This week, in all three homeschool programs, we launched our first morning of our three-week Guilds project. What’s a guild? It’s a choice-based group in which students choose a craft to focus on. Each group chose between two options to dive deep in the learning process.
At Wild Ways on Monday, the Coyotes split into leather working led by Alana and friction fire with Raven. The leather workers started on creating a bag or a knife sheath by making 3D models on paper of their craft before cutting the leather or deer hide. The fire crew started splitting and cutting cedar and each began to make their own bow drill kits for making coals—a challenge even for those who are expert at flint and steel! The Foxes split into trapping with Josh and pine needle baskets with Mary. The trappers spend time near the wetland gathering dogwood to create their traps and went over the set up for figure four, deadfall, and Paiute deadfall, as well as learned to carve stop notches and tie clove hitch knots. There were many comments on the appreciation of physics from the group! The “Basketeers” visited the red pines on the northern ridge, learned a bit about their ecology, and started crafting coil baskets with soaked fallen needles and raffia. A true practice in patience and perseverance, starting the coil baskets was not easy but all had a sturdy base by the end of the morning to add to in future weeks!
In Wednesday’s FOREST program, the Minks chose between the Fire Guild and the Hunters and Healers Guild, the Otters between the Craft Extravaganza guild and the Throwing Stick/Scouting Guild, and the Fishers between the Billet/One-Stick Fire Challenge Guild and the Bow Guild. Every student spent the morning in their own guilds and met up for lunch, sharing details about their group’s undertakings.
At the Cobble on Friday, Shelter Builders learned two knots and gathered loads of materials to build their shelter. Construction starts next week! Throwing Stick folks gathered Hickory and Musclewood, two very strong hardwood species, to make some really awesome throwing sticks for target practice! The “Basketeers” ventured into the marsh to gather first-year Willow shoots (and some Red-osier Dogwood for colorful accents) and planted some cuttings for next year’s harvest—and for the Beavers, who were already busy coppicing the Willow. The Journeyers and Journalers, crafted some fine journals and began their forays into all corners of the Cobble. Their goal is to travel to all areas and document what they encounter over the next few weeks.
In the afternoon in both programs, there were games galore! The Fishers played a game of Hawk and Bird, where they rallied to forage enough food items from the landscape while avoiding the deadly hawks, using bird calls to communicate danger to each other. The Otters and the Minks each played a game of Life and Death in the Forest, where carnivores, omnivores, and herbivores struggle for survival in the great dance of hunter and hunted—with a few interesting variables!
These simulation games both teach ecological principles and give us an understanding of what our wild neighbors’ lives really look like, and a window into the ways of nature. It’s also a great way to learn to navigate the forested environment at high speeds and low speeds as we evade and escape or stalk up on our prey!
—Josh and the FOREST staff, April 2, 2021