Are you interested in Weekend Workshops or Short Courses?
Weekend Workshops
Wilderness Skills Workshop
A three-day program of introduction to the natural world and to the skills needed to survive comfortably in a wilderness environment.
- When:
- There is presently no weekend workshop scheduled for 2020. Please consider some of our Short Courses (below).
- Where:
- YMCA Camp Minikani (in the Kettle-Moraine area of south-central Wisconsin; 30 minutes from Milwaukee; 2 hours from O’Hare Airport).
- Cost:
- $345; Children 11-15: $320**; minimum class size of 18 students.
- Included:
-
- All meals, Friday dinner through Sunday lunch, prepared and served cafeteria-style by Camp Minikani staff.
- Comfortable dorm lodging* or, if you prefer, tent camping with a view of Amy Belle Lake
- All instructional materials.
- Course content: fire by friction, shelter-building, animal tracking, awareness skills, fox-walking, “splatter vision”, and much more.
- Individualized instruction from experienced folks who have a passion to pass on these ancient skills; the student/instructor ratio is no greater than 6:1.
Children under 11 will be enrolled only with our prior approval. Every student 16 or under must be accompanied by a parent or adult guardian.
*Dorm accommodations: Please note that the dorm is co-ed and bunks are limited to 10 students.
**It is our desire to share these skills with family units and we realize that “per person” rates may be prohibitive. So if you are a parent who wishes to attend with 2 or more children (ages 18 and under), please contact us to discuss a possible family rate.
Refund policy: If you notify our office of cancellation more than 30 days prior to the start of the workshop, you will receive a full refund less a $15 service fee. Refunds for cancellations within 30 days of the workshop will be at the sole discretion of Nature Education Programs, Ltd.
Comments from previous wilderness skills workshop participants:
- Excellent! I am still amazed at how much we learned in such a short amount of time. I also thought the whole weekend was very well-planned.
- I…really enjoyed the addition of the spiritual/native American philosophies. I feel that I not only improved my wilderness skills, but also my way of looking at the natural world & our place in it.
- Especially memorable was all the hands on learning…Starting the fire was incredible. The feeling of accomplishment and humility that came with it was amazing.
- I found all the skills to be useful and well taught…I never felt too busy or too slow…I think the tone of the course is a large part of what I enjoyed—respectful, laid back, and spiritual/reverant [sic] for all the topics.
- The Instructors were great. Full of knowledge. All with different strengths. Fantastic.
- I particularly appreciated the fact that all instructors shared their personal experiences and cared enough to check in with each of us to help us with the experiential learning… providing feedback and guidance.
- You inspired me to learn more & continue on a path to connect with the earth.
- I think each instructor brought something unique to the group and I feel privileged to have been taught in their individual areas of expertise. I also really enjoyed the sharing of stories and experiences. What a fun and interesting way to learn.
Short Courses
What 2 Know B4 You Go!™
Are you planning a trip? Hiking? Canoeing? Camping? Or simply driving to a national park? This workshop will prepare you for most emergencies encountered in any outdoor activity. What to do when you get lost. How to stay warm when the weather turns. What survival gear you should carry. How to react in all manner of emergencies. What 2 Know B4 You Go! is designed to keep you from getting into trouble in the first place and to help you make the right decisions should things somehow go wrong. (This workshop will be modified in length due to library time constraints.) Read more about this program here.
Minimum age: 18
Date: 26 September 2022
Time: 7:00-8:30 p.m.
Location: Indian Trails Public Library, Lake Room
355 Schoenbeck Road
Wheeling, Illinois 60090
Registration: https://indiantrailslibrary.evanced.info/signup/EventDetails?EventId=57412&backTo=Calendar&startDate=2022/09/01
Wilderness Survival– Plants
Learn the many ways that plants can help you stay alive in the wild. In this interactive workshop, participants will learn how to:
• Find and make tinder from plants
• Construct a “sure-fire” fire and start it with a flint and steel
• Use plants as a source of water
• Construct a bowl or spoon using tools from nature
• Build a shelter using natural materials
• Make cordage from plant material
• Enjoy a bow-drill demonstration, using pieces of wood and the power of friction to start a fire
Minimum age: 16
Date: 8 October 2022
Time: 9:00-Noon.
Location: The Morton Arboretum
Thornhill Shelter
4100 Illinois Route 53
Lisle, Illinois 60532
Fee: $39 for members; $46 for non-members.
Registration: Registration must be made through the Arboretum. Limit 20 participants.
Link: https://mortonarb.org/explore/activities/adult-programs/plants-for-wilderness-survival/#overview
For more information contact: Registrar’s office at 630-719-2468
What 2 Know B4 You Go!™
Are you planning a trip? Hiking? Canoeing? Camping? Or simply driving to a national park? This workshop will prepare you for most emergencies encountered in any outdoor activity. What to do when you get lost. How to stay warm when the weather turns. What survival gear you should carry. How to react in all manner of emergencies. What 2 Know B4 You Go! is designed to keep you from getting into trouble in the first place and to help you make the right decisions should things somehow go wrong. Read more about this program here.
Minimum age: 12; Children 12-15 must be accompanied by an adult.
Date: Saturday, 24 September 2022
Time: 9:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m.
Location: Arlington Heights District 214
Forest View Educational Center
2121 S. Goebbert Road
Arlington Heights, Illinois 60005
Fee: $49
Registration: https://d214.ce.eleyo.com/course/1506/fall-2022/what-2-know-b4-you-go
Animal Tracking–Clear Print Identification
Are you intrigued by the possibility of reading stories in the tracks that animals leave upon the face of the earth? In this class you will learn the basics for identifying the footprints of most North American mammals. Casts of animal tracks taken in the wild will be on display. Dress for the weather. If conditions are right, we may go out and view tracks.
Minimum age: 12; Children 12-15 must be accompanied by an adult.
Date: Saturday, 01 October 2022
Time: 9:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m.
Location: Arlington Heights District 214
Forest View Educational Center
2121 S. Goebbert Road
Arlington Heights, Illinois 60005
Fee: $29
Registration: https://d214.ce.eleyo.com/course/1507/fall-2022/wilderness-skills-animal-tracking-and-print-identification
Animal Tracking–Gaits
Different animals walk in different ways and consequently leave different patterns upon the face of the earth. These patterns in turn reflect different “personalities”. The gait of the “Quiet Walkers” differs from that of the “Tough Guys”. And the “Slinky’s” walk differently than the “Ready-To-Runs”. Wear outdoor clothing. Weather permitting, we will go out and “walk” like some of these four-legged critters.
Minimum age: 12; Children 12-15 must be accompanied by an adult.
Date: Saturday, 15 September 2022
Time: 10:00 a.m.-11:30 a.m.
Location: Arlington Heights District 214
Forest View Educational Center
2121 S. Goebbert Road
Arlington Heights, Illinois 60005
Fee: $29
Registration: https://d214.ce.eleyo.com/course/1508/fall-2022/wilderness-skills-animal-tracking-gaits
