Nature Studies & Outdoor Skills

A Native American medicine pouch is a container for items believed to protect or give spiritual powers to its owner. The medicine bag is considered a very precious possession which represents a person's spiritual life and its contents are generally considered holy by the tribal community. The bags might be very plain or richly decorated and are meant to give guidance, good luck, good health, protection, abundance and even love to the individuals who carry them. Students will cut leather and shape their pouch as desired, then stitch with imitation sinew. A rawhide cord will be used to hang the pouch and can be attached using one of two different methods. It can then be decorated with beads, antler or feathers. Children who are 12 years of age and older are welcome.

Feather fans are quite significant to Native Americans and have a long history of being used in Pow Wows and in the Native American Church. They are also used in spiritual "smudging" ceremonies with sage or cedar. Our instructor will share Native American legends and stories with you as you make your own feather fan using a piece of corrugated cardboard covered in leather with feathers added and shaped to fit your hand. Children who are 10 years of age and older are welcome.

The goal of this class is to help you get started in fly fishing or better your casting. We will go over different types of fly rods and when to use them. The proper way of lining a fly rod will be taught. You will be doing the over hand cast, roll cast and side arm cast, for a few examples. You will need to bring a hat and a pair of glasses or sunglasses. If you have a fly rod please bring it, otherwise one will be provided. To end, students will get a chance to try different fly rods.

A Native American medicine pouch is a container for items believed to protect or give spiritual powers to its owner. The medicine bag is considered a very precious possession which represents a person's spiritual life and its contents are generally considered holy by the tribal community. The bags might be very plain or richly decorated and are meant to give guidance, good luck, good health, protection, abundance and even love to the individuals who carry them. Students will cut leather and shape their pouch as desired, then stitch with imitation sinew. A rawhide cord will be used to hang the pouch and can be attached using one of two different methods. It can then be decorated with beads, antler or feathers. Children who are 12 years of age and older are welcome.

Learn all about Square Foot gardening from a local gardening guru. Square Foot gardening is the practice of planning small but intensively planted gardens. It combines concepts from other organic gardening methods, including composting, closely planted raised beds and attention to a small, clearly defined area. It is a high-yield, space-saving and time-saving gardening technique. Come learn from a pro, watch nature do her work, and then come back during the summer to tend your garden and harvest your efforts. Though the class is geared to vegetable gardening, the techniques discussed are applicable to other types of gardening as well. A terrific class for beginning gardeners or experts alike - and a great way to get out in the sun and enjoy our Adirondacks!

The goal of this class is to help you get started in fly fishing or better your casting. We will go over different types of fly rods and when to use them. The proper way of lining a fly rod will be taught. You will be doing the over hand cast, roll cast and side arm cast, for a few examples. You will need to bring a hat and a pair of glasses or sunglasses. If you have a fly rod please bring it, otherwise one will be provided. To end, students will get a chance to try different fly rods.

The goal of this class is to help you get started in fly fishing or better your casting. We will go over different types of fly rods and when to use them. The proper way of lining a fly rod will be taught. You will be doing the over hand cast, roll cast and side arm cast, for a few examples. You will need to bring a hat and a pair of glasses or sunglasses. If you have a fly rod please bring it, otherwise one will be provided. To end, students will get a chance to try different fly rods.

Learn the ancient craft of creating a sapling bow and arrow with sinew, feathers and flaked stone points. Saplings, dogwood arrow shafts, imitation sinew and feathers will be provided. Children can come enjoy a few hours on a summer day learning about our Native American ancestors. This is also a perfect class for your family to experience together, or for a scout troop.

This course will give students the confidence to get started in beekeeping. We will go over some reasons why one might want to keep bees and then discuss how to procure and care for the bees to foster a healthy and happy bee relationship. Depending on the specific interests of the class, we can discuss more about keeping bees for honey, pollinating, wax, propolis, bee venom therapy (personal/home needs), or simply bee interest.

The goal of this class is to help you get started in fly fishing or better your casting. We will go over different types of fly rods and when to use them. The proper way of lining a fly rod will be taught. You will be doing the over hand cast, roll cast and side arm cast, for a few examples. You will need to bring a hat and a pair of glasses or sunglasses. If you have a fly rod please bring it, otherwise one will be provided. To end, students will get a chance to try different fly rods.

In this course, local and common non-local medicinal mushrooms will be discussed and identified. Students will learn the medicinal properties of each mushroom, how to make a double extraction tincture and how to grow oyster mushrooms at home. Students will leave with a tincture (in process that they will complete at home) and an oyster mushroom kit that will produce mushrooms after about 3 weeks.

Learn all about Square Foot gardening from a local gardening guru. Square Foot gardening is the practice of planning small but intensively planted gardens. It combines concepts from other organic gardening methods, including composting, closely planted raised beds and attention to a small, clearly defined area. It is a high-yield, space-saving and time-saving gardening technique. Come learn from a pro, watch nature do her work, and then come back during the summer to tend your garden and harvest your efforts. Though the class is geared to vegetable gardening, the techniques discussed are applicable to other types of gardening as well. A terrific class for beginning gardeners or experts alike - and a great way to get out in the sun and enjoy our Adirondacks!