Exploring primitive skills invites us to connect more closely with both nature and our human ancestry. On the first Sunday of every month from 1 to 3pm, the Horn Farm will host primer classes offering a glimpse of distinct skills that echo the resourcefulness, simple ingenuity, and nature-based lifestyles of our past. By attuning our hands and minds to these tactile skills, we learn not only survival strategies, but the values of patience, attention, and respect that come with immersing ourselves in our natural surroundings.

Window to Wild Lands is your doorstep to the world of primitive crafts that humans have been practicing for hundreds of years.

2023 Windows to Wild Lands offerings:

All classes take place on Sundays from 1 to 3pm.

Weaving Wild Baskets 

• • March 5th, 2023 (Currently full)

  • August 6th, 2023

Making Natural Cordage – April 2nd, 2023

Animal Tracking – May 7th, 2023

Alternative Uses of Plants – June 4th, 2023

Assembling Primitive Traps – July 9th, 2023

Some classes will repeat starting August 2nd, 2023. Registrations opening soon!

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Five full-day workshops designed to reconnect you to the land and develop essential survival skills. Register for individual days or the whole session.

Dates To-Be-Announced

Registration will open soon! With some modifications, the next Wild Lands Primitive Skills Series–taking place in October and November, 2023–will entail the five sessions described below. Stay tuned for announcements when the series goes live!

Session 1: The Art of Seeing and the Science of Observation: This class contains the building blocks for all other awareness and wilderness skills. Participants will learn to expand their observation skills by using all 5 senses to truly observe the wild. Includes awareness techniques, tracking, and more. If you’re going to take only one of these classes, this is the one we recommend!

Session 2: Shelter Building & Finding Water: Participants will build a shelter out of what nature provides – Using sound shelter principles, learn to craft your own wild home. The class also delves into how to collect wild water safely and how to make unsafe water safe using nature’s toolbox.

Session 3: Ancient Art of Fire by Friction: Participants will learn the ancient art of friction fire. Come learn how to be human, for the act of making fire, controlling the flames has made us the animals we are. Aside from learning and practicing fire by friction techniques, this class will also delve into how to make a fire pit, how to maintain a fire overnight, and how to cook over open flames.

Session 4: Foraging, Hunting, Trapping: This class is by far the one everyone looks forward to. Learn how to identify wild edible plants, learn simple primitive snares and dead-falls to acquire wild meat. Learn how to use simple hunting weapons such as the throwing stick and the field expedient spear thrower.

Session 5: Advanced Primitive Hunting Techniques: Participants of this class will delve deeper into the art of hunting and trapping. Learn to make a survival bow, stalk with a weapon, and make a hunting blind. Learn several new deadfalls and snares, previously not taught before in Wilson’s classes.

PREREQUISITE: Students signing up for session 5 must have taken Wilson’s Foraging, Hunting, Trapping class in this or a previous Wild Lands series.

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Maybe you’re an archer who loves hunting with a bow and arrow. Maybe you’re a woodworker who would love to learn a new skill. Or maybe you’re someone passionate about learning techniques for survival and self-reliant living. Whatever the reason, this is your chance to learn how to make hunting-quality, wooden bow and arrows from scratch with your own two hands. Upon finishing this course, you will leave with your own hand-crafted bow!

2023 Dates To-Be-Announced