Snow Bear has been an environmental educator for more than 30 years. He's embarked upon a life-long pursuit of knowledge with an emphasis in living skills, medicinal and edible plants, utilitarian uses of plants, and world rhythms. He's studied with elders from the Cherokee, Creek, Lakota, Seminole, and Ojibway tribes. He has been involved with the founding of several environmental education organizations in the Southeast, including Earthskills Rendezvous.

Founder

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Jeff Gottlieb has been an interpretive naturalist since 1980, and has specialized in primitive skills since 1987. He has taught people of all ages, and will share Nature and Primitive Skills with anybody who will hold still!  He works with school groups, nature centers, museums, scout troops and summer camps, builds full-sized wigwams and longhouses and replicates primitive tools and artifacts for display. His areas of special interest include fiber arts, flintknapping, basketry, edible and utilitarian plants, and nature awareness. He travels widely in the Eastern U.S. teaching at rendezvous, gatherings and historic fairs. He has written a how-to manual on building wigwams, and an instructors’ manual entitled Teaching Primitive Skills to Children. His new book on natural fibers and ropemaking is available directly from him.

Doug Elliott is a naturalist, herbalist, storyteller, basket maker, back-country guide, philosopher, and harmonica wizard. For many years made his living as a traveling herbalist, gathering and selling herbs, teas, and remedies. He has spent a great deal of time with traditional country folk and indigenous people, learning their stories, folklore and traditional ways of relating to the natural world. In recent years he has performed and presented programs at festivals, museums, botanical gardens, nature centers and schools from Canada to the Caribbean. He has been a featured storyteller at the National Storytelling Festival. 

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Whether he's singing about catfish, pontificating on possums, extolling the virtues of dandelions, Doug Elliott will take you on an unforgettable, multifaceted cultural tour of North America's back country.

Sangoma Oludoye is a traditional Yoruba priestess, Afin cheif and member of the Egbe Moremi, National African Women's Society in the Kingdom of Oyotunji African Village, located in Sheldon, SC.  Founded in 1970, Oyotunji is North America's oldest authentic African community.  Sangoma's specialities inclue shamanism, women's history, pan Africanism, and Wise Woman Traditions.  She has taught at numerous summer camps and Earthskills Gatherings, and is a sacred activist.  

Nancy Basket has taught as a South Carolina artist in education since 1989.  She makes kudzu into baskets, large sculptures, weavings, chandeliers, and paper folkart in hundreds of designs.  She tells Cherokee stories in all her classes.  Learn more at her website and check out her FaceBook page: Nancy Basket's Kudzu Kabin.

Hawk Hurst has been practicing and sharing ancient living skills for close to three decades.  He specializes in the making and playing of primitive musical instruments, including an assortment of flutes, percussion, and string instruments.  An accomplished storyteller, folk musician, and craftsman, Hawk has visited hundreds of schools, summer camps, festivals, museums, libraries, and skills gatherings to share his love of earth skills.

Kaleb Wallace says by day you might find him pontificating on diet, nutrition or fermentation, cooking for the gathering, observing the birds, or running the Ancdstore.  By night, he might be shooting dice, playing music, or wandering thru the cosmos during an evening astronomy lesson.  Come and sit a minute.

Luke Cannon Learningdeer is more than a Botanist.  Luke is a long time pursuer and teacher of our astounding wild world.  His passions to study and understand the beautiful ecological intricacies of our planet have led him throughout the Americas and across the globe.  An avid naturalist, Luke draws from a diverse pool of knowledge, combining his botanical studies with his life experience and training in: survival skills, organic farming, permaculture, Appalachian ecology, homesteading, and experiential learning.  Luke currenlty lives in the mountains of North Carolina studying ecology, orinthology, peace practices, and place-based learning while making his living as a naturalist and educator.  He offers regular public woods walks and classes to share his knowledge of the local plants, birds, and mushrooms and his enthusiasm for building closer relationships with the wilds around us.  Find his niche in the web at:  www.AstoundingEarth.com

Luke is a naturalist, teacher, rewilder, mentor, survivalist, and founder of Holistic Survival School. Luke has committed his life to mastering and teaching ancestral and indigenous living skills in order to help people find their balance and connection to the Natural World.  Luke learned his skills working at a primitive wilderness therapy program in the West Desert of Utah.  With over 500 days on the trail, Luke has mentored hundreds of people in the wilderness and learned how Earth skills teach us vital life lessons.  Luke has also been trained in Holistic Counseling, Shadow work, and Trauma-informed breathwork.  With these modalities, Luke loves creating a nurturing and also “edge-pushing” experience.  Luke believes that it is every human’s birthright to have a deep physical, emotional, and spiritual connection to our Earth, and he has dedicated himself to being a bridge to our modern culture.

Josh Barnwell has been sharing his knowledge and passion for the outdoors from a young age. He teaches for private groups as well as at gatherings like Earthskills Rendezvous, Firefly Gathering, Florida Earthskills Gathering, and many summer camps.

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Whatever your skill level, from novice to grizzled wild one, he invites you to join him as he enthusiastically shares decades of experience connecting people to the natural world in a real and meaningful way.

Josh lives with his wife and four children on their homestead in middle Tennessee.  When he is not teaching at an earthskills gathering or running a workshop at home, you can find him diving in to the cyclical, seasonal, crafts and skills for living with the earth he loves.  www.bewelloutdoors.com

White Eagle is a long-time rendezvous instructor specializing in rivercane flutes and blow guns.

Russell Cutts is the founder of Native Earth, Inc. and The Wyldecraft Company. He has 20+ years of professional experience teaching earth skills, American Indian history/prehistory, and outdoor education. Russell will be teaching his passion, fire!

Fuz is an endangered species biologist, Earthskills teacher, musician and storyteller. He has over 25 years as a wilderness instructor, naturalist, and research biologist for organizations such as 4H, National Wildlife Federation, US Fish and Wildlife Service, North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, US Forest Service, US Park Service, and the Green River Preserve. Fuz coordinated the Earthskills Rendezvous for 8 years, and has now founded the Piedmont Earthskills Gathering in central North Carolina. Go ahead, ask him about birds.

Joan Candalino teaches tipi living skills, skills for sustainable living, and a range of earthskills crafts.  She made her first tipis under the tutelage of Darry Wood in the 1990's.  She and her husband, Tom Strode, are building homestead and community in Hardyville, KY.  www.sweetwatertipi.com

Denton Bragg has been an instructor with Earthskills Rendezvous since the early days at Unicoi State Park, GA, originally as a bowmaking instructor.  He regularly conducts wilderness programs for schools, Scouts, and other groups on all aspects of wilderness living skills, primitive skills, and pioneering skills, mostly in the Southeast.

Turnstone Keith Grenoble leaves home a week before Rendezvous begins so he can stop at every rock out-crop along the way to load up his car with goodies!  Specializing in primitive pottery and collecting most of his own raw materials and clay, Turnstone teaches the craft of pottery using ancestral methods. His classes are casual and informative and you can drop in on any time and stay as long as you like! He is an excellent potter and flint knapper, and is also skilled at cordage, bone working, hide tanning, and basketry.

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Towards the end of the gathering, he will fire all pottery in an open fire, which is rarely done in modern times.

Todd Elliott grew up in the Southern Appalachians, and his passion for the natural world has led him to work as a naturalist, photographer, and biologist on research projects on six continents. He is passionate about the natural world and the traditional skills that allow us to work toward a deeper connection with it. He is an author of the Timber Press field guide, Mushrooms of the Southeast (USA).

Tyler Lavenburg lives for the opportunity to work with his hands.  Whether it be weaving baskets, sewing buckskin, or fletching an arrow, it is in this realm of focus and awe of creation that he truly revels. Tyler has apprenticed and taught with many traditional skills schools and events including Wild Abundance (North Carolina), The Roots School (Vermont), Living Earth School (Virginia), Earthskills Rendezvous, Firefly Gathering, Florida Earthskills, Whippoorwill, and more.  Currently, he is working on developing his homestead with his partner in the Reems Creek Valley.  An experienced instructor, Tyler has worked with hundreds of children and adults through public/private schools, homeschool cooperatives, and special events.  He is devoted to understanding material use in context of its ecological niche - uniting ancient and scientific wisdom with appropriate technologies.  Nose to the grindstone (sometimes literally), whether it be putting by wild foods or working with stone tools, bows and arrows, hides, baskets, fiber or woodcraft, Tyler orients his life by the skills that have kept our ancestors alive for thousands of years.

Bill Kaczor is a foothills native of Maryland and the CEO and co-founder of Ancestral Knowledge.  He has taught students at the University of Maryland, Georgetown University, Earthskills Rendezvous, Roots Rendezvous in VT, Mid-Atlantic Primitive Skills Gathering (MAPS Meet), Wild Abundance, and Firefly Gathering Intensives.  Bill spent five years as an instructor at Tom Brown Jr.'s Tracker School teaching primitive traps, bow and arrow making, archery, flint knapping, hunting, pottery, and hide tanning.  In 2003 Bill co-founded Ancestral Knowledge in the Washington DC area.  Bill specializes in bow making, stone tool technologies, hide tanning, fire by friction, and primitive bow hunting.

Barron has been making objects his whole life. He started forging, casting and carving around 1970 and hasn’t stopped since. Earlier than that he started helping his granddad with simple timber frames and other homesteading skills.

Classes Barron typically teaches include wood bowl and spoon carving and timber framing.

James Clinkscales resides in the upstate of South Carolina where he hunts, forages and thrives on his homestead farm with his chickens and goats. Bee keeping and paddling whitewater and flatwater whenever possible are his passions.  A lifelong primitive skills student and practitioner, avocational archeologist and lover of life, James is always looking for a new adventure in life.

Grant was first inspired to teach in the 90s when he attended an outdoor camp as teen and worked as a counselor in training. He is passionate about connecting young people to practical skills that will help them to build resilience in their daily lives. He has worked with many organizations including Forest Floor, Ancestral Knowledge, Firefly Gathering and Florida Earthskills. He was the Youth Programs Coordinator for Earthskills Rendezvous for eight years.  He now teaches blacksmithing and other skills.

Nathan has been learning from the Southern Appalachians since he was a boy and professionally teaching in these mountains for over twenty years.  He has worked as a private outdoor educator, teaching at many types of scholastic facilities, public & private organizations, and educational workshops.  He has been involved as a leader (from small groups to directing whole programs) in many outdoor education programs including Medicine Bow Wilderness School (Dahlonega, GA), Eagle’s Nest Foundation (Brevard, NC), Hampshire College Outdoor Programs (Amherst, MA), and Turtle Island Preserve (Boone, NC)  before starting Buffalo Cove in 2001.  He is a diligent student of the history of the Blue Ridge and has a degree in American Indian Studies, his specialty being the history and lessons of the Cherokee Nation. It has become his life’s work to help others see the beauty and wisdom in the Southern Appalachian Mountains and the strength that we all possess within ourselves.

Matt Hansen is a self-described maker and do-er of many things wilderness-y, I love exploring new areas and finding at least one "efficient" way to hang it, scrape it, eat it, launch it, dance upon, relax into, slicedicesplicefillet, harvest and/or have fun amongst....sometimes as uncivilized as possible. sometimes noshing a carne asada burrito like the rest of 'em. at rivercane I hold it down at the bow tent where we use tools with the intention of flinging objects forward, but would love for my attention to be diverted to other subjects I'm interested in including survival, fishing, ethnobotany, anthropology, forestry, ecology, h/g culture, and the eating-preserving-fermenting of food.

Emery was born and raised in Durham NC and has lived in Boone since 2011. Since graduating from Appalachian State University with a degree in Psychology and a minor in Outdoor Education, they have been continuing to live an active lifestyle running, climbing, and biking to keep them going to new places and finding fun adventures. They also spend time playing guitar, writing, and simply enjoying this beautiful world we live in!

Talcon Quinn exclusively uses sustainably, ethically, and naturally collected materials, that are processed by hand, caringly, without the use of toxic materials.  In an age where it can be difficult to navigate ethical purchasing choices, one can rest assured that these pieces of art carry *no soul tax. Talcon Quinn is not only the designer and craftsperson of these beautiful pieces of adornment, she is also the gatherer and processor of the materials. These marvelous pieces help one carry their connectedness to the natural world as a reminder to make choices that respect all life.

Talcon Quinn shares these skills by teaching classes at her home, gatherings and folk schools around the country. She is very enthusiastic about sharing traditional skills, ensuring that they live on. To sign up for upcoming classes or see if Talcon can teach near you, email her at reachout@talcon-quinn.com. 

Josh Fox has built a life around the healing powers of plants, people, and community.  He weaves herbs, songs, and acupuncture into his private practice, and writes music that uplifts the heart, honors his plant allies, and tickles the human spirit.  With the same gentle, grounded natuer he receives patients, he regularly holds group ceremony space around grief, heart-healing, and song-sharing.  Visit his website at http://www.foxhealing.com.

​I am a practitioner of Hedgecraft.  It is a place where Folk Herbalism, Appalachian Folk Magic, European Traditional Witchcraft, Primitive Skills, Folkloric Farming and Wild Food Foraging meet. It is a remembering of the Old Ways. Many of us no longer have grandparents who can teach us these things, we are all relearning how to survive. And, how to thrive. 

By looking to the past we can find connection with ancestral lifeways while addressing cultural appropriation. ​I focus my work and research on bringing to light the forgotten folklore of plants, Traditional Witchcraft, and how one can integrate them to live a more connected and meaningful life.  Whether you are called to magic or to medicine, spoon carving or growing food, we are still here.

 www.bloodandspicebush.com

Raised in NC , Re-wilder, Feral child wrangler, Homesteader

Hide tanning

Hide tanning, spoon carving

Natural Dyes

blacksmithing

gourdcraft

Goats, goat cheese

Weaving, wild foods

Herbal medicine, wild foods

Herbal medicine, wild foods

felting

felting, fibercraft

buckskin sewing

copperworking

founder

pottery

pottery

Alexander Howe is a passionate herbalist and flamboyant performer.  He has been adventuring in South(ern) Africal for most of the past 7 years, and attending Gatherings at home whenever possible.  Alex earned the moniker "Bush Ninja" while having many wild African experiences (that are best related around a campfire).  He also honed a number of interesting skills including fire dancing/flow arts, practical herbalism, artisan salve making, and South African plant and spirit medicine.  He's delighted to be teaching about these passions, as well as offering a special rendition of The Lorax, and inflamatory fire dances to accompany the music!  Be sure to see the amazing African herbs and artifacts he has for trade!

Vicki Blalock keeps a working homestead with husband Two Bear.  Her classes might include cannin meat by different methods, canning vegetables, shell wind chimes, net bags, tinctures, magnesium oil, Dutch

Nick Neddo is an artist, author, naturalist, primitive skills educator, and craftsman.  He has been teaching people wilderness skills since 2000.  He makes his art supplies from materials that he gathers from the landscape, which is the topic of his book: The Organic Artist.  Nick enjoys clean air, water, food, and dirty hands.  

Christina Gordon co-owned and operated Whitestone Farm, a U.S.D.A. Certified Organic farm specializing in wild foods, sustainable farming practices and humane animal husbandry practices for 5 years. She has been involved with primitive skills and outdoor education since 2003. Christina is a skilled brain-tanner and has taught and demonstrated hide tanning and animal use for public schools, numerous festivals, federal parks, primitive skills events, living history events and private classes throughout the United States.

A Georgia native, Scott has made a life-long study of natural and cultural history, and the interconnections of the two.  He brings almost 30 years of professional experience to the field of primitive technology, and is the author of two books about primitive technology, A View to the Past (2008) and Postcards to the Past (2015).  

Since 1987 he has been applying his expertise full-time to the study of Stone-Age skills, ancient technologies, and their relation to our lives today.  He says: "We need to see ourselves in prehistory.  All of our ancestors, regardless of race or geographical origin, were using stone tools just a few thousand years ago.  Many of the basic skills were common to everyone."  

His professional enterprise Media Prehistoria is dedicated to outreach and educating the public about ancient technologies and lifeways.

Charity Cimarron is a mother, woodswitch, craftswoman, Waldorf Music and Handwork teacher, community organizer, and performing musician.  She spent many years living alternatively, off-the-grid in a straw-bale house, on a converted school bus, in tents, tipis, and yomes across the country.  She love to spend countless hours hiding out in the underbrush, learning bird songs, eating wild foods, and making medicine.  As an accomplished craftswoman, she has many years of experience weaving, spinning, sewing, book-binding and basket-weaving.  And in between all of these she squeezes in a little song or two. 

Bob Orcutt has been interested in primitive skills for most of his life.   In 1999 he took a class from Chuck Patrick at Rivercane.  He was so intrigued by turning an old file into a flint and steel set that he joined his local blacksmith guild the day after he returned from the Rivercane outing.  He remains active in the guild serving at various times as board member and vice president.  He has taken a few classes at the Campbell Folk School in Brasstwon, NC and enjoys turning a piece of steel into a useful item.  Among his favorite things to make are various hooks, bottle openers, small neck knives, tomahawks, outdoor fire sets, and tools such as punches, chisels, tongs, and his own blacksmithing hammers. 

Kerry Fulford says, "As a child, I could feel how being close to the the natural world helped calm my heart, and now, as an adult, I am aware of the necessity of being close to the Earth and its elements to balance my sense of well-being.  I have committed my life's work to sharing these connections.” After my first Rivercane and Falling Leaves gatherings in Unicoi State Park with the Earth Skills Rendezvous group, I studied everything I could and felt hope and grace in my life again.  I managed several health food and medicinal herbal healing stores and took part in many medicinal and edible plant courses and apprenticeships that continue to this day.  I have attended and taught earth based classes and workshops now for several decades and count these gatherings as one of the most healing things I do for myself.  I teach edible and medicinal plant classes and how to prepare helpful medicines.  I call my class "Magical Medicine Shelf," as a reminder to us all about the real meaning of the word "first aid," and to empower ourselves and help others on our path enjoying the gifts of nature all around us.