Dec
14
to Dec 15

Weekend #10

Location: Raven's Roots Campus

  • Growing season extension techniques

  • Greenhouse construction and management

  • Make paper using natural fibers

  • Microgreens

  • Plant propagation from seed (scarification, stratification and using compost teas)

  • Hardwood cuttings

  • Cottonwood bud harvesting

  • Mushroom inoculation (growing your own at home)

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Nov
23
to Nov 24

Weekend #9

Location: Raven's Roots Campus

  • Composting methods (thermal and vermicomposting)

  • Pruning

  • Compost teas

  • Sheet mulching

  • Hugelkultur

  • Permaculture principles and design techniques

  • Swales and water harvesting

  • Harvesting plants on the annual harvest schedule for November

  • Winter tree and shrub identification

  • Introduction to the Soil Food Web

  • Studying soil microbiology using a microscope

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Oct
26
to Oct 27

Weekend #8

Location: Raven's Roots Campus

  • Hydrosols and essential oils

  • Soap making using oils pressed from the previous class

  • Lye making using wood ash

  • Natural household cleansers

  • Biochar and rocket stove making

  • Biochar and it's role in building healthy soils (transitions into next class)

  • Natural glues

  • Advanced medicine making techniques

  • More personal care products (toothpaste, deodorant, hair rinses etc.)

  • Wild harvest of our perennial vegetables for potluck dinner on Saturday evening.

  • Harvesting plants on the annual harvest schedule for October

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Sep
28
to Sep 29

Weekend #7

Location: Raven's Roots Campus

  • Basketry (using various materials). You'll go home with at least 1 basket.

  • Fish hooks and fish baskets

  • Making yarn from natural fibers

  • Working with western red cedar bark (bracelets, jewelry etc.)

  • Multiple types of natural cordage and techniques to make it

  • Harvesting plants on the annual harvest schedule for September

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Aug
24
to Aug 25

Weekend #6

Location: Mt. Baker - Heather Meadows. Overnight camp.

  • Travel to Mt. Baker - Heather Meadows

  • Harvesting ethics

  • Primitive cooking techniques (utilizing plants)

  • Make a wild dinner harvested during the day at the evening camp fire

  • Annual harvest schedule (outlining our harvests for the entire immersion course)

  • Harvest plants on the annual harvest schedule for August

  • Subalpine plant walks where we'll discuss edible, medicinal, wildlife attracting and utilitarian uses for plants

  • Introduction to plant based medicine: Emphasis on safety

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Jul
26
to Jul 28

Weekend #5

Location: Olympic Peninsula (Hoh Rainforest and Lake Ozette). Overnight camp.

  • Travel to Hoh Rainforest (Leave Friday evening)

  • Harvesting plants on the annual harvest schedule for July

  • Plant walks focusing on the old growth rainforest, supalpine and coastal ecologies

  • Edible seaweed harvesting

  • Making medicines using harvested plants

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Jun
22
to Jun 23

Weekend #4

Location: Southwestern Washington (Ridgefield and Nisqually). Overnight camp.

  • Travel south to Nisqually

  • Plant walks covering edible, medicinal and wildlife plants as well as utilitarian uses. Focus on oak and prarie ecosystems

  • Harvesting plants on the annual harvest schedule for June

  • Making plant based, natural ink

  • Processing and storing acorns

  • Natural medicines: Understanding human physiology

  • Introduction to plant/nature sit spots. Learning how to observe not only the plants, but how they interact with the ecology around them.

  • Botanical terms and plant family identification tips

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May
18
to May 19

Weekend #3

Location: Methow Valley (Eastern Washington). Overnight camp.

  • Travel to the Methow Valley

  • Wild harvesting foods and medicines on annual harvest schedule for May

  • Plant walks in multiple ecosystems on the east side, covering edible, medicinal and wildlife plants as well as utilitarian uses. Focus will be on the foothill and shrub steppe ecologies east of the Cascade Mountains.

  • Beneficial insects and pests (identification, the plants which attract them and their roles in the ecosystem.

  • Making medicines using harvested plants

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Apr
27
to Apr 28

Weekend #2

Location: Deception Pass State Park. Overnight camp.

  • Travel to Deception Pass

  • Harvesting plants on the annual harvest schedule for April

  • Plant walks studying coastal ecology

  • Edible seaweeds

  • Phytoremediation/Mycoremediation

  • Transplanting seed starts

  • Harvesting wild mushrooms

  • Microclimates

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Mar
30
to Mar 31

Weekend #1

Location: Raven's Roots Campus

  • Introductions and overview of the course

  • Natural medicine making (tinctures, salves, syrups, lotions etc.)

  • Teas, decoctions and infusions

  • Comprehensive natural medicine cabinet. Using herbs and mushrooms harvested from the Pacific Northwest we'll build this cabinet for you throughout the course of the year

  • Introduction to Permaculture

  • Permaculture gardening strategies and techniques

  • Fermentations (kimchi, kombucha, apple cider vinegar, sauerkraut and more)

  • Pressing your own oils for medicine and cooking

  • Grafting fruit trees

  • Harvesting ethics

  • Harvesting plants on the annual harvest schedule for March

  • Wild foraging in the spring.

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