Join Hampshire alum Evan "Ash" Young from Vermont Wilderness School for an introduction to the ancient art of making fire with a bowdrill.

Saturday 4/2 from 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM

This workshop includes:

• A short talk & discussion that interweaves the lineage & history of friction-by-fire, issues around cultural appropriation, and it's context within various communities today. 

• An orientation to all the necessary elements of a bowdrill kit and a demonstration of their proper use.

• Most of the workshop is hands-on. Participants can practice and/or start making their own bowdrill kit using materials gathered from the land or provided by the instructor.

Participants should bring a daypack with appropriate clothing for the weather, including non-synthetic pants, jacket, insulating laters, warm hat, work gloves, and a full 1+ liter water bottle (no glass).

Each participant should bring a good general-purpose knife and possess basic carving skills. (Please let me know beforehand if you will need to borrow a knife, OPRA has a limited number we can lend)

Optional: a small hand saw, note-taking materials, dry natural tinder-bundle materials.

Note: successful & reliable friction fire-making involves more physical activity than other kinds of fire making and requires learning complex motions, which may require practice beyond this workshop's 3 hrs to and adapt the practice to what works best for one's body.

Participant Limit: 9

Signup online here

Use the discount code HCSTUDIGEST when you check out to save $10 off the cost of registration. 

Sign-Up Deadline: Friday, April 1 at 4:00 p.m.

Backup Date, in case of heavy rain / thunderstorm: Sunday, April 3

Contact: Eric Nazar, enazar@hampshire.edu

All OPRA events are substance-free.