Boundary Waters Canoe Area Trip

I had the most amazing trip to the Boundary Waters this past September. The weather was absolutely perfect and even warm enough to swim in the cold lakes of upper Minnesota. I traveled back to an area that I used to be familiar with nearly twenty years ago when I worked for Gunflint Outfitters. We entered at Bearskin Lake and took a portage to Duncan Lake where we set up our base camp for 3 nights. I took a friend and her 17 year old son who had never been to the Boundary Waters and they loved it! We took day trips to Rose Lake to hike and see the falls which you can hear rushing as you approach them. Water cascades over a fifty foot drop as the elevation plummets between Duncan and Rose Lake. At night we listened to loons calling their eerie song and looked up at a night sky filled with beautiful twinkling stars.

With no technology for distraction, we entertained each other around the camp fire. When darkness and exhaustion announced bedtime we slept on top of  down filled sleeping bags in the near balmy evenings. The mornings brought beautiful sunny skies and the constant chatter of a red squirrel we named Joey.

The went by far too quickly and soon enough it was time to pack up and head back to the portage and call Gunflint for the pickup. The long 10 hour drive was more than worth the experience!

Primitive Skills Gathering

I had the pleasure of being an instructor at the 10th annual Primitive Skills Gathering this past week which was held near Ashland, WI. There were over 200 individuals gathered to learn skills that ranged from basket making to knife making as well herbal medicine, wild edibles and flint knapping. I taught a class on how to make a healing salve using local plants such as plantain and yarrow which help heal cuts, scrapes and abrasions....there was plenty of potential for use considering all the sharp tools were being used!

We camped along the shores of Lake Superior and enjoyed hot, sunny weather throughout most of the week. There was one impressive storm which forced everyone to seek cover but it lasted only a couple hours and was followed by plenty of sunshine. During the evening hours, there were activities such as trade blankets, movies and a pot luck. The land that we used was generously offered by a local Ojibwa named Joe who shared stories of his early life learning how to live off the land.

While I was there I also took advantage of the skills of the other instructors and learned how to do flint knapping, make a knife and how to sharpen my tools with a wet stone. I had an incredible time meeting all of the other instructors and participants. It was truly a unique and wonderful experience. I can't wait for next year! To learn more about the Gathering, go to http://www.traditionalways.org/.

Girlscout Brownie Hiker Badge Program

I had the pleasure of working with a troop of Girlscouts this past weekend while helping them to earn a hiker badge. We met at beautiful Grobschmidt Park in Franklin, WI and talked about what it takes to be prepared for a hike. We then prepared a quick snack on a camp stove of oatmeal, honey, peanut butter, nuts and berries to provide the energy for the hike. A quick review of how to orient with a compass and we took to the trail!

The troop along with a couple parents walked the trail while I pointed out a variety of wild edibles from Bee Balm to Burdock and medicinals such as yarrow and plantain. It was perfect weather for the hike and we enjoyed a quick loop around the lake. The flies and mosquitoes didn't bother us too much as we came prepared with a lotion of citronella with a catnip infusion....an all natural and wonderfully scented bug repellent.

At the end of the hike I presented the girls with their Hiker Badge which they will add to the many that they have already earned.

To find out more about Girlscout Badge Programs through Resiliency Training, go to www.resiliencytraining.net.

Upcoming Classes in Greenfield

HEALING SALVE/MEDICINAL PLANT IDENTIFICATION AND USE

There are many plants that you see every day and may think of them as weeds but they have tremendous healing capabilities if harnessed in the right way and preserved in a salve. You’ll even learn how to make a “drawing” salve or black salve that can be used to draw out toxins or splinters. Participants will create a   healing salve to take home with them.

The cost of the class is $15 per person and includes all materials and a 1 oz tin of healing salve.

Saturday, July 20th or Wednesday

6:30 - 8:30 pm

5858 S 43rd Street, Greenfield

or

Wednesday, July 31st

6:30 - 8:30 pm

Greenfield Community Center

 

WILD FORAGING

Did you know that there are many wild edibles right in your own neighborhood? During this class, you will take a short walk through a neighborhood and yard to identify a variety of edible plants. We will discuss how you can easily incorporate these plants into a meal to add flavor and nutrients.  Finally, you will enjoy a home cooked meal that will include some of the plants that have been identified.

The cost is $35 and includes all course materials and a small meal.  

Saturday, July 27th

10:00 - 12:00 pm

5858 S 43rd Street, Greenfield

or

Saturday, August 31

4:00 - 6:00 pm

5858 S 43rd Street, Greenfield

 

BODY BUTTER

Do you have sensitive skin or just can't find a natural body lotion that you like? We'll be creating a body lotion with only all natural, organic ingredients that is gentle enough to use on even the most sensitive skin. You'll learn how to infuse your favorite herb and use it in a homemade lotion.

The cost is $25 per person and includes all materials and a 4 oz container of body butter.  

Saturday, July 27

12:30 pm - 2:30 pm

5858 S 43rd Street, Greenfield

or

Saturday, August 31

6:30 - 8:30 pm

5858 S 43rd Street, Greenfield  

To sign up, go to www.resiliencytraining.net.

Make Your Own Natural Lip Balm 

Do you go through lip balm like crazy and would like to learn how to make your own and have a constant supply? Do you LOVE minty lip balm but feel most brands don't put in enough mint flavor? Do you have a favorite flavor you'd like to try out in a lip balm? In this class we'll make our own batch of lip balm using only all natural organic ingredients and you'll be able to take some home!

The cost is $22 per person and includes a tube of lip balm.

Thursday, August 8

6:30 - 8:30 pm

5858 S 43rd Street, Greenfield

Or

 

Thursday, 29  

6:30 - 8:30 pm

5858 S 43rd Street, Greenfield 

 

To sign up, go to www.resiliencytraining.net

OR

Call Shannon at 262-515-5331 to schedule your own group training

 

 

 

 

 

Soaps and Salves!

This past week I traveled twice to Riverside High School to do two different classes for the Milwaukee Recreation Department. Wednesday night twenty woman joined me to learn how to make soap the cold process method using goat's milk and all organic oils. I separated the large group into four teams that took on the task of measuring out the oils, goat's milk and lye and then everyone took turns mixing up the batches until trace was reached which is the magical moment when saponification is finally taking place. Over the two hours, the ladies spent time chatting and getting to know each other. It was a relaxed atmosphere and a lot of fun. In the end, everyone went home with a container of soap that should produce at least four bars of soap.

On Thursday, I traveled back to Riverside and braved the congested traffic of Milwaukee Summer Fest. It was another big group of twenty people that showed up to learn how to create a healing salve by infusing medicinal plants into olive oil and combining it with beeswax that can last well over a year. We sat in a circle and talked about how to identify the plants and passed them around for everyone to touch and smell. We even took a field trip out to the parking lot to identify one of the plants, plantain, that you can find in nearly every yard.

I had a great time teaching that class and am grateful to the Milwaukee Rec Department for providing great facilities!

Homemade Body Butter Class at Greenfield Rec Department

I had my first of many natural product classes to be held at the Greenfield Community Center this past Wednesday.  It was a small but enthusiastic group. We talked about infusing oils in order to capture plant characteristics and creating the perfect scent using essential oils. The body butter is made with all natural and organic ingredients and one of the core ingredients is beeswax. The ladies are holding up a seven pound block of beeswax which we shaved to get enough for a batch of body butter. The group was able to choose from three infused oils and settled on lemon grass infused olive oil and they paired it with the sweet scent of bergamot. Other ingredients included vitamin e and coconut butter. Each person took home their own four ounce container of rich, smooth body butter packed with anti-bacterial properties.

Next week, I'll be returning to create lip balms! To sign up for the class, go to resiliencytraining.net!

Greenfield Outdoor Thriving Class

The variety of people I meet during my classes is really a huge part of why I enjoy teaching. Everyone has a different reason for wanting to learn about self-reliance and everyone has different backgrounds. Joel and Gunther, father and son, were going to embark on a hike the next day to tackle the Ice Age Trail and wanted to hone their current skills and learn some new tricks to wilderness survival. Both came with some experience and knowledge and a willingness to learn more. Their enthusiasm and enjoyment of the material was evident. It was nice seeing them working together to complete a project such as learning how to lash a tripod together with paracord. I also taught them how to create a quick release paracord bracelet they could take with them camping so they could continue practicing their new skill.

During this Outdoor Thriving Class I taught as an instructor for the Greenfield Recreation Department, we also tackled how to create cordage or rope from grass found at the park, how to create a great tinder pile you can start a fire with using a ferrocium rod, how to build a solar still to get purified water and identify catnip which can be used as an insect repellent - which was a great thing as there were plenty of mosquitos around.

The weather was perfect and everyone thoroughly enjoyed themselves! My next class through Greenfield will be a body lotion making class to be held on June 12th. Go to resiliencytraining.net to learn more and sign up!