparing nutritious edible plants, four different traps unique to this course, how to make a rabbit hunting stick and survival fishing. How to sharpen a knife with a stone, knots and string making will also be covered.

Students will learn how to build a leaf hut shelter, without tools or cord, how to collect and prepare tinder and kindling, how to make a friction fire with the bow drill, primitive tool making, primitive water gathering and purification. Primitive cooking, food preservation and storage, wicker basketry from vines, plant and tree bark string, and burning out wooden bowls and spoons will also be covered.

Please call or email for more details and availability.

Primitive Trapping - New Class

2008-05-18T12:08:00.006-05:00

EC held their first Primitive Trapping class this past weekend. We learned how to work with simple traps; like the basic wire/cordage snare, simple bent sapling trigger, Graves trigger, and Paiute deadfall. Each student was able to practice the selected primitive traps before we continued instruction that included local trapping regulations, animal behavior and habits, baiting, trapping safety, non-lethal practice trapping and trap descenting.

We taught as much information as we could, limited by the one day class, that would give the basic skills need to understand the art of trapping primitively. Although these skills are mainly for survival, there is much to learn from practicing trapping skills; like animal behavior and tacking.

Vickie sets her paiute deadfall

EC highly recommends obtaining a state trapping license to practice modern trapping for all the lessons we could not teach in our one day class.

Attention EC Locavores - Organic Gardening Class is Coming 18 May

2008-05-07T18:09:00.007-05:00

Eating locally and the 100-mile diet are becoming familiar and vogue concepts in recent times. rising food prices and the burgeoning food shortages worldwide, mostly due to ill-advised political decision to support plant based fuel production and Weather induced crops loss (possibly attributed to global warming trends) leave many of us one trucker strike (probably from the fast rising cost of fuel) away from helplessness and hunger.

A locavore is someone who eats food grown or produced locally or within a certain radius such as 50, 100, or 150 miles (your own backyard). "Locavore" was coined by Jessica Prentice from San Francisco Bay Area on the occasion of World Environment Day 2005. The locavore movement encourages consumers to buy from farmers’ markets or even to produce their own food, with the argument that fresh, local products are more nutritious and taste better. Local grown food is an environmentally friendly means of obtaining food, since supermarkets that import their food use more fossil fuels and non-renewable resources.

The New Oxford American Dictionary chose locavore as its word of the year 2007. Some locavores draw inspiration from the 100-Mile Diet or from advocates of local eating like Barbara Kingsolver whose book "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" chronicles her family's attempts to eat locally. Barbara is quoted, "...if every American citizen would eat just one local and organically-grown meal a week, the savings in fuel [alone] would amount to 1.1 million barrels of oil every week."

You are what you eat... but, what is at the end of your spork and how it got there is most important.

What's a family to do? I'll tell you what... take Earth Connection's organic gardening and wild edibles classes to find a partial solution to what might seem as a bleak future.

Besides the benefits to your dinner table there are added benefits to local sustainable growth including the encouragement and support of small local farmers. Learning wild edibles provides food for just the energy expended in finding and preparing, while planting your own small organic garden increases the size of your brain...

Yes, you have to learn a whole new skill, but it is good for you just like food from your organic garden or your backyard.

Ref: Local food. (2008, May 4). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 17:28, May 6, 2008, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Local_food&oldid=210122660

EC Primitive Trapping Class - 17 May

2008-05-05T18:42:00.002-05:00

Trapping is an art. The most important thing an artist should know before applying his artful techniques is to see; in other words, the trapper must know the animal he/she intends to trap and I mean all of it's habits and traits in detail like you were the animal itself. This takes much study and observation, including tracking dirt time.

Tangently, and less important, you need to know how to create a trap that will capture your target animal.

Knowing where to put your trap to catch an animal is trapping.

Also, in this modern world of laws and regulations, knowing the local trapping laws that govern the art is important (like many primitive traps are illegal). In class we show non-lethal primitive traps so you can practice them without the jail time.

We advice students who are interested in learning how to trap primitively to obtain a state trapping license and practice the art of trapping with modern trapping techniques. There is not much difference from modern trapping and primitive trapping other than the style of trap.

In our class we teach only a few simple, but effective primitive traps for use in survival situations. The idea here is repetition learning three or four types of traps that can be modified to serve various purposes and situations. Learning the animal is a self-study homework assignment.

Knowing animal behavior and how to make and use one or two traps is so much better than knowing how to make all kinds of primitive traps and not knowing the animal.

See you in class

Spring Edibles @ Abram's Creek Lodge and Campground

2008-05-04T20:03:00.002-05:00

It's early afternoon on 3 May and the sun is waining behind some ominous clouds coming over the mountains that are west of Abram's Creek Lodge and Campground. The Wild Edibles class will go rain or shine and RAIN it did. We didn't get too wet. But we identified and tasted many wild plants that day.

There were even some very knowledgeable students this time who contributed greatly to the class... especially Doc? Thanks for the hints and the 318 mb CD reference on useful wild plants.

We covered the usual edibles but we were all there for the Ramps (wild leeks). We collected enough for an awesome dinner feeding nine or so students and lodge residents. The favorite was the Tasty Ramp and Potato Soup.

Tasty Ramp/Potato Soup
4-6 slices of bacon (they make anything taste great, but in this case it was for the salty oil it leaves behind after cooking)
4 cups of chopped ramps (mostly greens)
4-5 cups diced potatoes (use your favorites... I like the Idahos)
3 tablespoons of flour
4 cups of chicken broth
1 cup of HEAVY cream (Yeah!!)
Salt and pepper to taste
Prep: In a large skillet, dutch oven or deep pan, fry bacon until crispy; set aside. Add Ramps and potatoes; fry on medium-low heat until the ramps are tender. Sprinkle in the flour; stir until absorbed. Sir in Chicken broth; simmer until potatoes are tender. Stir in the cream and heat thoroughly. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serves 4-6.

Due to an unseasonable warm spring ramp season came early this year to Abram's Creek and we almost missed out. We were on the tail end of the harvest this year and they had already started to brown on the tips. This wild edible is one of the finest you will ever come across. Mountain people of the Southeast have honored these onion/garlic flavored plants for decades. They celebrate with festivals all around West Virginia. We just had our own small personal Ramp festival in the Abram's Creek kitchen.

EC will be conducting more classes at Abram's Creek in the future. They are growing into a thriving campground with so much to do and see. I recommend camping there.

Lost? Not EC Students... Land Navigation

2008-04-28T19:28:00.000-05:00

On 26-27 April, EC conducted its first Land Navigation class with 11 eager to get lost students. I am proud to say, no one got lost. But, that is not to say that they didn't try. I won't even mention the student who demonstrated extremely well the tendency for everyone to circle when lost.

Land navigation requires the use of many tools; the more experienced the navigator, the more tools he will utilize. Obvious examples of the simpler tools available are the protractor, map, compass, and pace count. Less obvious examples, that will take experience to appreciate, are the terrain, sun, stars, the direction water flows, wildlife, etc. As with any skill, proficiency in land navigation is based upon a firm knowledge of basic "tools."

This two day class covered all the basics tools of land navigation, including introduction to topographical maps and map symbols, pace counts to find distance, compass with and without a map, expedient direction finding (sun, stars, watch... all the standards and a few more), and a hands-on exercise in Shenandoah Mountain bushwhacking near Old Rag Mountain. We went over time in the first day's instruction. Despite the rain on both days we all learned to use map and compass.

The instruction that offered the most difficulty was declination adjustment. We are modifying this for next year. The handout was the most comprehensive we have made to date (over 24 pages). This too will be modified for next year to make the class even better, though everyone admitted that the class was not only educational but fun too!

Earth Connection Private Classes

2008-03-05T18:48:00.007-05:00

Earth Connection continues to offer a limited number of private classes (One-on-One or Small Group with Tim MacWelch) during weekdays, Monday thru Friday (9am to 4pm), but not weekends cause that is when we hold our regular classes. You pick your class from our website or customize your own, schedule the date with Tim MacWelch, and then attend the class at our camp near Somerville, Virginia. Prices remain the same as regular classes… mostly cause Tim likes to give bargains to supporters of Earth Connection.

One day classes are currently available at $80 per person, run from 9am to 4pm and include the following classes - Friction Fire Making - Winter Wild Edible Plants - Tracks and Sign - Basketry - Friction Fire Materials Identification - Or your own custom class!

Custom classes are available for a slight $20 per day price increase for extra planning. Two day classes with overnight campout are $200 per person, run from 9am on the first day to 4pm on the second day and include the following classes - Wilderness Survival - Primitive Skills (condensed 2 day version).

These Private classes are the only time that Teenagers accompanied by a parent can attend our classes… call or write for more info.

We also offer special professional grade classes for US Government, Military and Law Enforcement personnel. These courses are also open to The Department of Defense; Game Wardens; Wildlife Management personnel; State and private Search and Rescue teams; Professional guides and outfitters; High risk government and civilian employees; Instructors and staff for outdoor intervention programs... just to name a few.

Are You Missing the Friction Fire Articles?

2008-02-28T18:42:00.000-05:00

The Mini Tinder Bundle

I know this is kind of random, but I was thinking fondly of some old friends the other day. I remembered a very fun little contest we used to have. It was the "Mini Tinder Bundle Contest". You probably have already gotten an idea of how it works. Who can produce a flame with the most tiny tinder bundle possible?? We all got quite good at working small bundles of premium tinder. It was typical to see one little spurt of flame that lasted about 3 seconds from a cotton ball sized tinder bundle.

What's the point of playing such a game?? Well, foremost is the practice of frugality. There are usually many fires contained in the wood of the average fire kit. But there are only so many fires in a bag full of tinder. We always had plenty of fire kits lying around, but we made so many fires that we were always running out of tinder. That's how the contest was born.

We made lots of coals, and couldn't bear to just crush them out or let them starve. So we always made a little flame somehow, before letting the coal go out. Call it an offering to the Creator if you need to qualify it. We rarely spoke of such lofty things. It just never seemed right to try too hard to explain the Chain of Fire Command. Which is, if you were wondering… More

The Arctic Mouth Drill

The Arctic Mouth Drill technique and accompanying fire kit are remarkable adaptations in extreme cold weather Friction Fire Making. They are also testaments to the creativity, toughness and artistry of our northernmost brothers and sisters. The Arctic fire kits in the Smithsonian Institute collection range from raw and elegantly simple utilitarian fire kits - to beautiful and yet functional pieces of art.

These kits were often made from a very limited supply of materials, like bone, leather and driftwood. Sometimes that driftwood was even Oak! A brutal wood for drills and boards! Some would say an impossible wood for friction fire. The kit in the drawing above was collected in the 1800's near the Anderson River in British Columbia by C.P. Gaudet, then added to the Smithsonian collection in Washington DC.

The kit was later examined, drawn, described and possibly tested by Walter Hough. Mr. Hough then wrote a document called "Fire-Making Apparatus In The U.S. National Museum" which was published in a Smithsonian internal document in 1888. This rare document yielded jewels of information like… More

Visit Tim MacWelch's Field Guide to Friction Fire website for more friction fire articles.

Lashings Make Your Shelter Secure

2008-02-26T18:21:00.014-05:00

We often get questions on how to build safe and secure shelters.

Well, building a tee-pee, a lean-to or any substantial sheltering structure requires a few simple knots and lashings, rope or cordage (lots of it) and of course the wood or poles. Knots are used to make loops, to connect rope together or to join rope to other objects.

Lashings, however, are used to bind two poles that cross each other at 45 to 90 degree angles, which usually occur in larger shelters. The square lashing is considered one of the most secure methods to lash poles that are relatively the same size.

Below is a lashing how-to and suggestions for safe and secure effort:

Position the poles at 90 degrees angles to each other.

A clove hitch is generally tied on the vertical or load-bearing pole at the bottom to support the horizontal or cross piece.

The end or tail of the clove hitch is twisted around and then tucked under the running end to lock the hitch and finish the knot neatly.

Wrap the rope in a square fashion three times around the poles: over the cross pole, the top of the vertical pole, the other side of the cross pole and the bottom of the vertical pole. Three neat revolutions will provide a solid and strong connection. Crossed turns 'pinch' and may damage the rope.

Make a frapping turn by wrapping the rope over the top of the vertical pole to point the rope in the opposite direction.

Now wrap the rope 3 times in the same square fashion in the other direction.

End the lashing with a final clove hitch or two half hitches on the vertical pole.

If extra rope remains, finished end with a half hitch or two.

Once complete you are on your way to constructing a safe and secure structure.

Happy shelter building. --Jamey

Field and Stream Columnist Learns Wild Edible Plants

2008-02-18T11:09:00.007-05:00

Field and Stream’s columnist, Bill Heavey, is learning mid-Atlantic wild edibles jointly from our own Hue through Ancestral Knowledge and Earth Connection. Bill Heavey has come to learn from our hard gained wild edible knowledge to build on his own knowledge-base. Who knows, maybe Ancestral Knowledge and Earth Connection will give him some material for his column.

Bill Heavey’s Column

Bill Heavey has been a professional journalist for over 20 years and our favorite type of journalist too—full-time freelance outdoors writer (there are so few of them left these days).

Bill is currently an editor-at-large for Field & Stream, where he has written since 1993. He has also contributed to Modern Maturity, Readers Digest, National Geographic Traveler, Field and Stream, Men's Journal, Outside, the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, and the Best American Magazine Writing and Washingtonian Magazine. He has been recognized for his written work with two prestigious National Magazine Award nominations and awarded the American Pain Society’s (APS) first journalist award, the Kathleen M. Foley Journalist Award. I even hear he was nominated for president of the United States in 2008 by one of his fans. The only one I know personally besides him being nominated is my Grandmother (okay, so I nominated her in 2000).

Field and Stream has seen fit to bundle some of Heavey's best work into a single volume, If You Didn't Bring Jerky, What Did I Just Eat? (Atlantic Monthly Press, $23). Amazon’s note on his book states, “[Field and Stream’s] first collection of Heavey’s sidesplitting observations on life as a hardcore (but often hapless) outdoors man. Whether he’s hunting cougars in the southwest desert, scheming to make his five-year-old daughter fall in love with fishing, or chronicling his father’s slow decline through the lens of the numerous dogs he’s owned over seventy-five years, Heavey is a master at blending humor and pathos—and wide-ranging outdoor enthusiasms that run the gamut from elite to ordinary—into a poignant and potent cocktail. Funny, warmhearted, and supremely entertaining, this book is an uproarious addition to the literature of the outdoors.”

Funniest outdoor book we've read in a long time. Recommended.

Hue, the LoneNomadic.

Organic “Victory” Gardens Fight Climate Change

2008-02-05T13:55:00.000-05:00

Let’s bring back the Victory gardens. Victory gardens, also called war gardens or food gardens for defense, are vegetable, fruit and herb gardens planted in home yards and city lots to change local food habits and help fight climate change. These gardens are in the spirit of our grandparents gardening efforts during World War I and World War II that helped to reduce the pressure on the public food supply brought on by the war effort. Since most of our food travels a minimum of 1500 miles to get to our tables, locally grown seasonal foods reduce the amount of carbon used to produce, package and ship our food supplies. Grow your own food and help save the planet.

Let’s just look at a two small examples, strawberries and butter cookies.

First, Strawberries. It’s January… I have to ask, why do you need strawberries in January? Do you know where they come from? Eighty percent of commercially grown strawberries are from California's farms, where each acre produces about 21 tons of berries. Approximately one billion pounds of strawberries a year are grown in the state. They have to be shipped from California which is over 3000 miles away. Or they likely came from south of the equator like Chile or Peru, which is infinitely farther away than California. Do you really need strawberries? Then, grow them yourself and freeze or dry them for the winter months.

Second, butter cookies. I have seen in the supermarkets butter cookies from Norway. Okay, so we have a great international relationship with Norway, but do we really have to waste precious fuel to ship butter cookies from Norway to the United States when we can make them here? We are killing our grandchildren to feed our children… the death of a thousand cuts. Reduce your reliance on this off-kilter system. Dig up your lawn and plant an edible garden. No lawn??… put plants in pots on your patio or balcony. Live in an a high-rise with no balcony?… use your rooftop, sprout some seeds, or visit your local farmer’s market. The bottom-line is changing your eating habits, eat with the seasons and find ways to beat the food system that is contributing to climate change and global warming.

Let’s fight global warming with a victory garden.

So, with all that said… what if this doesn’t work? What if the change is inevitable? Well, then you are even better off with organic gardening knowledge to help you through the tough times ahead. Expect changes in weather to change temperature and moisture patterns nationwide. The global ecosystem exists in a finely tuned state of balance, and warmer temperatures will dramatically change the playing field for all plants, domesticated and wild. The North regions of the United States are expected to gain as much as a whole hardiness zone or even more.

The National Arbor Day Foundation (NADF) released in 2006 an updated version of the U.S Department of Agriculture’s hardiness zone map, which was last updated in 1990. They have an animation that illustrates the general warming that has occurred from 1990 to 2006. Go to the NADF website to view the updated climate zone map. You can also look up your own climate zone, or compare the old USDA climate zones to the new NADF ones.

Though this may result in the extinction of numerous indigenous species as their growing conditions are modified it will also bring more possibilities for differing plant species. However, change also brings many differing pests and pathogens not seen before because our previously cold winters kept them at bay. Develop strategies to take advantage of the changes like planting more and differing plant species every year.

Adapt, experiment, overcome, and survive.

Learn more with Earth Connection at our Organic Gardening class 18 May.

Friction Fire with Conifers?

2008-01-28T15:59:00.000-05:00

Last weekend I (Wes from Earth Connection – North Carolina) and my daughter (age 11) headed into the mountains of NC where I have a cabin for some cold weather friction fire training. My original idea was to try out three types of conifers, found almost everywhere here, as friction fire components; boards, spindles, and hand-holds.

“Conifers?” you say… Well, I know they are not the normal choice for friction fire kits because of the resins in the wood, but what if it is all you got? The three trees species I was planning to work with on this trip were the Carolina Hemlock, Eastern Hemlock and the White Pine that are indigenous to the higher elevations in the north western part of NC.

As I got closer to the mountains the temperature dropped to a frigid 13 and there was a slight wind that brought frigid down to bone chilling. Six inches of snow still covered the ground from precipitation earlier that week. I took a two-mile hike into the mountain woods and along the way I gathered my materials.

I decided early on to go without gloves to simulate a potential survival scenario and test myself. It’s so much harder to grab and hold on to things when your hands are affected by the cold. I remember Tim’s MacWelch’s class on hypothermia and performed the hypotheria check--tapping a one handed tune between fingers and thumb… yup, no problem. I remember as a kid coming in after playing hard for hours in the snow that I couldn’t unzip my own jacket. Tim says, “that the first sign of encroaching hypothermia is loss of dexterity in your hands along with shivering.” I wasn't shivering, but still I was cold.

As I gathered my friction fire kit materials I also gathered my tinder and kindling giving me lots of stuff to hold that kept my hands out of my warm pockets. My daughter was very helpful in finding and gathering and preparing the tinder bundle that ended up working perfectly. After about one and half hours of collecting we returned to the cabin to begin the friction fire experiments with the three types of conifers. My hands and fingers were mostly numb by then making this exercise most difficult. The only tool I used to make the kit was a small Swiss army knife that I carry on me at all times.

I spent about half an hour making a few boards and spindles with cold numb hands before beginning to spin with my ready-made bow. I was surprised with the results. I was successful at making a coal and blowing into flame using both types of Hemlock as either board or spindle. However, the White Pine was not much of a success. My observation is that the Hemlocks have far less pitch than the White Pine affecting coal creation.

My daughter also gave the bow drill kit a go, but all she was able to get was smoke... no coal formed. I think she had only hot chocolate on her mind, and to be honest, I did too; my hands were freezing by this point. Time for cocoa.

Learning note for the friction fire crew: You should try all different types of wood as various parts of your friction kit and have your own database on available wood material that work in your area. Or, as I like to call them, my “Go-To” wood. In addition, try your skills in adverse conditions because if you are ever in a survival situation it will probably not be 75 degrees and sunny. Oh, and have the hot chocolate already brewing on the stove before you get started. ;-)

Wild Oyster Mushroom Soup

2008-01-20T13:36:00.000-05:00

Oyster Mushrooms (Pleurotus ostreatus) usually appear in a cascading shelf from the surface of dead hardwood trees after the first rains of the fall season. I was lucky to have found a small crop growing from a small fruit tree stump near my home in Baltimore. I immediately snarfed them up into the plastic bag I had in my pocket that was originally intended for cleaning up after the dog. Someone else had to deal with the dog pile that day. I admired the mushroom up close and smelled them to be absolutely positive that it was an Oyster Mushroom. Yup, there was the slightly delicate asian aroma of what some describe as anise that is typical of this mushroom. I’m off to make lunch!

The Oyster cap is, not surprisingly, oyster or scallop shaped, sometimes with wavy edges, has a variable color from white to gray or tan to dark-brown and has a slight anise-like aroma. Oyster mushrooms contain a small amount of arabitol that is know to cause gastrointestinal distress in some people. The likely culpret is arabitol, a sugar alcohol similar to xylitol, manitol and sorbitol that are widely used food additives. What makes this such a prized mushroom is that this sweet quality is not lost in cooking.

Cleaning. Cut off the lower part of the stems of all oyster varieties to remove any shreds of wood or debris. The stems tend to be tough, so discard them unless you are processing your mushrooms in a blender. Be certain to flush out the gill spaces with water because they can be filled with soil and, especially, insects (unless you want that kind of extra protein in your food). Use a minimum amount of water and gently dry with paper or cloth towels. All species of Pleurotus are cleaned in the same manner.

Cooking. Asian chefs are famous for using Oyster mushrooms in stir-fried dishes, since the cap is thin and cooks quickly. You can tear the mushroom into minute sizes before adding it to your oiled wok or pan at the last stage of cooking whatever stir-fry you have going, they cook quickly. I particularly like them in a blended soup.

Preserving. Oyster mushrooms will dehydrate quickly and store easily in your pantry. When used dry, they are usually added to a dish without rehydration.
What’s for lunch? Well, I like a hot creamy soup during the cold months to keep me warm from the inside and we still had some surviving thyme in our herb garden that might not survive much longer if the temperature falls again. Taking what I had in the herb garden, pantry and fridge, I easily decided on wild mushroom soup with thyme.

Here is what I prepared:

Ingredients

· 4 tablespoons butter ( ½ stick) – I like butter too much
· 1/3 cup minced shallots – you can use wild onions or wild garlic
· 1 ½ pound fresh wild mushrooms – we had some shiitake and crimini in the fridge that I added
· 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
· 3 garlic cloves minced
· 8 or so cups chicken broth
· 1 pound potatoes, peeled and chunked
· ¼ cup dried porcini mushrooms – we had these in the pantry which were added for additional flavor
· 2 glugs of Madeira – cooking wine with an interesting history (Madeira a particularly stable wine with a shot of brandy, designed to last long ship voyages, was a favorite of Thomas Jefferson and it was used to toast the Declaration of Independence.)

preparation

melt butter in large pot. Add shallots and saute 1 minute. Add fresh mushrooms; saute until tender. Add thyme and garlic; saute another 15 or so minutes. Add 6 cups of broth, potatoes and died porcini, bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer covered until potatoes are falling apart, maybe 25 minutes. Puree in a blender and return to the pot. Add Madeira and the rest of the broth. Season with salt and pepper… bring soup to simmer and serve.

This article is making me hungry for Oyster Mushrooms again... Happy oyster hunting!

EC Blog Now Open for Comments

2008-01-19T10:03:00.000-05:00

We have decided to open our blog to comments from anyone who desires to leave them. Tell us what you think, tell us what you want us to write about, tell us what you are up to in skills development, tell us... well, you get the idea.

Cheers!

Earth Connection Field Training

2008-01-15T15:25:00.001-05:00

On December 27th some of Earth Connection’s Staff (Tim, Wes and Hardy) hit the road to do a little field training in the mountains of North Carolina near Grand Father Mountain. The weather was very favorable for December. At 4000 feet it was sunny and a balmy 60 degrees. We hiked into the wilderness and headed down to a known water fall about one mile from where we parked the vehicle, descending about 1200 feet. On the way we saw lots of wildlife sign, but few wild edible plants. Typical for a forest with little edge area.

After a short stay at the waterfall we noticed the waning daylight and decided to locate a good camping site. After another hour or so of hiking we found a great little overhang to make camp. We built up one side of the overhang to act as a wind break, then we did what we do best, make friction fire (maybe).

The problem was that our fine sunny 60 degree day turned into overcast and damp, which was not totally unexpected because we were in is a temperate rain forest. But, it is a good place to put your friction fire making skills to the test. Things started off well with a coal in the first few minutes. But, it went south from there.

The first coal was very small; we added degraded wood dust to extend its life and decided to go with it. No luck and no flame because our tinder was too damp. Also, to add to our troubles, no more coals. After a couple of hours with no coals and broken down bow drill kits we decided to use a less then primitive way to start a fire (a ferrocerium rod, the magic sparking metal-match or "flint" found in lighters).

Remembering Tim MacWelch’s friction fire class adage, “And that is why you should always have two or more ways to start a fire on you at all times!”

The night was quiet and uneventful, mostly because Tim would not let anyone give up ghost stories. As morning came so did the steady rain. The over hang we had slept in worked great we were all dry as a bone due to making shelter as our first priority even before the hours of the friction fire fiasco. After a quick bite to eat we hiked out and headed out of the high country.

“Survive smarter not harder.”

Earth Connection North Carolina (EC-NC)

2007-12-31T09:37:00.001-05:00

Some of you who have been following the posts on this blog are probably wondering... who are those two we don't recognize in the holiday greetings picture that are part of the EC Family? Well, we have great news!

Earth Connection is expanding!

Starting 1 January 2008, Earth Connection will have a budding satellite school in North Carolina.

Wes Massey andHardee Merritt (not in the holiday greeting picture) will be offering EC classes in 2008 near the North Carolina Raleigh/Durham area. Their classes will have the same Earth Connection tried and true curriculum, but flavored with the kind of wild spice only these three gentlemen can offer.

Wes and Hardee
See their introduction bios here.

Stay tuned for more about EC-NC in future blog posts।

Sleeping Bags For The Homeless

2007-12-29T17:36:00.000-05:00

Drop- Mail-Bring a Sleeping Bag for the Homeless

Hundreds of people in Earth Connection School area rely on urban survival skills to stay fed and warm. We are making a choice to help provide a warm sleeping bag for the New Year to those less fortunate.

The local shelters that we are donating sleeping bags to have requested 0 degree bags, new-or-used & washed, and in Child-to-Adult sizes. The sleeping bags should be synthetic fiber fill that stay warm even when wet (unlike down), but any bags will do.

You can help in three ways:

Drop off a bag: Sunday,December 30 from 12 noon to 4pm at our Earth Connection camp near Fredericksburg, Virginia
Mail in a bag: to Earth Connection, PO Box 32, Somerville, VA 22739
Bring a bag: to one of our classes in January, February or March

Please email tim@earth-connection.com to RSVP if you are coming out on December 30.

We will have hot chocolate and roast marshmallows by the campfire. There will be coupons for discounted EC classes and other tokens of our thanks for each bag donated.

We will be thinking other ways to help throughout the year.

Stay Warm... and Help Others Stay Warm Too.
Tim and Hue

EC Bumper Sticker On The Road

2007-12-28T11:57:00.000-05:00

We are working hard to keep your car bumper covered with either mud or EC stickers. I prefer both EC Sticker and mud, in that order.

Earth Connection operates mostly by word-of-mouth advertising. Here is your chance to help us spread the word every time you go on the road. Heck, you don't have to limit yourself to your car bumper; plastering them all over the mid-Atlantic region on street signs, city bill boards, homeless shelters, the neighbors car, your bike, and even your front door is a better option.

Get your own EC Bumper Sticker here!

Happy Holidays

2007-12-20T14:35:00.000-05:00

Happy Holidays from the Earth Connection Family

Thanks to all that took Earth Connection classes in 2007.
We are all excited about next year's classes and look forward to seeing you again.

Survive smarter... not harder!

2008 EC Class Schedule is Posted

2007-12-15T10:00:00.000-05:00

Hot off the press... 2008 class schedule is up on Earth Connection's website.

Lots of new classes and all the favorites.

New Classes Offered:

19- 21 Jan - Winter Wilderness Survival (16-18 Feb is no snow backup date)
Experience winter firsthand and learn to stay alive and comfortable in Earth Connection’s Winter Wilderness Survival class. This new 3 day long winter version of our trusty old Wilderness Survival class will include basic principles of cold weather survival, cold weather survival strategies, dressing for the weather, winter fire (making, using, and living with), shelters applicable to the winter environment (including snow shelters like the Quinzee), making improvised snowshoes; useful wild plants available in winter; frostbite and hypothermia awareness and treatment, and more. The Winter Survival Class will be held at Abram’s Creek Campground near Mount Storm, West Virginia to take advantage of snowfall not normally found at the Earth Connection’s School in northern Virginia.

7-9 Mar and 26-28 Sep - Primitive Village
This class has been a dream of ours for years. We have always wanted to offer a venue for our students to have a primitive survival experience, in which they can practice their skills, pick up some new ones and do it all for REAL. The Primitive Village course offers students a chance to practice their skills, and still benefit from our coaching and guidance in a structured survival scenario. Prerequisites - Earth Connection's Wilderness Survival or Primitive Skills courses - or any two of Earth Connection's other courses.

26 Apr - Land Navigation
This class provides the basic skills required to navigate cross-country day and night using modern (sorry no GPS) and primitive techniques of direction finding, and how to use these skills in the field for day hikes or long-range outings. The class includes basic navigation principles (maps, compasses, declination, the forms of navigation, and route planning, day and night land navigation techniques), as well as advanced instruction in the skills of intersection and resection (triangulation), hand-drawn maps and using terrain features like "road signs." We are also currently making plans to add an optional cross-country course in the Shenandoah Mountains as a group the next day, Sunday April 27, that may include possible diversions like wild edible foods, water procurement, and sight seeing. There will be a small additional fee for this learning opportunity.

17 May - Primitive Trapping
Earth Connection’s Primitive Trapping class will teach you how to put your hard earned tracking skills to task by constructing simple traps to secure wild animals for food. Students will learn the basic principles behind traps and how to construct them focusing on the more familiar (and using less cordage) deadfalls and snares including the figure-four, Paiute deadfall, wire snare, and their variations. In addition, more complicated trapping methods using kinetic engines (and much more cordage) will be demonstrated including many variations of the toggle stick and spring pole traps. This class harms NO animals and all local trapping laws are adhered to.

26 Jul - Nature Observation
This Nature Observation class will return you to your senses and to the vivid experience of living in the moment, experiencing nature with a sense of awe and wonder. The skills taught in this class are the foundation for all nature studies and primitive skills classes that we offer. The class includes nature observation through heightened senses, self awareness/observation, methods of immersing oneself in nature, natural movement techniques, camouflage and blending, understanding animal senses, animal/plant transition zones, pattern association and life long learning exercises. Making field notes and basic sketches in a field notebook is an essential part of this class.

27 Jul - Avoiding Nature's Dangers
Avoiding Nature’s Dangers class is like a mini how-to-survive anything class. We face a multitude of dangers every minute of our life, but recognizing and avoiding them takes education and, sometimes, active mitigation. This class highlights the dangers/risks found in nature and how to mitigate through Risk Management (the human activity which integrates recognition of risk, risk assessment, developing strategies to manage it, and mitigation of risk using managerial resources). The class covers a variety of risks from poisonous plants, insects and animals, contaminated water, animal attacks, knife/axe/machete safety, wildlife diseases, surviving extremes (hypo/hyper-thermia), fire behavior, and much more.

For the personal touch, Tim is still offering private classes as well.

Primitive Skills Weekend - Venison Fest

2007-11-07T12:50:00.000-05:00

2-4 November Primitive Skills Class was a perfect weekend for rekindling knowledge in the old ways of living.

This course is designed to provide skills for living primitively in the wilderness; a student and staff favorite every year. The course includes building a leaf hut shelter that most slept in each night; friction fire making with the bow drill that everyone had success in making; primitive tool making; primitive water gathering and purification and we drank our purified findings too; primitive trapping; hunting with the infamous rabbit stick; and the skinning, cleaning and cooking game (thanks for the venison). The course also covered edible plants, primitive cooking, food preservation and storage, wicker basketry from vines, plant and tree bark string, and burning out wooden bowls and spoons.

Hue and Jamey, running a day late, made a tragic error. They forgot the squirrel for the wild game butchering demo and subsequent squirrel feast in the freezer. We had to quickly adjust our teaching plan and schedule. Tim gave a frantic call to his cousin, the mighty hunter, and by evening we had fresh hunter culled venison hanging from our primitive camp. We demonstrated butchering into the wee hours by lantern and flashlight. Everyone got to eat some venison ribs the next day and each took home some fresh venison for home cook'in. All I can say is... "I'm going to conveniently forget the squirrel again next year."

All in all a VERY successful weekend. New skills learned by all. Plenty of venison and a great night of campfire conversation.

Note: EC had two new instructors from the future expansion of EC, Wes and Hardee, and a very energetic helper, Russell, who has attended most every class we teach that deserve much thanks for the successful weekend!

Monkeysee-dot-com meets Tim and Hue

2007-11-01T20:27:00.000-05:00

James from MonkeySee-dot-com came out to EC to film a few how-to video clips to Earth Connection's "Living in the Outdoor" series.

MonkeySee is a new destination website providing free access to a large collection of professionally-produced and user-generated how-to videos. Soon you can SEE how the experts (Tim and Hue) do it, through a collection of professionally-produced "how-to" videos on the Web.

Hue even help James start a friction fire the Earth Connection way!

Check us out on MonkeySee in about three weeks.

Hide Tanning Class - now every other year

2007-10-22T19:47:00.000-05:00

Fleshing, racking, drying, scraping, braining, stretching, and smoking... lots of 'ings," make for lots of work... and it is that four letter word "w-o-r-k" too!

EC's Brain tan buckskin class is a very physical and demanding exercise that, as a primitive technology, has a sole purpose to clothe yourself. All the work is for creating a soft and comfortable cloth from the deer hides left over from the hunt that fed your family.

Speaking of spelling words out... It is also an exercise in R-E-S-P-E-C-T, where we use all the animal, wasting nothing. Ask anyone who took our class about how much work went into making their buck skin. You got to respect the animal. Life is not cheap!

Actually, in a manner of speaking, none of our hides were bucked (soaked in lye) in a process called wet scrape tanning. We used an older method of dry scrape tanning that uses the brain from the animal. Even more so, we actually used egg yolks instead of deer brain because we had no access to deer heads this year. It serves the same purpose.

We even had a fur-on tanning piece to the class this year with one student (Stu) tanning a beaver pelt.

This class takes so much work and preparation that we have opted to offer it only once every other year during the fall season when deer hides come available due to hunting season or by private class . Call three weeks in advance for rates and schedule your class (minimum of two people).

Chronic Wasting Disease Risk?

2007-10-15T09:50:00.000-05:00

The good news…

There is no evidence that Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is linked to disease in humans or domestic livestock other than deer and elk.

According to 2004 research, the risk, if any, of CWD transmission to humans is low. There have been no documented human cases of prion disease with strong evidence of a link with CWD.

To date CWD has not been found in Virginia. The closest eastern state is West Virginia, next is New York.

What is CWD?

CWD is a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy in the same genetic family as mad cow disease, scrapie (affecting sheep) and Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease (affecting humans) that is found in White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus), Mule Deer (O. hemionus), and Elk (Cervus elaphus) populations mostly in the western states. Visible manifestations of CWD include weight loss over weeks or months, behavioral changes (show little fear of humans) and excessive salivation (may look like slobbering). In some animals, head tremors may occur. Most animals gradually die within several months of illness.

The disease has forced the slaughter and incineration of thousand deer and elk in the West since 2000. CWD is known to occur in free-ranging deer or elk in Alberta, Colorado, Illinois, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, Saskatchewan, South Dakota, Utah, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. CWD also has been diagnosed in captive deer and elk in Alberta, Colorado, Kansas, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New York, Oklahoma, Saskatchewan, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.

The bad news…

The 2005 discovery of CWD in New York is causing immense fear and loathing amongst Eastern State's wildlife resource officials, hunters and primitive skills enthusiasts. This should serve as a warning to those of us primitive skills practitioners that regularly harvest deer by hunting and occasionally by picking up fresh road kill for either hide or meat. It would be wise to look for the signs of infection before butchering and using the animal, especially in the case of using the brain for primitive hide tanning.

Furthermore, research “evidence suggests that, provided sufficient exposure, the species barrier may not completely protect humans from animal prion diseases including CWD. CWD does not appear to occur naturally outside the cervid family. However, the passing of CWD to a secondary host (domestic animals, such as cattle and sheep) by infected deer could not only increase the extent and frequency of human exposure, but also alter its infectious properties, increasing its potential for becoming more pathogenic to humans. Because CWD has occurred in a limited geographic area for decades, an adequate number of people may not have been exposed to the CWD agent to result in a clinically recognizable human disease. Because of the long incubation period associated with prion diseases, convincing negative results from epidemiologic and experimental laboratory studies would likely require years of follow-up. In the meantime, to minimize the risk for exposure to the CWD agent, hunters should consult with their state wildlife agencies to identify areas where CWD occurs and continue to follow advice provided by public health and wildlife agencies. Hunters should avoid eating meat from deer and elk that look sick or test positive for CWD. They should wear gloves when field-dressing carcasses, bone-out the meat from the animal, and minimize handling of brain and spinal cord tissues. As a precaution, hunters should avoid eating deer and elk tissues known to harbor the CWD agent (e.g., brain, spinal cord, eyes, spleen, tonsils, lymph nodes) from areas where CWD has been identified.”1

1. Belay ED, Maddox RA, Williams ES, Miller MW, Gambetti P, Schonberger LB. Chronic wasting disease and potential transmission to humans. Emerging Infectious Diseases. 2004 Jun. Available from: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/EID/vol10no6/03-1082.htm

What you need to know about Earth Connection Brain Tanning Classes:

The hide itself will not be infected and can be used for hide tanning. All the hides used in our classes come from local sources and are not affected by CWD. We will make the decision whether to use the deer’s brain for the traditional hide tanning class or some other hide tanning alternative like pig brains or egg yolk after consulting local wildlife officials of the current risk.

Recommended precautions outside of class:

Do not shoot, handle or consume any animal that is abnormal or appears to be sick. If you see a sick deer, please contact the local Wildlife Department immediately.
Wear latex or rubber gloves when field dressing your deer carcass.
Bone out meat from your animal. Do not saw through bone and avoid cutting through the brain or spinal cord (backbone).
Minimize the handling of brain and spinal tissues or fluids.
Wash hands and instruments thoroughly after field dressing is completed.
Avoid consuming brain, spinal cord, eyes, spleen, tonsils, and lymph nodes of deer. Normal field dressing coupled with boning out a carcass will remove most, if not all, of these body parts.

Fall Edibles Class Hampered by Southeastern Drought

2007-10-14T18:10:00.000-05:00

The normally water rich south-east region of North America is drying up, so the weather forecasters have commented. So much so, that the drought conditions have impacted Earth Connection's wild edible classes, minimally this summer and gravely this fall. The plants we rely on for fall survival are suffering from lack of moisture on the Earth Connection School's land which is usually so close to the water table that we are not be able to dig a hole without water seeping to fill it almost as fast as we dig. Now the water seeps not.

Hue and Jamey attempted to teach a wild edibles class for Ancestral Knowledge in Maryland, but the drought has effect the wild edible crop there too. It is a sorry state when a class cannot happen because the weather conditions effect nature in such a way. All they got for their trouble was a million chigger bites and two weeks of intense itch. No fun!

Despite the harsh conditions and lack of any indication of coming precipitation there still were a few choice wild edibles available to talk about for the EC Wild Edible class on 13 October. Only Acorns were in enough abundance this year and we took advantage of this making this our main attraction. Drought also produced a pretty good wild grape crop this year.

For the wild food offerings this year we made Acorn Bread and Wild Grape Jelly (picture is of green spring grapes). Jen also made us all a sweet Acorn Pumpkin bundt cake that was delicious.

What can we expect in the future?

Weather forecasters are not offering much rain for the winter and are predicting a warmer and drier winter than what is usually expected. The dry conditions that range from Washington DC into Maryland down to the tip of Florida and out to western Tennessee are designated as severe. The Department of Agriculture's drought monitor indicates that 32% is in exceptional drought not seen but once or twice in a century. We wonder what this will bring for our next crop of wild edible that are normally hardy enough to survive a few weeks without much moisture. Maybe there is some validity to our fear that global warming will make droughts more common.

What Classes Do You Want to See EC Teach in 2008?

2007-10-07T12:54:00.000-05:00

EC staff are currently working on the 2008 Class and Adventure Schedule. No worries, we will have the same curriculum as always, but we looking to give a wider variety and increased value to both our new and returning students.

We are kicking around many new ideas and are looking for what you want to see us teach or what you want to experience. Send an email with your ideas or what you like below to Hue and Tim at earth-connection.

Here are few we have been thinking about:

-- Primitive Trapping Class
-- Basic Land Navigation
-- Winter Survival Weekend
-- River Living Kayak Weekend
-- Shennandoah Walkabout Weekend
-- Primitive Pottery with professional potter Gernoble
-- Coastal Beach Survival at Assataegue 3-4 days
-- Homesteading Skills (soap, beer, canning, candles)
-- Primitive (knife and blanket) Living or Survival Week 5-6 Days
-- Primitive village (similar to above just shorter)
-- Wild Edible Plant Banquet; Free - all bring a dish and a story to share
-- Scout Skills Weekend
-- Tracking Intensive - 1 day - Off site
-- Sweat Bath (non-religious) Lodge construction and use
-- Plants for medicine (very basic)
-- Nature Observation and Awareness
-- Primitive Hunter
-- Avoiding Nature's Dangers
-- Wandering Skills Weekend
-- Survival Combatives

Primitive Cooking or Primitive Glutony -- You Choose!

2007-09-23T17:49:00.001-05:00

Gluttony -- Derived from the Latin gluttire, meaning to gulp down or swallow, gluttony is the over-indulgence and over-consumption of food, drink, or intoxicants to the point of waste. In the Christian religions, it is considered one of the seven deadly sins. We are dreadfully sorry for the sinning part, but that is unfortunately part of the primitive cooking class... we eat and eat and eat. Just cannot stop. Especially when we are cooking for eight hours... biscuits anyone? We had so much food this past weekend that I will have to go on a diet to get back to fighting weight.

I cannot wait for next year so see how much food we will prepare over a green stick grill, in a steam pit, or a "Snowbear" oven, by clay baking, or in a stone oven, rock boiling, or just plain throwing it in a fire.

Get your ash cakes and hot biscuits!

Only a few classes left this year... sign up!

2007-09-14T20:55:00.000-05:00

2nd Annual Fire Palooza - So Easy a Caveman Can Do It

2007-09-11T17:05:00.000-05:00

The 2nd Annual Fire Palooza was full of flaming surprises this year. Everyone achieved some sort of pyro spectacular flame-out, especially our resident caveman Tim. There was even a feminine touch this year that brought the fire birthing story new meaning. Next year will be even better with more friction surprises.

Two days of friction fire is all we can handle. We attempted quite a few types of friction fire methods from hand drill to fire saw. We even broke out the fire piston. The return of two Fire Plow boys (Wes and Hardy) showed us all how to make fire the intense islander way... FIRE PLOW is for real men.

Steven made a heroic attempt at it too.
Congratulations to all those who created new life (fire) that weekend.

EC Meets Capt John Smith on the Chesapeake

2007-08-09T16:40:00.000-05:00

Recently, Earth Connection (EC) participated in Jefferson Patterson Park & Museum's (JPPM) commemoration of Captain John Smith's voyage on the Chesapeake Bay on August 4th & 5th of 2007. The event gave an opportunity for the public to learn about pre-colonial American Indian culture at the time of European contact and offer visitors an educational experience of this critical time period in Southern Maryland's history.

The two-day event featured music, dance, storytelling, traditional crafts, vendors, exhibits, and the landing of Captain John Smith's shallop; not to mention Earth Connection demonstrations on friction fire and primitive trapping.

Tim, hue, Jamey and EC guest Cindy attended the event demonstrating primitive skills through the heat (.. and we are talking Africa hot, people) and selling their wares; including EC T-shirts, friciton fire kits, Jamey's famous gourd canteens and Cindy's fantastic gourd art.

Tim taught many budding young enthusiasts primitive friction fire. He didn't need any help with the heat as it was 120 degrees that weekend, but still he added a few of his own degrees with his great friction fire skills.

We met quite a few new people interested in EC and some old friends. Fun and sweat was had by all!

Smokey says... Use fire wisely!

2007-07-28T12:27:00.000-05:00

This week we are conducting a new class--Fire Materials Identification Class--and later in September is the 2nd Annual Fire Palooza class where friction fire methods are king.

So, what are we doing here on the EC-Blog to prepare you for these classes? Did you know where there is fire, there is smoke? Have you considered the value of the smoke that fire produces? Despite the bad reputation smoke has gotten, it is the source of our first food preservation technique. Who has not tasted and subsequently enjoyed the smoky flavor of smoked meat or fish like salmon--right?

Smoke preservation originated in early societies and is still used today to preserve mainly fish, meats and grains. It works by drying and dehydrating the food, as well as by neutralizing harmful elements with chemicals such as tars and phenols, that attach themselves to the food and are toxic to microbes and insects. These chemicals can also become harmful (carcinogenic) to humans if consumed in too large amounts. (See the Pryolysis Products of Wood below)

There is archaeological evidence that smoking was known as a method of food preservation at an early date. An archaeological site near the River Bann, Ireland that is thought to have been a fishing camp used in the second millennium B.C. The site bears the remains of several hearths over which their fish are thought to have been smoked. Evidence exists that the Romans probably used smoke to preserve food and to enhance its flavor (Wilson 1991, pp. 15-6).In colonial times, many households had smokehouses which were used to smoke beef, ham, and bacon (Earle 1899, p. 150). Smoking is still sometimes used to preserve fish and meat (Forbes 1955, p. 185).

In developing countries today, it is common to find grain bags hanging from the ceiling in a primitive hut near central fire. The heat and smoke from the open fire can then preserve the stored grains in a cheap manner. Smoked food often has a unique and robust flavor, and is still widely produced because in many situations is the fastest way to preserve food without the use of specialized equipment that may also need sources of energy that requires cash payment, such as gas or electricity.

Pyrolysis Products of Wood
Product - Percent in Mixture

Acetaldehyde - 2.3%
Furan - 1.6%
Acetone - 1.5%
Propenal - 3.2 %
Methanol - 2.1%
2,3-Butanedione - 2.0%
1-Hydroxy-2-propanone - 2.1%
Glyoxal - 2.2%
Acetic acid - 6.7%
5-Methyl-2-furaldehyde - 0.7%
Formic acid - 0.9%
2-Furfuryl alcohol - 0.5%
Carbon dioxide - 12.0%
Water - 18.0%
Char - 15.0%
Tar (at 600˚C) - 28.0%

References:
Earle, Alice Morse. Home Life in Colonial Days. New York: The Macmillan Company, 1899.
Forbes, R.J. Studies in Ancient Technology. Vol. III. Leiden: E.J. Brill, 1955.
Wilson, C. Anne, ed. Waste Not, Want Not: Food Preservation from Early Times to the Present Day. Edinburgh University Press, 1991.

Risk Management Series: Chiggers and the Dreaded Two-Week Itch

2007-07-28T11:28:00.000-05:00

Chiggers, also known as "red bugs," are larvae of mites belonging to the Trombiculids family of insects. Trombiculids are predatory mites related to ticks and spiders. The adults are known as harvest or scrub mites. They feed on insect eggs and small invertebrates in soil or decaying wood. Depending upon the species, it takes fifty to seventy days for the mite to develop from egg to larva to nymph to adult.

Trombiculids are found in temperate and tropical areas worldwide--according to some of our students, a large population of these mite larvae live in North Carolina. The Trombiculids larvae are parasites that wait on the ground and/or on low-growing vegetation near where they hatched. When an animal passes by, the larvae leap on it and search around for a feasible feeding spot. Notably, they do not have to search far on you or I for a suitable place. For me it is anywhere and everywhere--I must have sweet fluids just under my skin.

The larva generally prefers a skin pore or hair follicle. It inserts its mouth parts and injects a digestive enzyme into its host. The digestive fluid allows the parasite to feed on a resulting liquid mixture of lymph, dissolved skin tissue and a few stray blood cells--yup, sweet stuff. A chigger normally feeds for two or three days on the protein-rich liquid, then drops off to molt into the nymph stage. A localized rash or swelling called trombidiosis continues to itch for up to two weeks, even if the chigger was only attached for a few hours. The itch is intense and I found the only way to minimize this is a very hot shower which mixes itch, pain and pleasure. Actually, the hot water (just under scalding) triggers anti-histamines that naturally and temporarily diminish the intensity of the itch just long enough for some much needed rest.

Humans are incidental hosts, chiggers are more frequently found on birds, lizards, and rodents. Chiggers prefer to attach on parts of the body where clothing fits tightly or where the flesh is thin, tender, or wrinkled. For this reason, chiggers locate in such areas as the ankles, waistline, knees, or armpits. Some people exhibit an allergic reaction to the fluid which may result in severe swelling, itching, and fever. People mistakenly believe that chiggers embed themselves in the skin or that the welts contain chiggers. Often scratching at the welt results in secondary infection.

Chiggers are easily removed from the skin by taking a hot bath or shower and lathering with soap several times. I have even shaved my legs in severe infestations. The bath will kill attached chiggers and others which are not attached. Since symptoms of contact may not appear for several hours, it is not always possible to completely prevent welts caused by chigger bites. Antiseptic should be applied to all welts which do appear. Temporary relief of itching may be achieved with nonprescription local anesthetics available at most drug stores. Studies have shown that meat tenderizer, rubbed into the welt, will alleviate itching.

If you are going into areas suspected of being infested with chiggers, wear protective clothing and use repellents. Dusting sulfur is often used as a repellent. Repellents should be applied to legs, ankles, cuffs, waist, and sleeves by clothing application or directly to the body or clothing as directed by the label.

The Risk at Earth Connection? Well, we have a few Chiggers in the fielded area, of that I can attest from personal experience. So, yes, we have them, but not as bad as they could be. Prepare yourself for class with repellents.

Source: Chiggers, ENY-212, University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS), Accessed on 28 July 2007 at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/IG085

Jamey's Sorrel Soup --Another Favorite of the Edibles Class

2007-07-22T20:17:00.000-05:00

Yellow Wood Sorrel, Oxalis Stricta within the family Oxalidaceae, is a charming and delicate little plant that grows abundantly in woods, disturbed and shady areas. Each leaf is comprised of three heart shaped leaflets, which fold at night, and in adverse weather conditions, including full sun. Yellow flowers, which bloom in the spring and are about a half-inch in diameter.

The plant has a wonderful lemony or acidy taste which accounts for its botanical name Oxalis being derived from the Greek oxys, meaning sour or acid. The leaves, flowers, and immature green seedpods are often eaten as a trail nibble or can be added to salads, sauces, soups or as a seasoning. Wood sorrel is high in ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and binoxalate of potash, a special salt, which produces the acidity.

Medicinally, in moderate dosages, wood sorrel is a refrigerant, febrifuge, diuretic, stomachic, astringent, and catalytic. It's also attributed with blood cleansing properties and is sometimes taken by cancer patients.

Caution: Some literature suggests that kidney damage may occur from the combination of the oxalic acid contained in the wood sorrel with calcium oxalate found in the gastrointestinal and urinary tracts.

Jamey’s Sorrel & Potato Soup

Ingredients:

7 oz. Wood or sheep sorrel leaves
1 onion, finely chopped
2 large potatoes - peeled and cut into julienne strips (1-1/2 inches long/1/4 inch thick)
7-8 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1 teaspoon salt
3 egg yolks
1/2 cup sour cream

Method:

Remove the stems from the sorrel
Heat the olive oil in a large pot and sauté the onion, stirring, until lightly colored.
Add the potatoes and cook for about 5 minutes or until lightly colored. Stir often.
Add 7 cups of the broth and salt and bring to a boil over high heat.
Add the sorrel and reduce to low heat.
Cook for about 10 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.
Puree the mixture and place back on heat.
Whisk the egg yolks and sour cream together in a small bowl.
Pour a spoonful of the hot soup into the egg/sour cream mixture and whisk to combine.
Pour the tempered eggs back into the soup while whisking the soup constantly.
Cook the soup over low heat and stir continuously with wooden spoon to slowly thicken. Do not allow the soup to boil.
Add Salt if necessary. Thin with remaining broth as necessary.

Curried Cattail Soup - a Summer Edible Class Favorite

2007-07-21T15:17:00.000-05:00

Tim absolutely loves the exotic flavors of Indian food. If he believed in reincarnation he would want to be reborn in India so he can partake the spicy Indian goodness daily. But for now, he will have to do with Hue cooking up some spicy delights at the wild edibles classes. This last wild edibles class had Hue work up a batch of his now famous Curried Cattail Soup. He says he started with a recipe that he doctored up with some special Indian spices he had brought back from a trip to India, but some say this is just him being modest about his ability to wear an apron in the kitchen.

Curry is an English word that comes from the Tamil word Kari that refers to the spicy pungent southeast Asian side dish that accompanies rice. It actually refers to masala (meaning spice) which comes in quite a variety of mixtures. In so being, there are many differing styles of curry dishes and that means you can be creative.

Wikipedia references that, "most commercial curry powders available in Britain, the U.S. and Canada rely heavily on ground turmeric, in turn producing a very yellow sauce. Lesser ingredients in these Western yellow curry powders are often coriander, cumin, fenugreek, mustard, chili, black pepper and salt. It should be reiterated that curry powders and pastes produced and consumed in India are extremely diverse; some red, some yellow, some brown; some with five spices and some with as many as 20 or more. Besides the previously mentioned spices, other commonly found spices in different curry powders in India are cloves, nutmeg, allspice, cinnamon (especially in garam masala), white pepper, ground mustard, ground ginger, etc."

With that said, here is a starter recipe for Curried Cattail Soup

Ingredients

3 tbsp butter (or slightly more vegetable oil if you are vegan)
1 onion, minced
1 tbsp curry powder (you choose the style of curry here)
3 tbsp flour
2-1/2 cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock if you are vegetarian)
12 cattail shoots or inner tender flesh of summer cattails, minced or sliced (If you don't know what I'm talking about, take our class)
salt (to taste)
pepper (to taste)

Method

Melt butter in a sauce pan and cook onion over medium heat until almost soft.
Add curry powder and flour. Cook a few more minutes while stirring in the curry and flour.
Add stock and cattails. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes.
Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve and enjoy hot or cold. (Hot is better)

Risk Management Update - Ehrlichiosis Warning

2007-07-21T14:53:00.000-05:00

Ehrlichiosis chaffeensis, is an acute disease of humans and animals caused by bacteria called Ehrlichia that attack white blood cells. The bacteria are transmitted to humans by the bite of an infected tick--deer tick, the dog tick and the Lone Star tick. Ehrlichiosis is found in almost any area of the United States and in many foreign countries as well. In fact, it is probably on EC's property as evident by Hue and Jamey's dog, Chagi-ya, being diagnosed with the disease.

The first human case in the U.S. was reported in 1986 and since then more are being reported every year. If you have ehrlichiosis you would generally pay a visit to your physician in the first week of the illness--the incubation period is about 5-10 days after the tick bite. Initial symptoms include the sudden onset of moderate to high fever, headache, malaise, and muscle aches. Other signs and symptoms may include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, cough, joint pains, confusion, and occasionally rash.

Does'nt sound fun does it?

Unlike Lyme disease or Rocky Mountain spotted fever, a rash is not very common. However, rash has been described in approximately 60% of pediatric patients infected with E. chaffeensis.

Appropriate antibiotic treatment should be initiated immediately if you have these symptoms. Chagi-ya, Hue and Jamey's dog, is on antibiotics and is doing well in response to the treatment.

After every class as well as every wilderness outing EC recommends you conduct a thorough tick check either individually or, even better, with a significant other--to check those hard to reach spots.

Summer is a Berry Good Season

2007-07-15T11:37:00.000-05:00

Blackberry cobbler... hmmmm! Its mid-July and summer berries are in full swing. Time for Earth Connection's Summer Edibles class. The class was small, but that meant more to eat for all that attended.

"What say you?" you cry in disbelief. "More for you to eat?"

"Yes and a cornucopia of wild edibles too." EC instructor's Tim and Hue boldly claimed in unison.

"You had wild edibles to eat?" You sigh in more disbelief and facial anguish. "Say it isn't true?"

"True... oh, so true." Tim taunts. "We had two cold soups, Jamey's sorrel soup and Hue's curried cattail soup. They were accompanied by milkweed pod drenched in butter. We topped it all off with Jen's blackberry cobbler and Hue's wine/black berry pan cookie."

You are salivating profusely while listening intently.

Tim continues, "Not to mention all the tasty edibles we sampled on our study walk. Hue even brought the cherry bim--banned in forty states--for sampling. We really had the time of it."

Sadly, you ask, "Will you have the class again next year?"

"Of course! Better yet, why wait another year? We have another seasonal edibles class--fall wild edibles--coming up this October 13th."

Stay tuned for this year's recipes.

EC @ MAPS Meet 2007

2007-06-10T10:19:00.000-05:00

The Mid-Atlantic Primitive Skills (MAPS) Meet has developed from the activities of the Mid-Atlantic Primitive Skills Group and the growing primitive technology community of the Greater Washington D.C. area of which Earth Connection has been a part.

This year, the sixth for the event, was a transition, as the primary responsibility for the Meet was assumed by Ancestral Knowledge, with MAPS as an important sponsor. Earth Connection was on hand to provide a variety of EC instruction. Tim's taught his all time favorite subject--FIRE, while Hue provided the always popular and dirty Scout Class and Jamey focused on the well received cordage and gourd canteens classes. Jamey and Hue taught a few extra classes on Water in the Wilderness and the Sunday Morningstarr Medicine Wheel.

Fun was had by all, I assure you. We cannot wait for next year's event.

It was also a transition of sorts for Hue as well... he is passing the MAPS scout class to a new instructor, Owen, and moving on to bigger and better classes next year. We expect great things from this fine young man.

You go get'em dirty Owen!
Visit Owen's Blog

Sticks, Stones, and Broken Bones

2007-06-05T10:42:00.000-05:00

One of our class favorites is the two day Primitive Tools, 2-3 June. Here we learn how to make stuff to make more stuff all using what is available from mother nature. Lots of skills come to play in this class... from working stone, wood, bone and antler. Cordage and natural glues were also taught.

Percussion and pressure flaking fundamentals took us into the world of flintknapping where we produced a variety of stone tools for a variety of uses. Scrapers, knives, arrowheads, and in many cases, making larger stones into ever smaller ones. Stone tool making tends to be the class focus, but plenty of time is spent on all the other tools we can make.

Tool-man Tim, Hue and Jamey worked hard to make sure everyone had some time with all the tool making skills. Our weekend was split between a perfect weather day on Saturday and a raining day on Sunday... experience in both weather conditions provided a unique experience demonstrating the finesse needed in the skills.

Jen brought the growing MacWelch family down for a visit and were a welcomed break from bashing and cutting up our fingers. No major injuries occurred over this weekend--thank you--even though the risk is high when you are whacking rocks against rocks.

Its Organic Baby!

2007-05-25T09:24:00.000-05:00

19 May 2007 marks our very first Organic Gardening Class.

Our vision is to bring basic organic gardening for beginners into our budding self-sufficiency course menu. The EC Organic Gardening class is designed for folks interested in the purest form of producing ones own food. We covered topics like soils and soils structure, soil amendments, organic pest control, composting, disease control, container gardening, and much more... all for the beginning organic gardener, no matter if it is in your backyard or on your balcony.

Keep watching for more classes on self-sufficiency and watch our garden grow.

2007 Rabies Risk

2007-05-24T19:14:00.000-05:00

The vast majority of rabies cases reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) each year occur in wild carnivores (raccoons, skunks, and foxes) and bats, but any mammal can get rabies. Small rodents (such as squirrels, rats, mice, hamsters, guinea pigs, gerbils, and chipmunks) and lagomorphs (such as rabbits and hares) are almost never found to be infected with rabies and have not been known to cause rabies among humans in the United States. However, from 1985 through 1994, woodchucks accounted for 86% of the 368 cases of rabies among rodents reported to CDC. Exceptions abound in the natural world.

Risk: In the1990's, the number of rabies-related human deaths in the United States was only one or two per year. The precise number of rabies postexposure prophylaxis (PEP) treatments in the United States is unknown, but is estimated to be approximately 40,000. Therefore, the estimated risk of dying from rabies in the United States is very small.

Although non-bite exposures to rabies are very rare, we put ourselves at risk by handling roadkill animals which we do not know is infected, say in a hide-tanning class. It is possible that our scratches, abrasions, open wounds, or mucous membranes (i.e., eyes, nose, mouth) could become contaminated with saliva or other potentially infectious material (such as brain tissue) from a rabid animal. Other contact, such as petting a rabid animal or contact with the blood, urine or feces (e.g., guano) of a rabid animal, does not constitute an exposure and is not an indication for prophylaxis.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), rabies virus infects the central nervous system, causing encephalopathy and ultimately death. Early symptoms of rabies in humans are nonspecific, consisting of fever, headache, and general malaise. As the disease progresses, neurological symptoms appear and may include insomnia, anxiety, confusion, slight or partial paralysis, excitation, hallucinations, agitation, hypersalivation, difficulty swallowing, and hydrophobia (fear of water). Death usually occurs within days of the onset of symptoms.

Here's the rub... There is no approved treatment for rabies after symptoms of the disease appear. You must determine ahead of time if there is a possible exposure and the need for postexposure prophylaxis. Modern day prophylaxis has proven nearly 100% successful. In the United States, human fatalities associated with rabies occur in people who fail to seek medical assistance, usually because they were unaware of their exposure.

There is a new experimental treatment recently discovered for individuals that do not get the PEP shots in time. This treatment requires a very risky week long or more induced coma to allow the human immune system to catchup with the virus without the brain activated systemic shutdown that normally kills the patient. But, there is only one person who has been treated in this way and it was by chance this treatment was discovered.

Fresh Water Fishery Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia Virus (VHSV) Risk

2007-05-23T07:40:00.000-05:00

Continuing our Risk Assessment Series...

The viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV), which causes anemia and hemorrhaging in fish, first detected in the Great Lakes in June 2006, has now been identified in 23 species and is approaching epidemic proportions. This could have a devastating impact on sport fishing and aquaculture industries, not to mention our much smaller primitive and wilderness skills community. Fish biologists do not know how the disease is transmitted making it very difficult to prevent. There remains no way to vaccinate fish against this disease, and any measures to control its spread require people to apply procedures that existed prior to the discovery of vaccines, such as monitoring outbreaks and trying to isolate fish so they don't spread the disease.

Three new fish kills have occurred in 2007 in New York waters since the virus was identified in the Great Lakes Basin in 2005. In the St. Lawrence River, hundreds of thousands of round gobies have succumbed to the disease; gizzard shad die-offs from VHSV in Lake Ontario west of Rochester and in Dunkirk Harbor on Lake Erie also have been reported. Adding to concerns about the spread of the virus, walleye in Conesus Lake have tested positive for VHSV. Conesus is the westernmost Finger Lake and is the only New York Lake where VHSV has been found in a body of water other than the contiguous waters of the Great Lakes.

Other species from the Great Lakes Basin area that have tested positive by Cornell include bluegill, rock bass, black crappie, pumpkinseed, smallmouth and largemouth bass, muskellunge, northern pike, walleye, yellow perch, channel catfish, brown bullhead, white perch, white bass, emerald shiner, bluntnose minnow, freshwater drum, round goby, gizzard shad and burbot.

Risks: The Great Lakes VHSV is not related to the European or Japanese genotypes and poses no health threat to humans. However, as a general rule, people should avoid eating any fish (or game) that appears abnormal or behaves abnormally. Not all infected fish, however, exhibit symptoms. Some may be carriers, and visible signs of the disease may vary from species to species. The virus has been detected in Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, District of Columbia or West Virginia water sheds.

Cornell University Cronicle OnLine article by Krishna Ramanujan.

EC Spring Wild Edible Road Show

2007-05-06T07:00:00.000-05:00

Earth Connection (EC) took its popular Spring Edibles Class on the road this spring serving eastern West Virginia and Washington DC areas. Our seasonal Wild Edible Plant courses focus on the different plants and plant uses of each season. Each course is a guided walk through different habitats identifying, collecting and frequently sampling wild plant foods, and pointing out harmful plants to avoid. It covers approximately 40 plants, shrubs and trees of the mid-Atlantic region depending on the biomes available on site. It includes proper identification and use of these plants, whether they are native or introduced, when and where to safely collect plants and conservation techniques.

On 28 April, EC conducted the class at Abram's Creek Retreat and Campground in West Virginia. We covered many spring edibles, but the star of the show was Ramps (Wild Leeks) that abundantly covered the mountain sides. I'll be honest, it was my first experience with Ramps and I am SOLD. They are amazing. I even brought some home to conduct mad culinary experiments.

All leeks belong to the lily family, containing about 325 species, and are close relative of the onion, garlic, shallot and chives. Their genus, Allium, is Latin for garlic which is what their flavor resembles to me rather than onion. Not to mention that there was an enormous quantities available. We harvested mostly a leaf or two from each plant and only a few bulbs to practice good conservation techniques.

Although the weather was initially uncooperative it cleared rapidly and made for a very productive class. EC will teach at Abram's Creek again this year. We can recommend their newly developed campground as pristine and mostly untouched. There is an abundance of flora and fauna, especially wild edibles.

On 5 May, EC conducted a class in Greenbelt Park, Maryland near Washington, DC for Ancestral Knowledge (AK), a 501(c) non-profit educational organization operated by a community of naturalists who specialize in native life skills. We donated our time to the AK mission. The class was small which allowed for more one to one with the instructor.

We even rescued a mud puddle full of tadpoles. Steve, one of the students, commented later, "Thanks again for the guided plant tour down in MD two weeks ago. Adria and I both learned alot. The tadpoles we rescued from that puddle are growing bigger every day."

Greenbelt Park is one of the largest natural sanctuaries of recovering mixed evergreen-deciduous forest located within the metropolitan Washington area. The land that is now Greenbelt Park was roamed before colonial times by the Algonquin Indians and other tribes with whom they competed for the area's natural resources. The arrival of European colonists drastically tipped the balance of nature that the Native Americans had for the most part maintained. Most if not all of the trees fell to open up farmland for the new settlers; the native wildlife and the Indians retreated.

For 150 years, farming was the dominant use of the land. The settlers, however, did not give back to the land as much as they took from it. Farming gradually ceased as soild quality declined and erosion scarred the land. Since the early 1900s, the area has been recovering from this overuse. Its current cover of mixed deciduous and evergreen woods is mute testimony to the land's ability to come back. Within a few decades, as small-scale replica of the original hardwood forest will have fully returned. The pines that now cover a large parcels will have disappeared -- an important toward an eastern climax forest.

See you at the next edibles class!

2007 West Nile Virus Risk

2007-05-05T11:27:00.000-05:00

Third in our Risk Management Series is West Nile virus.

West Nile virus is not a river in Egypt…

West Nile virus (WNV) is established as a seasonal epidemic in North America that flares up in the summer and continues into the fall. WNV is mainly transmitted by the well known blood-feeding arthropod, the mosquito.

The risk of West Nile virus in Virginia is low.

WNV first appeared in North America in 1999, with encephalitis reported in humans and horses. WNV has emerged in recent years in temperate regions of Europe and North America, presenting a threat to public and animal health. The most serious manifestation of WNV infection is fatal encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) in humans and horses, as well as mortality in certain domestic and wild birds. Not until early 2002 has WNV been a significant cause of human illness in the United States—only 5 Virginia cases reported in 2006. West Nile virus was first identified in the West Nile District of Uganda in 1937 and only became recognized as a cause of severe human meningitis or encephalitis (inflammation of the spinal cord and brain) in elderly patients during an outbreak in Israel in 1957.

Arthropod-borne viruses (termed "arboviruses") are viruses that are maintained in nature through biological transmission between susceptible vertebrate hosts by blood-feeding arthropods (mosquitoes, sand flies, ceratopogonids "no-see-ums", and ticks). Vertebrates can become infected when an infected arthropod bites them to take a blood meal.

WNV Symptoms?

People typically develop symptoms between 3 and 14 days after they are bitten by the infected mosquito.

Serious Symptoms in a Few People. About one in 150 people infected with WNV will develop severe illness. The severe symptoms can include high fever, headache, neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, coma, tremors, convulsions, muscle weakness, vision loss, numbness and paralysis. These symptoms may last several weeks, and neurological effects may be permanent.

Milder Symptoms in Some People. Up to 20 percent of the people who become infected have symptoms such as fever, headache, and body aches, nausea, vomiting, and sometimes swollen lymph glands or a skin rash on the chest, stomach and back. Symptoms can last for as short as a few days, though even healthy people have become sick for several weeks.

No Symptoms in Most People. Approximately 80 percent of people (about 4 out of 5) who are infected with WNV will not show any symptoms at all.

The easiest and best way to avoid WNV is to prevent mosquito bites.

When you are outdoors, use insect repellent containing an EPA-registered active ingredient. Follow the directions on the package.

Many mosquitoes are most active at dusk and dawn. Be sure to use insect repellent and wear long sleeves and pants at these times or consider staying indoors during these hours.

Make sure you have intact screens on your tent windows and doors to keep mosquitoes out.

Earth Connection staff will throughout the year attempt to rid the local area of mosquito breeding sites by emptying standing water from flowerpots, buckets and barrels. However, there are many small swampy areas, natural cavities and unruly neighbors that might harbor a very significant population of mosquitoes.

2007 Southern Tick-Associated Rash Illness (STARI) Risk

2007-05-01T10:01:00.000-05:00

Second in the Risk Management Series

Here at Earth Connection (EC) we see a lot of lone star ticks. The "fear factor" talk of the camp is about Lyme disease and how many people they know have had it or suffer from its untreated affects. Accusations directed toward the lone star tick is far from the truth though.

FACT: The lone star tick does not transmit Lyme disease.

However, what causes the confusion is campers bitten by lone star ticks will occasionally develop a circular rash similar to the rash of early Lyme disease. The rash may even be accompanied by fatigue, headache, fever, and muscle and joint pains. The cause of this rash and its early Lyme disease like symptoms has not yet been determined; however, studies have shown that is not caused by Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacterium that causes Lyme disease. Instead, this condition has been named southern tick-associated rash illness (STARI). In the cases of STARI studied to date, the rash and accompanying symptoms have resolved following treatment with oral antibiotics. STARI has not been linked to any longterm arthritic, neurological, or chronic symptoms like Lyme disease.

The mild 2006-7 winter will bring us lots of these critters this year. I have seen more lone star ticks out at Earth Connection than any other type of tick. Be prepared for an onslaught of insects while attending our classes.

Any tick-borne illness may be prevented by avoiding tick habitat (dense woods and brushy areas), using insect repellents containing DEET or Permethrin, wearing long pants and socks, performing tick checks every 12 hours, and promptly removing ticks after outdoor activity. Persons should monitor their health closely after any tick bite, and should consult their physician if they experience a rash, fever, headache, joint or muscle pains, or swollen lymph nodes with 30 days of a tick bite.

2007 Lyme Disease Risk

2007-04-25T10:29:00.000-05:00

First in our Risk Management Series is Lyme Disease.

The 2006-7 northern Virginia winter was very mild. The lack of a long freeze to kill off a healthy percentage of insects over-wintering in the leaf litter, including ticks, will definitely increase the number of biting insects this year. Since we are talking about Lyme disease, what that means for our 2007 classes is the increased risk of suffering from tick infestations and a risk of infection by the bacterium that causes Lyme disease. Although the risk of being infected by the bacterium carried by deer ticks that causes Lyme disease is low for the area surrounding Earth Connection, there is still a risk.

Facts: The Lyme disease bacterium, Borrelia burgdorferi, harbors in mice, squirrels and other small mammals. It is transmitted through the bites of specific species of ticks between themselves and to to humans. In the northeastern and northcentral United States, the blacklegged (deer) tick (Ixodes scapularis) is known to transmit Lyme disease. Other tick species are not known to transmit Borrelia burgdorferi.

Copied from the
Center for Disease Control (CDC) Lyme Disease Website

Blacklegged (deer) ticks live for two years and have three feeding stages: larvae, nymph, and adult. When a young tick feeds on an infected animal, the tick takes the bacterium into its body along with the blood meal. The bacterium then lives in the gut of the tick. If the tick feeds again, it can transmit the bacterium to its new host. Usually the new host is another small rodent, but sometimes the new host is you or me.

Most cases of human illness occur in the late spring and summer when the tiny nymphs are most active and human outdoor activity is greatest. Although adult ticks often feed on deer, these animals do not become infected. Deer are nevertheless important in transporting ticks and maintaining tick populations.

Any tick-borne illness may be prevented by avoiding tick habitat (dense woods and brushy areas), using insect repellents containing DEET or permethrin, wearing long pants and socks, and performing tick checks every 12 hours and promptly removing ticks after outdoor activity. Persons should monitor their health closely after any tick bite, and should consult their physician if they experience a rash, fever, headache, joint or muscle pains, or swollen lymph nodes within 30 days of a tick bite. Failure to medically counter the bacterium can result in debilitating health issues.

Spring Wild Edibles Class

2007-04-22T19:30:00.000-05:00

On 21 April, Earth Connection held its Spring Edibles Class. The course focused on the different plants and plant uses of the spring season. Earth Connection instructors, Tim and Hue, walked six inquisitive students through different habitats, identifying edible plants as well as pointing out harmful plants to avoid, collecting safely with proper conservation techniques, and frequently sampling many of our wild plant foods.

These modern natives wanted the knowledge about plants as a source of food, medicine, cordage (string or rope), building materials, tools, firewood and last but definitely not least - what poisonous plants to avoid. We covered almost 40 wild edible plants, shrubs and trees. Proper identification including Latin nomenclature.

Can anyone tell me who Tim looks like here?

Wild edible snacks were served as a bonus to christen and entice our newly educated wild edible enthusiasts. July 14 is our next Wild Edibles class where we will be covering the next season... SUMMER.

19 May is Earth Connection’s next class. Our new Organic Gardening course will show you the ins and outs of certified organic gardening for the home gardener. Whether you have a farm, backyard or just a sunny patio or balcony, you can grow your own food in the safest way available. Learn about location, soils, soil amendments, composting, animal free gardening (no animal parts or ground up bones in your soils), tools, garden beds, container gardening, irrigation, seed selection, growing your own seedlings, transplanting, garden plans, crop rotation, pest control, seed saving and much more!!! Each student gets an Earth Connection gardening handout with full color photos and written plant information. If you care about the food you are eating and want to grow your own, then this class is for you.

Managing Wilderness Adventure Risks

2007-04-18T16:12:00.000-05:00

In the coming weeks, Earth Connection will be publishing a series of blog-articles on Wilderness Adventure Risks. Experiencing the wild places exposes each of us to many risks to our health and well-being. Risk and uncertainty are central to the concept of adventure and understanding these risks from the onset of your adventure will help you prepare and mitigate the possibility of contracting a debilitating disease or injury.

Just ask Tim about risk; he'll tell you about all of them... for instance, the likelihood of eating bird droppings or snail snot in a wild edible salad.

In this series we will be identifying some of the commonly-asked-about adventure risks and factors to help you decide how to mitigate the risk.

First, before we begin the series, let's cover the basics of Risk Management and Assessment.

What is Risk?

A common definition of risk is identifying a specific hazard and the likelihood that the hazard occurs (probability) x (hazard) = risk. That likelihood may be expressed as a rate or a probability. For example the risk of a wilderness accident (hazard) can be expressed as one accident per one hundred adventures (likelihood).

What is Risk Assessment?

Risk assessment is the process of analyzing potential losses from a given hazard using a combination of known information about the situation, knowledge about the underlying process, and judgment about the information that is not known or well understood.

What is Risk Management?

The process of combining a risk assessment with decisions on how to address that risk is called risk management.

Five Step Risk Management Process
Step 1 - Identify hazards
Step 2 - Assess hazards to determine risks
Step 3 - Develop controls and make risk decisions
Step 4 - Implement controls
Step 5 - Supervise and evaluate

There, now you know all about risk management, right?

Probably not, so now we have to discuss some of the specific risks you might encounter in a daily outing... say, at one of Earth Connection's classes. We will not discuss the simple risks like cutting yourself with your knife, but probably should with as many times we have seen students hack away at their own fingers at our classes. But, alas, I will keep on track.

Stay tuned for more five steps of risk management at Earth Connection classes.

If we do not discuss the risk you are concerned about then let us know so we can address it.

Only 12 Plants of 500,000 Supply the World with Food

2007-04-07T15:42:00.000-05:00

I recently found a very interesting fact published on Killerplants dot com

FACT: Five hundred thousand is a rough guesstimate of the number of plant species on the face of the Earth.

Of this 500,000, there are 3,000 species that provide some edible portion to humans. Edible food portions include, leaves, roots, nuts, and fruits.

Of these 3,000 species, only about 150 are regularly cultivated by humans.

(I wonder how much of the 3,000 are in the Americas?)

Of the 150 cultivated plants, only 12 supply most of the food our world consumes.

The critical 12 cultivated plants are...

Cereals:

corn (Zea mays)
rice (Oryza sativa)
wheat (Triticum aestivum)

Legumes:

common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris)
soybean (Glycine max)

The roots:

white potato (Solanum tuberosum)
sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas)
cassava (Manihot esculenta)

Sugar sources:

sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum)
sugar beet (Beta vulgaris)

Pan-tropical fruits:

coconut (Cocos nucifera)
bananna (Musa Spp.)

Add to your wild edible knowledge and supplement the critical 12 cultivated food plants.
Register HERE for Earth Connection's:

21 April Spring Edibles Class
19 May NEW Organic Gardening Class

Killerplants™ is a website for gardeners, plant lovers, collectors, and people interested in the natural world. Killerplants attempts to instill a way of rethinking our world adding a bit of respect so that it will not be lost forever. Killerplants publishes five newsletters that might be of interest to those of you who desire to learning more about the plant kingdom.

The Joys of Spring Edibles

2007-04-04T12:00:00.000-05:00

The popular Earth Connection Spring Wild Edible Plant class is rapidly approaching (April 21). This course focuses on the different edible plants available in our region during the spring. We will spend copious time guiding students through our school's different mid-Atlantic habitats identifying, collecting and frequently sampling wild plant foods, as well as pointing out harmful plants to avoid.

The class will cover approximately 40 plants, shrubs and trees. Proper identification and use of plants include, whether plants are native or introduced, when and where to safely collect plants and conservation techniques. Each student will receive an Earth Connection plant handout with color photos and written plant information with plenty of room for notes. Wild edible snacks are a part of each course regardless of season and spring is our favorite time for wild food snacks. Many of the wild plant snacks are prepared ahead of time, using some modern ingredients. The wild food menu may contain some items with dairy, eggs and/or meat.

Survive THIS!

2007-03-31T09:04:00.000-05:00

Over the March 24-25 weekend, Earth Connection (EC) held its popular Wilderness Survival course that instructed 11 students on a variety of year-round life saving wilderness survival skills using modern gear and some historic & primitive outdoor skills. Tim, Hue and Jamey gathered their knowledge and delivered a two day educational smörgåsbord on how to keep your three pounds of meat (brain) alive when lost in the wilds.

Instruction included survival's rule of fours, tarp shelters, basics of making and utilizing fire, collecting and purifying water, wilderness food, staying found (not getting lost), signaling, and survival kits... to give you just a hint of the topics that were covered.

Sean B. who attended the class gave this testimonial, “Just wanted... to say again how much I enjoyed the class. The info was well presented and you struck just the right balance between serious instruction and hanging out… you guys are like the proverbial heroin dealer; i.e. get’em hooked and keep’em coming back... [BTW,] was stuck on the beltway this morning in a suit and tie looking at the roadside weeds and thinking about cordage!”

Food gathering instruction, always a favorite topic when you are hungry, include collecting and preparing nutritious edible plants, four different traps unique to this course, and survival fishing. We even dined on Jamey's delicious squirrel stew.

Wild Food Plants dot Com

2007-03-18T12:03:00.000-05:00

I recently became acquainted with Sunny Johnson, a wild foods’ aficionado in California, who has added Earth Connection as a wild foods instruction resource on her Wild food Plants website. Her vision is that this website will become a clearinghouse of information and resources for wild food plants worldwide. Her current project is organizing a television program on wild foods and sustainable living skills.

The Wild Food Plants website is chocked full of great wild food recipes and earth friendly advice. I'm really enamored with her wild soba noodle recipe. I highly recommend a regular visit to this website! (See the link in our Partners section on the left)

Sunny’s bio is impressive: BS in Dietetics from the College of St. Catherine, MS in Nutrition Education from the Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, and a certificate in Native American Permaculture. Her Master’s work focused on the antioxidant levels of wild food plants. In addition, she is a certified yoga instructor, teaching for over 6 years. She has also filmed, edited, and produced a documentary in 2006 called the Local Food Challenge.

Tracking - The Art of Questions!

2007-03-17T09:38:00.000-05:00

Tracking is a highly evolved art and science that can encompass all kinds of study subjects from physical sciences to quantum mechanics, from biomechanics (study of motion) to global/micro weather patterns, from animal behavior to human awareness, and from a life born to its final demise. Tracking is the one art that calls to one’s soul to follow that which past by here. It is the Art of Questions!

Earth Connection's Basic Tracking class is designed to give students a basic set of tools to investigate animal tracks and signs. Eight students learned the basics of animal sign, clear print identification, animal gaits and track patterns, and distinguishing track age. We also apply tracking knowledge to survival skills with demonstrations in small animal trapping.

Most students favor the "Dirt Time" assignments (a deliberate study of tracks discovered in the wild) and plaster casting tracks learning that “dirt time” provides the best and quickest learning method and is the primary tool for learning the art of tracking.

HAPPY TRACKING!

Post Note: Blake recently discovered the culprit of all the cat tracks. "[The cat is] approximately 12" from shoulder to butt, black and white, [but unsure whether it was male or female]... it was heading out towards the road, crossing under the fence in the early morning." Blake observed a pitch to the left set of tracks that was consistent with the cat tracks we observed during our class. Blake commented that, "my best guess is that this little cat is going out to the field in the evening to do its hunting and coming back in the early pre-dawn hours."

Friction Fire Success X 16

2007-02-27T21:21:00.000-05:00

On 24 February 2006, Earth Connection (EC) conducted a friction fire class that was one of the largest set of successful fire making we have seen. The EC friction fire class focused only on two methods: hand and bow drill friction fires. We had sixteen potential fire-makers that morning and by the day's close all had achieved the ultimate result of rubbing sticks together; FIRE!

We are proud of our newly educated pyromaniacs and expect them to practice, practice and practice friction fire making with what is in their backyard.

Fire Palooza is coming this summer when we are set to assist our student in learning a whole slew of fire making techniques.

The basic technique for making friction fire involves spinning a drill in a hole on a board. Friction from "rubbing the sticks" together produces heat and carbonizes the wood into a fine powdery char. The char collects in a notch cut into the center of the hole like a pie slice. Once the char heats to ignition temperature it will form a coal and begin to smolder.

This coal is place into a bed of tinder of fine, dry plant fibers and given oxygen by gentle blowing. Eventually, as the volatile gases also ignite, this will cause the tinder to burst into flames . This is much easier to describe than to accomplish. Considerable downward pressure is required.

All sixteen of our students completed the task at hand and made a self sustaining fire. What an accomplishment!

EC 2007 Class Schedule

2007-02-10T14:55:00.000-05:00

What is your favorite class?

We are constantly changing our class curriculum as well as offering the classics. Keep an eye out for more class offerings in the future. Tell us what you would like to learn and we will work it into the schedule. New classes are being created all the time. Look for Land Navigation, Fur Tanning, Pack Basket classes and more in the near future.

Register Here!

Feb 24 -- Fire Making
Mar 10 -- Tracks and Sign
Mar 24-25 -- Wilderness Survival
Apr 21 -- Spring Wild Edible Plants
Apr 22 -- Organic Gardening NEW!
Jun 2-3 -- Primitive Tool Making
July 14 -- Summer Wild Edible Plants
Aug 11 -- Basketry
Sep 8-9 -- Fire Palooza
Sep 22 -- Primitive Cooking
Oct 13 -- Fall Wild Edible Plants
Oct 20-21 -- Hide Tanning
Oct 27-28 -- Hide Tanning Rain Date
Nov 2-4 -- Primitive Skills

New Websites Added to the EC Family

2007-02-10T14:52:00.000-05:00

Earth Connection has recently published two new web sites that provide information to our students and all other primitive skills enthusiasts. The content will be growing on each site as the months go by. Please visit them often for new photos, articles and lessons.

www.fieldguidetofrictionfire.com
www.fieldguidetoprimitiveskills.com

This is in the EC tradition...

"The class isn't over when you go home!"

Basic Survival Skills for the To Shin Do Practitioner

2007-02-10T14:22:00.001-05:00

Earth Connection recently began a new curriculum called EC Survival Strategy that provides training certification in survival and wilderness skills. We provide this service exclusively to the Chapel Hill Quest Center. The Basic Survival Weekend was held in late January.

Earth Connection through EC Survival Strategy is providing four levels in survival and wilderness skills instruction--Basic (Apprentice), Intermediate (Practitioner), Advanced (Instructor), and Expert (Mentor)--to the students and instructors of the Quest Center. This program will eventually establish Quest Center practitioners and instructors officially certified by Earth Connection's good name.

We are honored to be associated with the traditions that the Chapel Hill Quest Center is promoting.

Earth Connection in Northern Virginia Magazine

2007-02-10T14:17:00.000-05:00

February 2007 issue of Northern Virginia Magazine has an article about Earth Connection written by nature writer Matt Kull. There is an awesome photo of Tim and daughter Megan making a fire photographed by Jonathan Timmes. Check out this issue.

We have more news coming!

Earth Connection Joins National Geographic's Wild Chronicles on PBS

2007-02-10T14:02:00.000-05:00

EARTH CONNECTION NEWS... CHECK THIS OUT!

Boyd Matson, host of the TV series Wild Chronicles, learns how to construct a wilderness shelter. Wild Chronicles, hosted by Boyd Matson tells the story of our planet, offering rare access to unknown places and in-depth reporting from National Geographic. (Made possible by National Geographic Mission Programs and presented by WLIW New York)

Tim MacWelch and Rick Hueston of Earth Connection join longtime National Geographic Explorer host Boyd Matson and award-winning executive producer Mark Bauman for Wild Chronicles Episodes that highlight essential survival skills. In the first of several survival episodes, Earth Connection teaches Boyd how to make a friction fire.

Friction Fire episode aired Sunday, February 4, on CHANNEL 67 (Maryland Public Television). Episode #215 Titled "Bonobos in the Congo."

We will help Boyd with shelter in the next episode that will probably air in April. There will be more to come... stay tuned.

Wild Chronicles looks at the human relationship with nature, highlighting breakthrough science that offers real hope for the future. Wild Chronicles is presented on public television stations by National Geographic Society Mission Programs—the arm of the Society that supports pioneering research and field expeditions. http://www.nationalgeographic.com/donate/wildchronicles/

Forty-two "Wild Chronicles" episodes are planned for the series during the 2006-07 television season. Segments covering news from nature, adventure and exploration, scientific revelations, and stories from the field include both original reports as well as updates on some exciting recent discoveries. Earth Connection will be involved with more than six episodes during the 2006-7 television season.

Local Stations to view episodes:

WETA TV 26, CHANNEL 26 Arlington, VA
mpt/Maryland Public Television, CHANNEL 67 Owings Mills, MD

Check your local PBS provider for Wild Chronicles listings:

http://www.pbs.org/tvschedules/

(Search for Wild Chronicles and read the details of the episode to find the correct episode)

Primitive Skills (10-12 Nov)

2006-11-27T21:25:00.000-05:00

The contrasting weather brought an Indian Summer with sun and warmth the first day when we constructed our leaf debri huts followed succinctly the last day by the usual cold fall rains we encounter this time of year... you know the kind that wake you up warm and cozy in your leaf cocoon to the pitter-patter of rain falling on your leaf roof.

Well... if you made the debri hut properly only then would you wake up warm instead of cold and wet. Ask Earth Connections newest Primitive Skills Class graduates that were taught primitive wilderness survival skills. Although the rainy weather on the last day caused us some consternation, we persevered through the cold to the grand finally of basket making indoors. That's right, we wimped out to have limber hands and dry backsides to make beautiful baskets out of material we collected on site.

Note worthy:
Many of our students for this class are instructors from the Quest Center where they focus physical, mental and spiritual study in the ancient art of Ninjutsu which includes the topics that Earth Connection teaches.

What our students experienced:
Leaf hut shelter constuction, without tools or cord; friction fire making with the bow drill; primitive tool making; primitive water gathering and purification; primitive traps; rabbit hunting stick; edible plants, primitive cooking, wicker basketry from vines, plant and tree bark string, and burning out wooden bowls.

Huge 2006 Acorn Crop

2006-10-15T08:30:00.000-05:00

This year's Fall Wild Edbile Plants class on 14 Oct covered quite a few "delectable edibles... mmmm," as Tim commented early that morning. But, the main item of discussion was this year's abundant acorn crop.

We talked, gathered, processed and ate acorns. Jen (Tim's much better half) made delicious acorn/peanut butter cookies and acorn/pumpkin muffins that were the hit of the class.

Interesting Oak facts: A mature Oak tree can produce up to 1,000 pounds of acorns in one growing season and this year was one of those years. In fact, Oak trees produce an abundance crop only every 3-5 years depending on the species and local weather conditions. Acorns have been used as a main food staple more than any other nut or grain over the course of human history. White Oak is the most common of the Oaks and good thing too, because they tend to have less of the tannic acid that makes processing acorns somewhat laborious. The nutrition of one handful of acorns is equivalent to a pound of hamburger making it an excellent food.

Hue brought his usual edible findings for all to taste... Jerusalem Artichokes, Persimmons (fermented slightly, but still good), Acorn meal (leached of its tannins), Autumn Olive sauce, and dried Nannyberries.

The 10 Bushcraft Books by Richard Graves

2006-10-08T18:32:00.000-05:00

We found an on-line edition of a classic bushcraft text now out of print, 'The 10 Bushcraft Books' by Richard Graves. Richard Harry Graves, 1898-1971, is a former Commanding Officer of the Australian Jungle Survival & Rescue Detachment of the Austalian Air Force and well know Austalian survival book.

'The 10 Bushcraft Books' are considered the seminal texts on bushcraft and this on-line edition is brought to you by Chris Molloy from New Zealand who has the passion like us for the outdoors. Originally written as wartime information for conducting rescue missions, the notes were later revised and prepared for a School of Bushcraft which operated for nearly 20 years.

See the Resources List to the left. Enjoy!

Fading Tracks

2006-09-24T09:38:00.000-05:00

The tracks and sign of raccoon, deer, mouse, cat and lots of dog (Chagi-ya) encapsulated Earth Connect's (EC) first ever Tracks and Sign class.

"So much information to cover and so little time" was our mantra. The students (nine) were eager to learn the basics and very much appreciated the macro to micro lesson plan along with hands-on activities. Practicing the gait patterns on our hands and knees really drove home the way animals move. The "wisdom marks" sandbox really demonstrated how some tracks can age because there was a rain that occurred a week ago that obscured a fourth of the marks. We even had some great examples of aging mud/gravel deer and racoon tracks under the water of a slow moving stream.

One tracks and sign story told of how mice climbed a Autumn Olive tree and chewed through many of the branches that were ladden with ripe fruit. We surmized that it was a combination of efficient use of energy by reducing the amount of climbing and to make it less dangerous to eat the fruit. Eating them on the ground instead of the tree keeps them safe from owls.

EC's next class is fall wild edibles on 14 October. Sign up soon so we can prepare the right amount of wild edible goodies.

Tracks and Sign (23 Sep)

2006-09-17T08:41:00.000-05:00

Tracks and Sign, Earth Connection's newest class.

This class will give you a basic background in identifying animal tracks and signs. You will learn the basics of animal sign, clear print identification, animal gaits and track patterns, distinguishing track age, and how to read body movement in a track. We will also apply tracking knowledge to survival skills in small animal trapping. We begin with lecture; reinforce your learning with demonstrations of animal movement, track and sign study techniques, plaster casts and group “dirt time.” All will culminate with an individual field assignment. “Dirt time” provides the best and quickest learning method and is the primary tool for learning the art of tracking.

Register for the Tracking and Sign Class here!

Tracking is a highly evolved art and science that can encompass all subjects of study from each and every physical sciences to quantum mechanics, from biomechanics and the study of motion to global and micro weather patterns, from animal behavior to human awareness, from a life born to its demise. Tracking is the one art that calls to ones soul to follow that which past by here.

It is the Art of Questions!

The Fire Plow Boys

2006-09-13T19:36:00.000-05:00

Looks like we had another successful weekend with Earth Connection's FIRE PALOOZA.

We had Fires all around us... from hand drills (including w/thumb assist), bow drills (using differing wood for fire boards and spindles), pump drills, fire plow, flint and steel... shall I go on?

There was success in every fire method. We even had a few surprises as Tim showed his soon to be famous (and patented) one armed technique and Hue got a fire with a charred Oak fire board.

The Fire Plow Boys make their debut at FIRE PALOOZA
(Five fire plow fires successfully made in less than 20 minutes... Tim got one too!)

Fire Making Process

Carbonization

Spindle recipication motion on fire board creates friction heat. The thermal decomposition starts in the range 120-200 degrees Celsius is caused by friction heat and results in wood mass loss, moisture content release and the non-combustible degradates release into the combustion space. At 200-280 degrees Celsius, mainly endothermic reactions occur while the heat energy of the ignition source is taken up by surrounding materials. At 280-500 degrees Celsius, the exothermic reactions of decomposition products are progressively accelerating as the primary process, while carbonization occurs. In this temperature range, sustaining combustion has already developed.

Glowing Ignition

The carbon in the char combines with oxygen producing heat, a much slower reaction than flaming ignition. Glowing ignition is self-sustaining until all carbon fuel is used up. Glowing ignition is about 500 degrees F (260 degrees C) for wood. At tempuratures exceeding 500 degrees F (260 degrees C), the wood char forms residues. During its additional glowing, ash containing solid, inorganic material is produced, and the process has come to an end

Flaming Ignition

The coal is introduced to tinder and more oxygen is added. This produces the gaseous volitile organic compounds needed for flaming ignition or combustion. When the volatile gases are hot enough (about 500-617 degrees F (260-325 degrees C) for wood), the compound molecules break apart, and the atoms recombine with the oxygen to form water, carbon dioxide, soot and other products.

Crikey, We Salute You Steve Irwin

2006-09-05T19:50:00.000-05:00

Stephen Robert Irwin (22 February 1962 – 4 September 2006), also known as the Crocodile Hunter. Shortly after 11:00 a.m. local time (01:00 UTC) on 4 September 2006, Irwin was fatally pierced in the chest by a short-tail stingray barb whilst snorkeling in Batt Reef, which is part of the Great Barrier Reef, off the coast of Port Douglas in Queensland. Irwin was in the area filming his own documentary, to be called The Ocean's Deadliest, but weather had stalled filming. He will be sadly missed.

Steve Irwin was an Australian naturalist, wildlife expert and television personality, best known for the television program The Crocodile Hunter, an unconventional wildlife documentary series broadcast worldwide and co-hosted with his wife Terri Irwin. The pair owned and operated Australia Zoo in Beerwah, Queensland. Irwin was a passionate conservationist and believed in promoting environmentalism by sharing his excitement about the natural world rather than preaching to people. He was concerned with conservation of endangered animals and land clearing leading to loss of habitat. He considered conservation to be the most important part of his work: "I consider myself a wild-life warrior. My mission is to save the world's endangered species."

Animal Planet will rename the garden space in front of Discovery's world headquarters in Silver Spring, Montgomery County, Maryland to the "Steve Irwin Memorial Sensory Garden." They are also looking at the creation of the Steve Irwin Crocodile Hunter Fund, which they will call "The Crikey Fund" which will "allow people from across the globe to make contributions in Irwin's honour to support wildlife protection, education and conservation."

Fire Palooza (9-10 Sep)

2006-09-04T12:40:00.000-05:00

Fire Palooza is Earth Connection's two day Fire Making class. The curriculum is fast paced as we have a lot fire making methods to cover and only two days to do it. Fire Palooza is designed to teach you how to make a WIDE variety of friction fire making devices from wood, string, and stone. We will do advanced bow drill and hand drill techniques and equipment, pump drill and some similar technologies, arctic mouth drill, fire plow and MORE!! Participants will go home with some nice fire making kits.

Register for the Fire Palooza Class Here!

Fire (fir) (noun) Eytmology: Anglo-Saxon fyr

Definition: A fire is a rapid and self-sustaining chemical exothermic oxidation process of combustible gases ejected from a fuel that releases heat and light. Fire is the naturally occurring companion of energy release in the form of heat and light when oxygen combines with a suitable material at a suitably high temperature to convert it to a combustible vapor or gas. The physical manifestation of a fire starts by subjecting a fuel to a heat source until initial ignition and is sustained by the further release of heat energy. Creating and manipulating fire was one of humankind's first great achievements.

American Indian Heritage Day at JPPM

2006-08-13T16:08:00.000-05:00

Jefferson Patterson Park and Museum (JPPM) hosted American Indian Heritage Day on Saturday, August 12 and Earth Connection was there. The weather could not have been any better than it was, not too hot with a slight breeze off the bay.

The event featured educational sessions and entertainment highlighting American Indian culture and history through hands-on activities, demonstrations, exhibits, and live performances. Days before the event Governor Ehrlich Jr. encouraged "… all Marylanders to attend American Indian Heritage Day and learn more about the history and culture of our great state's original inhabitants," which I suspect a few took his encouragement to heart.

Although it was a slow start out at the Indian village, many made it down to our humble village of demonstrations. There were over 1500 visitors over all. Those 1500 or so guests experienced traditional and contemporary expressions of American Indian cultural heritage, including music, storytelling, arts, and crafts. Many of the visitors explored the hands-on activities in pottery, finger weaving, archery, hide tanning, primitive cooking and stone tool making. The event also featured the continuing construction of replica woodland Indian village with a wigwam and work shelter where the primitive cooking was set up.

The Mid-Atlantic Primitive Skills Group (MAPS) provided demonstrations on primitive cooking, cordage and hide tanning for the event in the woodland Indian village still under construction. Oregon Ridge Nature Center provided stone tool making. Earth Connection (EC) provided some of the primitive cooking demonstrations with MAPS.

EC provided a green stick grill, pit cooking and clay pot oven demonstrations. We cooked up croaker and spot fish, buffalo, venison, game hen, quail, corn on the cob, plenty of vegetables, but only the demonstrators could partake of the bounty. Guests were bound to the food provided by the event concessionaires. That was good for us.

There were also many folks that stopped by to say hello during the event that have come to EC classes in the past. I hope to see more of them out at EC in the future.

Heatwave Cooling Off

2006-08-05T08:58:00.000-05:00

Now that the Heatwave is essentially over, EC wants to pass on some heat coping skills and lessons learned to help us outdoor freaks that spend too much time outside.

Here are some easy tips on Staying cool:

Take a mid-day siesta. A simple countermeasure to extreme heat is not play in it... take a break. Avoid exertion during the hottest time of the day. Putting your feet up and resting in the backyard shade is very effective and environmentally friendly.

Use a wet towel or hankerchief around your neck. This will cool your core down more effectively than you might think. There are even commercial versions you can purchase for you and your dog, but a hand towel is cheaper.

Open a window. When your fan and air-condition is not working due to a power failure... open a window. But, do it right. Most of us have forgotten how to open our sash windows to maximize airflow (if you have this style... we do). If you understand the fluid mechanics of natural ventilation and have a sash window in the right place and right height then go for it. It is best to have your sash window open equally top and bottom. The cooler (relatively) air flows into the room through the lower opening and flushes the warm air out through the top. If you can, leave sash in this position overnight for best results. The cool external air also cools the walls, floor and ceiling that have absorbed the days heat.

Change your diet. Avoid heavy protein foods like meat and dairy products that tend to increase metabolism and raise body heat and fluid loss. Of course, drink plenty of fluids... like WATER! Eat more cold food like salads and fruit that contain water.

Avoid the Sun. Avoid direct sunlight if possible. Use sunscreen as a sunburn will limit your body's capability to cope with the heat. Wear light-weight and light-colored clothing that is loose and porous, and a wide-brim hat.

Know the symptoms and treatment for heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Symptoms include: headaches, nausea, an intense thirst, sleepiness, hot red and dry skin, a sudden rise in temperature, confusion, aggression, and convulsions and a loss of consciousness. Treatment: immediate cooling of the body in anyway that is feasible.

Wild Edibles of Abram's Creek

2006-07-29T21:11:00.000-05:00

Earth Connection (EC) welcomes eight new students to our family. About 40 edible plants were identified at Abram's Creek Campground this weekend in a four hour wild edibles class. Hue taught the class with excellent side comments and assistance from Jamey and Chagi-ya (the furry one), the ever-by-his-side companions.

There were plenty of "ooohs" and "aaahs" with the Poison Water Hemlock encounter, not to be confused with the Hemlock forest in which the campground is located. Milkweed and Burdock were abundant. But, beebalm was the reigning favorite of the campers for its showy flower and flavor (used in a tea). EC is planning to do more out at Abram's Creek in the future. Keep your eyes open!

Velcro Weed... Gobo... Call it good to eat!

2006-07-27T22:36:00.000-05:00

Here is a plant we discussed briefly during our class but did not get to taste... Too bad! It is one of our favorites.

Common Burdock (Arctium minus)

Burdock has mildly sweet-tasting flesh with bitter leaves and sprouts. The exterior of the large, dark, woody-looking root belies the sweet, nutty, delicate, crunchy flesh within. Although its bark-like skin looks thick, it is actually tissue-paper-thin, able to be scraped away with a fingernail or light scrubbing. Burdock is a root commonly used in Japanese dishes. Gobo is the Japanese word for burdock, which is considered an intensely "yang" vegetable. One of the characteristics of yang is heat generation. For the Iroquois, burdock was an important winter food. They dug it in the fall, dried it, and then ate it throughout the long cold months of winter.

Good pictures of stages of growth except for the root.

Also check out our "Useful Resources" Link to the left for more pictures

You can harvest the large, deep, beige taproot from the basal rosette form (as soon as the flowerstalk appears, the root becomes tough and woody) from early spring to late fall. Its hearty flavor is a little like that of potatoes, although it’s related to artichokes. Scrub the root with a coarse scouring pad, but don’t peel it. Slice it razor-thin on a diagonal.

Simmer 20 minutes or until tender. You may also sauté it, but add liquid and cook it in moist heat another 10 minutes afterwards, or it may not get tender.

You may also harvest the immature flower stalk in late spring, before the flowers appear, while it’s still tender and very flexible. Peeled and parboiled for 1 minute to get rid of the bitterness, it tastes like artichoke hearts, and it will enhance any traditional recipe that calls for the heart of artichokes. Cook this another 5-10 minutes.

Young leaves can also be boiled in two or so changes of water to remove the bitterness.

Jamey's Wild Green Quiche

2006-07-26T20:13:00.000-05:00

We have recieved an overwhelming response to post our wild edible feast recipes. Let EC begin with Jamey's Wild Green Quiche. She used Lamb's Quarters this time, but has used Stinging Nettles successfully in the past and wants to try Orach given the chance.

We will post more recipes as they are complied. Enjoy!

Jamey's Wild Green Quiche

Ingredients:
- 1 9-inch pie crust (make this crust homemade… see your recipe books)
- 2-cups of cooked wild green
(Steam lightly until limp, add some butter for added flavor if you like)
- 1-cup shredded Swiss cheese Gruyere
- 1-cup whole milk
- 2 egg whites
- 2 whole eggs
- 1 teaspoon tarragon, crumbled
- 1/8 to ¼ teaspoon nutmeg (to taste)
- ½ teaspoon salt (to taste)
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Line a 9-inch pie plate with the crust. Bake crust in a preheated oven at 450 for 7 minutes. Cool crust and lower oven to 350.

Place Wild Greens on the bottom of the crust and then the shredded cheese.

In a small bowl, beat together the milk, egg whites, whole eggs, tarragon, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Pour this mixture carefully over the cheese.

Bake quiche for 30 minutes or until the custard has set.

EC Edible Plants Class at Abram's Creek

2006-07-20T08:28:00.000-05:00

EC is giving another session of its summer edibles class at Abram's Creek Retreat & Campground in West Virginia on Saturday July 29, 2:00 - 6:00pm.

This Seasonal Wild Edible Plant class focuses on the different plants and plant uses of each season. There will be a guided walk through different habitats, identifying, collecting and frequent sampling wild plant foods, and pointing out harmful plants to avoid. It will cover approximately 40 plants, shrubs and trees. It will cover proper identification and use of these plants, whether plants are native or introduced, when and where to safely collect plants and conservation techniques.

EC Primitive Cooking Demo at JPPM

2006-07-20T08:14:00.000-05:00

Earth Connection (EC) in conjunction with the Mid-Atlantic Primitive Skills Group (MAPS) is giving a primitive cooking demo on August 12, 2006, 11am - 5pm, at the Jefferson Patterson Park & Museum's (JPPM) American Indian Heritage Day (there is an entrance Fee).

Ever wonder how life was along the Chesapeake Bay over 500 years ago? Come to JPPM and enjoy modern interpretations of this rich cultural heritage through visual and performing arts by American Indians from around the region. Get a glimpse of everyday life through hands-on activities in basketry, archery, stone tool making and much more. This event is co-sponsored by the Maryland Commission on Indian Affairs. For more information contact JPPM at 410-586-8501 or email mparlett@mdp.state.md.us.

16 July -- Summer Wild Edible Plant Class

2006-07-19T20:21:00.000-05:00

Earth Connection's Summer Wild Edible Plant class was a great success despite the oppressive heat wave we were having.

Appetites for the wild plant tasting feast at lunch were not hindered one bit. The blackberry cobbler was the favorite followed by the blackberry cobbler. Everyone taste tested day lilly buds sauteed in butter and dried flowers, milkweed pods sauteed in butter, lamb's quarters quiche, black cherry and blackberry spritzers, raw soloman's seal root, red clover flower flour tortillas, black cherry fruit leather, plantain seed couscous... Shall I go on?

Tim and Hue's instruction along with Jen and Jamey's cookin' help provided an educational smorgssborg in wild edibles for all the participants.

Does anyone remember what two types of "blanching" were discussed?

Tim and Hue want your comments and questions.