Its Organic Baby!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

Register Here for either class!

Managing Wilderness Adventure Risks

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

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:

1. corn (Zea mays)
2. rice (Oryza sativa)
3. wheat (Triticum aestivum)

Legumes:

4. common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris)
5. soybean (Glycine max)

The roots:

6. white potato (Solanum tuberosum)
7. sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas)
8. cassava (Manihot esculenta)

Sugar sources:

9. sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum)
10. sugar beet (Beta vulgaris)

Pan-tropical fruits:

11. coconut (Cocos nucifera)
12. 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

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.

Sign up here

Survive THIS!

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

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!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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)