Wild Food and Self-Reliance Discovery

To attend and for exact location, register HERE

We’ll walk into the Upper Arroyo, north of JPL, and explore the chaparral and riparian plants, and you will see the highly versatile yucca plant. Meet at the intersection of Ventura and Windsor in Altadena. From the Windsor exit of the 210 freeway, drive north on Windsor until Ventura, where you will have to carefully park in the parking area on the west side of the street, overlooking the Arroyo Seco. Then, we will drive north into the JPL East Lot, and walk from there.
We will explore the watershed and see native and non native plants, and learn about the edible, medicinal, and other useful qualities of the plants.
This is the dry season, and though we will walk along water, you will see mostly the native plants. A great reminder to see everything in this season, and to realize that in a few months, everything will be green again, and it will look like an entirely different place.
Carry your Water, and bring a camera.

To attend and for exact location, register HERE
WILD FOOD FORAGING AND ETHNO-BOTANICAL WALK
Join us for our outing where we explore the edible, medicinal, and other useful qualities of many of the plants found in the environment with many introduced plants. Both natives and non-natives will be seen. This will be leisurely and you will get a chance to taste some of the plants.
We will introduce a few basics of systematic plant identification, and ways you can take your own records. We’ll also bring up another important point: Many of the wild plants that we see — and especially the non-natives — can be easily cultivated in your own yard for ease of harvesting. Also, we’ll tell you about some of the local native plant nurseries where you can obtain native plants — such as toyon, ceonothus, oak trees, mulefat, elder, etc — and grow them in your own yards, which is an ideal situation.
Wear comfortable footwear and bring water. Bring a bowl for eating.
This class can be credited towards the Ethno-botany certificate.
Directions sent upon registration.
$65 (Seniors and students $45).

To attend and for exact location, register HERE

This is an excellent bushcraft skill that most ancient cultures have used.
We have already collected the wild clay from local hills.
Your job will be to clean and process the clay. We will process using the dry method. Then, you will moisten the clay and practice making something useful — a cup, a bowl, a plate, a pipe — whatever.
You learn by doing.
We will cover all the basics, though we will not be firing since the fresh clay product usually has to dry a few weeks before firing. You will learn the basics so that you could do small-scale firing on your own.
Hahamongna Watershed Park

SURVIVAL SKILLS INTENSIVE
November 8, 10 a.m.
$75 ($55 for seniors and students)
To attend and for exact location, register HERE
Here’s a chance to practice all of the basic skills that are considered the essential skills. We will do a little bit of everything, and try to keep hiking to a minimum.
Knowledge of plants and their many uses is a critical skill that relates to every other skill. You will learn how to identify key plants, and how to use them for food, medicine, fire-making, cordage, and more.
Fire-making is an essential survival skill, and you should always have a few ways to make fire. On this class, you will practice primitive fire-making, as well as cooking, and water purification.
Along the way, you will learn about emergency shelters, how to make cordage, and more.
A great day to get into the mountains with like-minded people.
Location details sent upon registration. Bring a bowl, knife, and water.