Ravens-Way Classes
RAVENS-WAY WILD JOURNEYS caters to individuals and groups seeking adventure in conjunction with an interconnectedness and respect for Nature. Whether through rest and relaxation, hiking, canoeing, birding, wildlife observation, Naturalist’s Saunters, Camping, and such nighttime activities as stargazing and wildlife safaris, RWWJ endeavors to always respect the wonder and majesty of Nature.
NOTE: Class sizes are flexible, depending upon your needs. Group, School, and Family Rates and multiple program discounts are available. Beyond our current class schedule, please contact us about setting up your own program - custom-made for you and/or your group. We pride ourselves in providing individual attention to each participant, which begins with planning you Ravens-Way experiences before you meet us.
Classes include all class materials, instruction, and camping (if located at one of our facilities).
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WILD EDIBLE PLANTS
Arizona contains an incredible array of delicious and nutritious native plants that formed the dietary basis for the progression of cultures that preceded our modern era. Now you too can learn to supplement your existing diet with these tasty resources, as well as safeguard yourself and others in a survival situation. For those who desire, you may wish to solely subsist from wild edible plants for several days. Exploring among the area’s deserts streams, forests, and grasslands you’ll learn how to find, identify, harvest, process, eat, and store a plethora of wild taste treats. We’ll also look at a hunter-gatherer diet for the area, cover a variety of stone-age cooking techniques, and discuss safely using wild edibles, and make several plant collecting/ processing tools. By the end of the class you’ll count each plant as literally, a friend for life.
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WILD MEDICINAL PLANTS
Using the diversity of environments at our disposal, we’ll delve into a wide variety of natural, plant-based medicines. During the class we’ll address such ailments as: headaches, stomachaches, sore muscles, infections, bleeding, abrasions, eye infections, sore throat, colds, and more. You’ll also prepare your own herbal salve and wild teas to take home. Learn how Nature heals all!
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NATURAL SHELTERS
Take away our modern buildings, tents, plastic and other familiar materials and many would be at a loss as to how to shelter themselves from the elements. Now you can learn first-hand how to construct, live-in, and maintain both ephemeral and semi - permanent stone-age shelters. With the knowledge that you’ll gain in the class, you’ll soon be crafting your own wilderness shelters from earth, stone, plant, and other materials. A night spent in a natural shelter can be the culmination of your Ravens-Way experience.
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STONE-AGE TOOLS
Stone, bone, antler, wood, and clay are some of the materials you’ll work with in this class as you learn the ancient wisdom of stone-age tool-making. While there are many projects to choose from, you may well make some of the following during you time with us - stone saw, stone knife, pecked bowl, burned bowl, digging stick, cactus brush, tongs, wedges, cordage (plant rope), and more. Further, we’ll guide you in learning how to effectively use each of your creations.
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FIRE-BY-FRICTION
What makes us human? Intelligence? Tool-use? Or is it Fire. No other species that we know of makes fire and employs it for a multitude of purposes. Here we’ll delve into some of the time-tested fire-making traditions of our ancestors from around the globe. You may choose to focus on any of the following techniques or to try your hand at all of them: hand-drill, bow-drill, fire-plow and fire-saw. Using the finest materials available in the U.S., you’ll learn how to gather your own materials and fashion them into a beautiful and efficient fire-making kit. We’ll also use fire as a tool to craft other objects and to provide us many of our needs.
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SENSORY AWARENESS
Sensory awareness is the ultimate foundation for all other outdoor skills and knowledge. At Ravens-Way we’ll welcome you to a new world - one where brilliant colors and dances of shadow and light grace each moment. Textures draw you near to touch and experience, while rich tastes and delicate aromas prove equally alluring. The symphony of Nature accompanies these sensations as you relearn the art of sensory awareness. Through a series of outdoor exercises and experiences you’ll once again feel “sensible”, as you join in the eternal dance of Life!
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THE ART & SCIENCE OF TRACKING
It has been said that observing Nature while ignoring tracks and signs is akin to only gazing at the covers of books in a library. You’ll soon discover this truth for yourself as we delve into the language of the land written by the passage of a diversity of wild creatures. As with sensory awareness, tracking is a vital skill that lends it knowledge to many other outdoor pursuits. Using science, the art of interpretation, journaling, and various tracking exercises you’ll soon be solving some of the many natural mysteries that we daily encounter.
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ROPE-MAKING
The world is full of various fibers and after taking this class you’ll know just what to do with them. Using you own hands, as well as simple stone-age tools you’ll learn the basics and beyond of cordage-making. Along the way we’ll also craft a variety of projects that rely heavily on the rope that we’ve created. While you may sometime feel “fit to be tied”, you’ll now learn what it means to be “tied to be fit”!
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ABORIGINAL ART
Cultures all the world over have always melded art with function. Here we follow these traditions, as you embark upon one or more personal projects that reflect your interests and your personality. You may create a mini petroglyph, a rock bowl, a symbolic hunting bow, an elaborate necklace, a well-adorned backpack, or whatever your imagination envisions.
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THORNS, STINGERS, & FANGS
Black Widows, Rattlesnakes, Poison Ivy, spiny cacti, Centipedes, Kissing bugs, Africanized Bees, Ants Gila Monsters, Scorpions and more - welcome to the Southwest! How in the world can we enjoy the wilds with these species as neighbors? In this class you learn to tell the difference between truly dangerous animals and plants versus those that we unjustly fear. Further, we delve deeply into the identification, natural history, and first aid involved with each species covered. Not only will you increase you knowledge and safety with each species, you may also discover that you’ve made a few unconventional friends along the way - just give them a wide berth at times!
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ETHNOBOTANY
You may well decide to explore the plant world in this catch-all class that covers the many uses that humans have for Wild Plants. You will locate, identify, and use a wide variety of Plants for food, medicine, shelter, tools, art, and more.
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STONE-AGE HUNTING AND TRAPPING
During this class we will hearken back to a time when we sought the lives of our animal brothers for our daily sustenance. We will approach each tool and hunting weapon with an attitude of reverence and respect, seeking to honor the hunt. Hands, sticks, rocks, traps, snares, and bow/arrow gain new meaning when used properly and when crafted directly from Nature. You will also learn the art of transforming your quarry into a plethora of useful items. See how hides, bones, antlers, hooves, and sinew gain new life in a variety of stone-age projects.
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FLINT-KNAPPING
One of the most vital and basic of stone-age and survival skills is to be able to transform rocks into useful and beautiful tools. Starting with gathering, we will create a variety of stone tools and implements using stone-age ingenuity. Rock saws, knives, scrapers, spoke-shaves, wedges, drills, etchers, arrowheads, and spear-points are some of the projects that we will make via this ancient art.
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SOUTHWESTERN BASKETRY
Weaving constitutes one of the most vital skills in the stone-age world. Baskets are great for storage, food preparation, backpacks, hats, carrying devices, and many other uses. Plant identification will soon lead us down the path of gathering and weaving our own baskets using only what Nature provides.
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WILDERNESS SURVIVAL SKILLS
What would you do if you found yourself lost in the desert? The woods? Would you know how to make the things that you need directly from the natural environment? What if you lost some or all of your modern gear - would you know what to do? Though countless people find themselves in survival situations each year, few are prepared. If you or your family enjoy time in the great outdoors, then you owe it to yourself to empower your mind with the knowledge that may someday save lives. Unlike many survival courses taught today, we focus exclusively on what Nature can provide, not fancy survival kits. We invite you to experience the old adage - “the more you know, the less you need!”.
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TRANSITIONING TO THE WILD (Primitive Living I)
This is a beginner’s introduction to the fundamental stone-age skills that form the foundation for all others. We run this course with the support of a modern nature center and campground at Raven’s Nest. Here you will learn how to fashion rope from plant materials, build an efficient fire lit with a hand-drill kit, find and identify wild edible plants, learn some basic tracks and signs, learn about finding safe drinking water, cover basic wilderness hygiene, hunt with your hands/rocks/sticks, learn one style of primitive trap, build a basic/one-person shelter, and make the following: stone bowl, rock knife, rock saw, mineral paint kit, a woven mat, digging stick, and more!
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INTO THE WILDS (Primitive Living II)
Our intermediate stone-age skills course allows you to take your knowledge to a new level. Set amidst the wilds of Raven’s Mountain in the foothills of the Chiricahua Mountains, we begin to transition into the wilds of Arizona. Some of the skills we’ll cover include: advanced rope-making, Fire-plow and bow-drill fire-making, collecting and processing wild foods (we’ll have one or more wild meals), in-depth tracks and signs, wild medicinal plants, small-game hunting bows/arrows, 2 more types of animal traps, one type of snare, multi-person shelters (incl. with fire), woven basket, and hide-tanning. You must have “Transitioning into the Wild” or an equivalent class as a prerequisite to this one.
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A HUNTER-GATHERER’S LIFE (Primitive Living III)
In some ways this is the ultimate Raven’s way class! Here we apply the skills that we learned in “Transitioning to the Wild” and “Into the Wilds” (prerequisites for this class) in a true wilderness setting. We begin with several days of crafting whatever tools we’ll need for our expedition. In addition to the skills covered in previous classes, we’ll also craft a stone-age backpack to carry our vital gear. We will then embark on an expedition of several days to a week or more into some of the wildest country in North America. During our time in the wilds, we will endeavor to work as a hunter-gatherer team and cooperating to meet all of our basic needs and beyond. If you’ve never experienced the thrill of living in harmony with the Earth, then what are you waiting for?!
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ARIZONA WILDLIFE SAFARI
Arizona is a world-class wildlife viewing destination. From diverse deserts to alpine tundra, we boast a truly astonishing variety of natural environments that harbor an equally impressive array of animals. Many of the wildlife encountered, particularly in the southeastern corner of the state, are found in few or no other part of the U.S. Here is your chance to experience first-hand Roadrunners, Collared Peccaries, Coyotes, a variety of Hawks and Owls, White - tailed and Mule Deer, Gila Monster, several species of Rattlesnake, Tarantulas, a stunning diversity of Invertebrates. We will search for tracks and signs of many species, including Mountain Lions, Bobcats, Ringtails, Coatis and more. Finally, we will attempt to call in some species using vocal imitations and several other natural calling devices.
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BIRD-WATCHING
Southeast Arizona contains an incredible and fascinating diversity of bird species. Drawing species from the Sierra Madre region of Mexico, as well as from the Rocky Mountains, Chihuahuan Desert, and the Sonoran Desert our Sky Islands will always deliver a great bird-watching experience. We concentrate our efforts in order to maximize the overall number of species you may encounter, but do so in a fashion that maximizes intimate and memorable bird experiences. We also go on otherworldly “Owl Prowls”, searching for some of our area’s night denizens. No prior bird-watching experience is needed.
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NATURE RETREATS
If you are seeking the solitude and bliss of Nature, but would like some guidance and insight, then we have a few places for you! Both Raven’s Nest and Raven’s Mountain (please see the description under “Ravens-Way Locations”) hold incredible promise for a memorable time spent communing with the Natural World. We can act strictly as back-up or you may decide to use our Naturalist talents to enhance your experience. Either way you will soon find yourself discovering treasure not only in Nature, but also within yourself!
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AMAZING ARIZONA ASTRONOMY
The night skies of Southeastern AZ include some of the best celestial viewing sites in North America. Year-round you can explore the mystery of the night skies, including a constellation tour, planetary views, and a multitude of deep sky objects. With the aid of cutting edge technology as well as the ancient sky stories you’ll rediscover the joy of gazing at the night sky. [note: this class can be combined with a dusk Wildlife Safari if you desire]
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CORPORATE TEAM-BUILDING THROUGH WILDERNESS SKILLS
Using a variety of survival and stone-age challenges we will provide a unique forum within which your company can grow as a team. Stripped of your normal surroundings and cast into the beautiful, but unforgiving realm of Nature your employees will soon learn the value of each other. New bonds , friendships, skills, and respect will emerge as everyone learns how to solve complex problems while enjoying the sublime beauty of the Earth.
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EARTH STEWARDSHIP
Here you can choose from a number of vital skills that help you to live more simply and closer to the Earth. You can create a diverse Backyard Wildlife Habitat (including water features), Harvest Rainwater, learn Organic Gardening, identify and remove non-native plants, and master the art of keeping scientific records of your land management actions.
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RAINWATER HARVESTING
At our Raven’s Nest location in Patagonia, we offer a model of Active Rainwater Harvesting, whereby, we capture, divert, and store rainwater for plant irrigation and Organic Gardening. Harvesting rainwater has reduced the use of our drinking water for our Organic Vegetable Garden irrigation. Coupled with the use of native and desert-adapted plants, rainwater harvesting is a very effective water conservation tool because it allows us to sustain our Organic Vegetable Gardening with water that is not from our well and our water table. There are many benefits to harvesting rainwater. Rainwater harvesting not only reduces dependence on ground water and the amount of money spent on water, but also reduces on and off-site flooding and erosion by holding rainwater on the site. Also, Rainwater is a clean, salt-free source of water for plants and vegetables. At RWWJ we help you with good planning and design for your rain water harvesting system.
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RAVENS-WAY SCHOOL PROGRAMS
You and your students can experience a wide range of hands-on Environmental and Science classes in your school and/or at our facilities, including our Nature and Science Discovery Center. We custom tailor our many offerings to suit the age (most suitable for grades 4 - 12, high school, & college) and abilities of your students and to fit within their current curriculum. Teachers and Principals are welcome to tour our facilities.