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Lost Creek Outdoor School

"A survival class is an insurance policy you only pay for once"

We want our participants to finish every workshop with heads, hearts, and minds full. Through the sharing of traditional and hands-on outdoor skills we hope to build stronger individuals and better communities.

Our Core Curriculum is part of every course and includes:

  • Fundamental knowledge To really know a skill you must know how to do it from scratch. You need to know how to gather the materials, sharpen the blade, and make the tools needed to replicate the skills after you go home.

  • Connection to the natural world We personally interact with the world to gather and create. We believe hands-on is the BEST way to learn about the natural world and our place in it.

  • Self-reliance and resiliency You should come away knowing what you can do without a lot of fancy tools or money, and with the ability to continue learning on your own. You gain the mental toughness needed to work through problems as they arise. In short, these skills change how you think about problems and challenges in all aspects of your life.

Outdoor Ed-ventures

Ed-ventures are shorter length workshops in nature-based skills and knowledge. No virtual reality or Zooming required! Read more about

Ed-ventures on our blog. 

Nature-based Beach Art

Saturday, July 8, 2023, 5-8pm (3 hours)

Enjoying and creating meaningfully-inspired nature-based artwork utilizing materials you find on the beach is the concentration of this program. You’ll have the opportunity to experience a sensorial relationship with the living land which contributes to connectedness with the land and water of your surroundings. A fun and stimulating exploration of your expressive side!

$25 per person (Be sure to choose the correct date)

 

Creating Earth Paint Pigments

Saturday August 5, 2023 5-8pm (3 hours)

Creative expression through the ancestral power of ancient painting techniques using earth pigments from the land is the concentration in this workshop. Participate in the making of clay, charcoal, and ash pigments utilizing locally gathered materials. By making and trying out your techniques in painting with these types of pigments, you are using techniques dating back thousands of years.  

$25 per person  (Be sure to choose the correct date)

 

Wild Edible Plants

This hike will take you to some of the notable spots in the area to look for and learn about wild edible plants. Identify some of the useful plants of the area and learn their stories. Discover your connection with the local plants and what they have to share.

$25 per person 

 

Traditional Fire Building & Usage

Saturday July 22, 2023. 5-8pm (3 hours)

Our draw to gather around a fire is universal and can bring both learning and discovery experiences for us on many levels. This workshop explores the basics of building a fire using traditional tools and techniques while also incorporating stories and teachings of fire in our lives. We’ll investigate the power of friction, striking, and scraping as means of starting several types of fires.  

$25 per person (Make sure to choose the correct date)

Create Your Own Walking Stick

Saturday August 19, 2023 5-8pm (3 hours)

Creating a wood staff and adorning it with decorative items from nature will be the concentration of this workshop. Participants will explore wood working techniques while forming and fashioning their own walking stick and decorating it with such things as beads, stones, leather, and wood burned designs.

$25 per person (Be sure to choose the correct date)

 

Campfire Cooking

Saturday, September 2, 2023 5-8pm (3 hours)

Learn food preparation techniques that use the campfire as a means to cook your food. Cast-iron fry pan and Dutch oven cooking will be the main methods used. These skills are a great addition to any camping trip, backyard barbeque, or outdoor fire. Cooking around a campfire always brings people together in shared enjoyment.

$25 per person (Be sure to choose the correct date)

Earth-based Pottery Making

Date coming soon...

Dig and shape natural clay into pottery just with your hands! This class will connect you with the red clay of the area and show you how to fashion it into some usable pottery. Add some time around a campfire to learn the techniques to fire your creation into usable pottery.

$25 per person 

 

Animal Tracks and Traces

Saturday June 24, 2023 5pm-8pm (3 hours)

Learn how to find traces of our local animals, identify who made them, and get a  glimpse into the story they reveal about the land and waters of the area. This is a foundational skill in deepening your understanding of plants, animals, and ecology, of the places you inhabit.

$25 per person (Make sure to choose the correct date)

 

Forest Therapy Walk

Date coming soon...

Take a walk with us and enter the natural world for healing, reflection and renewal in the beauty of the northwoods. The forest scents, the sound and feeling of your footsteps on the earth, the sunlight filtering through the trees–all of these can help you recognize where you’ve been and where you need to go. We invite you to enjoy this experience with us.

$25 per person 

 

Immersion Courses

Dive in with longer skill-building experiences.

June 10-11, 2023 Wilderness First Aid

June 12, 2023 CPR

Coming winter 2024 Snow Camp (With our partner Stone Age Man)

For all course dates please see our Calendar

Nature based beach art
Creating earth paint pigments
Wild Edible Plants
Traditional Fire Building & Usage
Create Your Own Walking Stick
Campfire Cooking
Earth Based Pottery Making
Animal Tracks & Traces
Forest Therapy Walk
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