Community Skills29thApril
I grew up in a very big Italian family. At our reunions everyone's always happy and joyous to see each other. We laugh, kids play and the old people keep us together exactly how Grandpa Rinella would have wanted.
After leaving high school I decided to backpack the Cascades while training primitive skills. 20 years ago there didn't seem to be many people into wilderness survival in Portland. It felt a little lonely. I quickly realized that my family or "community" skills were crucial. Here's what I learned along the way…
1) Don't jump on every bandwagon Just because you have the same interests, doesn't mean you have the same commitments. Wilderness skills was and is fraught with folks who are only ideology driven. They don't seem to care about the same family "joy" Auntie Francis did while sitting in her lawn chair holding babies and watching all of us play bocce ball. My impressionable teenage self certainly met some fellows who were obsessed with their own fame and fortune to be a wild child guru. Fortunately, after growing up in a family ran almost entirely by a sarcastic matriarchal council through the 80's and 90's, I never really related to the rock star "dudes" of primitive skills. The moral of this story, play with everyone but choose your long term commitments well. 50 years from now, who do you want to have at your family reunion?
2) Coax the wise turtles out of their shell Some of the deepest, most sincere members of my Trackers "family" are naturally quiet. They watch, pay attention and seem to be there through thick and thin. These are always the folks that I want on "survival" trips. They don't live by the long emergency, instead they're always listening and paying attention, consequently they're masters of flow and opportunity. Who do you know that may not be loud and verbose, but is definitely solid and reliable?
3) Create a place where people can gather Kevin Costner went to the extreme of this in Field of Dreams. Remember, "If you build it, they will come". You wait awhile, people think your crazy and bamm, there's Shoeless Joe Jackson playing in your cornfield. Just remember guideline number 1, don't start doing this out of ideology. Do it because you truly believe family needs a place to be fed, clothed and sheltered. As soon as Trackers got a location to sit its proverbial bottom, people who had been with us for the long haul felt even more stable. They really started to gather and give even more back to the community. They started to be fed by what we do as a family. Just like a real village.
The last thing I'll talk about is patience and forgiveness. This is probably the most fundamental skill. I don't get to complain that my shelter isn't finished when it starts to rain. Just like everyone around you won't be perfect, you don't get to complain about them either. When I see someone mess up or do something stupid, my response is usually, "well, I've done much worse." Sure, there will always be folks who are not the best fit to have around but as a wise friend once told me, "everyone is making it all up as they go along." That goes for you, me and all those whom we owe a wonderful debt of care to. All those wise turtles in our family.
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Our full-time TrackersTEAMS Wilderness Immersion Program is getting even better. Starting in Fall…
-Regular class days become overnights at our beautiful permaculture farm on the Oregon Coast
-We take a class trip to the famous Rabbitstick Rendezvous primitive skills gathering
Plus, our new Wilderness Survival Village synthesizes our entire curriculum of wilderness survival, folk craft and the ancient art of tracking and permaculture. We feel it is unique in the world of wilderness skills training as to its insight and depth.
Interested in our Full-Time Immersion? Try a Day Free May 22 or July 3 It's another day at the Trackers Homestead sharing skills of wilderness survival, tracking, wild plants and more. At the end of the day you sit down in the cabin to sip douglas fir tea while TrackersTEAMS instructors answer your questions about the program. Learn more and RSVP
Calendar of programs...
Edible Wild: Spring Greens May 2
Wilderness Survival Basics May 8-9, Oct 2-3 & Nov 6-7
Floral Wonders: Wildflower Class May 23
Wilderness Survival Weekend Overnight May 28-30
Primitive Pottery Apprenticeship Begins June 6
Native Wild: Edible Plants for Survival June 6
DIY Skills Learn to Build Your Own Yurt July 16
