Welcome to the December 2016 eNewsletter from Alderleaf Wilderness College!

In this issue...

1.) More Courses Added for 2017!
We've added a Homesteading Skills Weekend Course and a 3-Day Hide Tanning Course to the 2017 calendar...

2.) Alumni Updates!
We've updated our alumni page with recent graduates. Check out examples of the amazing ways they are applying their skills...

3.) Cattails - Friend of the Forager, Bushcrafter, & Basket-Maker
Featured Article: Learn about the edible, medicinal, and survival uses of cattail; plus step-by-step instructions on plaited cattail basket making....

4.) The 2017 Course Calendar
Our most diverse line-up of classes to date! Registration is open. Check out what's scheduled for the coming year...

Homesteading Skills Weekend Course
Join us for a weekend of practical skills for both the homesteader with off-grid goals and the city-sustainable alike. We will be delving into fun, practical hands-on projects to help you be more self-sufficient in everyday life. Learn about canning, small animal systems, creating new things from old, useful wild plants, fermented foods and more in this packed weekend introduction to basic homesteading projects and skills...(learn more)

3-Day Hide Tanning Course
Learn how to turn deer hides into beautiful brain-tanned leather for clothing and survival projects. All of our ancestors wore brain-tanned buckskin. From hunter-gatherers to the early American pioneers, buckskin was a universal material for clothing, rope, footwear, etc. In this three day course you will learn and do all the steps to transform a raw deer skin into soft, luxurious buckskin...(learn more)

We've updated our alumni page with bios from recent years of graduates of the Wilderness Certification Program and the Advanced Wilderness Skills Program. Check out more examples of the amazing ways they are applying their skills...(learn more)

By Leah "Sparrow" Houghton

Have you ever driven past a marsh, only to see a forest of tall stalks that seem to be topped with hot dogs? If the answer if “yes!” then you’ve seen a cattail stand!

In this article, learn how to identify cattail (and tell it apart from it’s toxic look-alike!), which parts are edible at what time of year, how to use the ‘fluff’ and other parts for survival purposes, PLUS step-by-step instructions on how to make a plaited cattail basket - an excellent bushcraft project for the winter months!... continue reading

Our most diverse line-up of classes to date! Registration is open. Several classes are full already. Check out what's scheduled for the coming year:

Dates:	Course:	Cost:
Jan 14-15	Wilderness Survival Course	$250
Jan 24-26	Wilderness First Aid Course (WFA)	$225
Jan 28-29	Knife Making Course (full)	$330
Jan 31-Feb 2	Wilderness First Aid Course (WFA)	$225
Feb 18-19	Axe Forging Course	$430
Mar 2-12	Wilderness First Responder Course (WFR)	$550
Mar 25-26	Homesteading Skills Course	$250
Mar 25-26	Knife Making Course (full)	$330
Apr 8-9	Bird Language Course	$250
Apr - May	Track & Sign Evaluations (limited space)	$250
Apr 22-23	Home-Scale Permaculture Course	$250
May 13-14	Wild Edible & Medicinal Plants Course	$250
May 20-21	Reptile & Amphibian Tracking Course	$250
May 20-21	Knife Making Course	$330
Jun 17-18	Wilderness Survival Course	$250
Jun 17-18	Wild Edible & Medicinal Plants Course	$250
Jun 24-25	Overnight Survival Course	$250
Jul 10-14	Wilderness Survival Skills Intensive	$600
Jul 10-14	Wilderness Skills Camp for Youth	$250
Jul 15-16	Knife Making Course	$330
Aug 11-13	Hide Tanning Course	$300
Aug 19-20	Wilderness Survival Course	$250
Aug 19-20	Wild Edible & Medicinal Plants Course	$250
Aug 25-27	Wooden Bow Making Course	$300
Aug 26-27	Wildlife Tracking Course	$250
Sep 5	Wilderness Certification Program begins	$12,950
Sep 8	Advanced Wilderness Skills Program begins	$12,950
Sep 16-17	Knife Making Course	$330
Sep 23	Wild Mushroom Identification Class	$85
Sep 30	Wild Mushroom Identification Class	$85
Oct 7	Wild Mushroom Identification Class	$85
Oct 14	Wild Mushroom Identification Class	$85
Oct 21-22	Axe Forging Course	$430
Nov 4-5	Wilderness Survival Course	$250
Nov 11	Survival Fire Making Skills Class	$85
Nov 18-19	Knife Making Course	$330

The application period for the 2017-2018 school year is open. Early applicants receive priority for scholarships and student housing! Classes begin September 5th, 2017. Visit the Certification Program page.

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Alderleaf Wilderness College
18715 299th Ave SE
Monroe, WA 98272
United States
(360) 793-8709

Visit our website to see new program information and more: https://www.wildernesscollege.com/index.html