WINTER COUNT
This premier event focuses on primitive technology. The Winter Count gathering has a varitety of workshops that will be familiar and will also introduce you to many new and different formats, skills and personalities. Experienced instructors, with diverse primitive skills, will teach you how to brain tan deer hide, create pottery, learn fire-by-friction methods, ply cordage and many other utilitarian skills.
Date: February 9 - 15, 2014
Fee: Early registration - $300 (prior to February 1), Late registration - $375
Location: Maricopa, Arizona
For info & registration: Contact Backtracks for information at http://www.backtracks.net/wintercount.html or access http://www.backtracks.net/Registration.html for registration.
BASKET WEAVING WORKSHOPS WITH CHARLES KENNARD
Willow Winnowing Basket - February 15, 2014
Whole Stem Rush Twined Basket - March 1, 2014
On-Going Projects - March 15, 2014
Pine Needle Basket - April 12, 2014
Paiute-Style Water Basket - April 26, 2014
Willow Twined Basket - May 17, 2014
These are classes for adults and teens; beginning and experienced weavers are welcome.
Access the PDF file Kennard's basket workshops_2014.pdf for registration information and details about the workshops.
Contact Charles Kennard at charleskennard@comcast.net for more information.
CALIFORNIA KNAPPERS
Join us for a day of flintknapping. The knapping get-together is open to novice, intermediate and advanced knappers. Anyone who is interested in the skill of making stone tools is more than welcome. Come and work on your lithic project or practice the art of flintknapping and learn practical advice from fellow knappers.
Date: March 1, 2014
Time: 10:00 am - 3:00 pm
Location: Karl Nordvik Park, 5850 Commerce Drive, Fremont, CA 94555
The park is on the corner of Commerce Dr. and Ardenwood Blvd. We will be located across the restrooms, on the far end of the park, near a small pine tree. Look towards the children's playground. Parking is free.
Access the California Knappers webpage for more information: California Knappers
OHLONE VILLAGE SITE TOUR
Learn about Ohlone cultures as we tour a diorama of village life at the Visitor Center. Walk to a 2,200-year-old Tuibun Ohlone village site in the park, see replicated structures and examine reproductions of artifacts. Along the trail, we’ll identify plants that provided food, medicine and tools for the first people of the San Francisco Bay Area.
Date: March 2, 2014
Time: 10:00 am - 12:00 pm & 1:30 pm - 4:30 pm
Naturalist: Dino Labiste
Fee: No fee for the program (only $5.00 parking fee/vehicle)
Location: Coyote Hills Regional Park, 8000 Patterson Ranch Road, Fremont, CA 94555
Meet at the front entrance of the Coyote Hills Visitor Center at 10:00 am or 1:30 pm.
No registration, drop-in, for information call (510) 544-3215 or (510) 544-3220.
VOLUNTEER DAY: OHLONE VILLAGE SITE
Learn about the Tuibun Ohlone culture, as we help care for an important 2,200-year-old village site. Volunteer to clean, weed and renew the structures and the site. We’ll provide snacks, water, gloves, tools and a presentation about the archaeological village site’s historical and cultural significance.
Dates: March 9, 2014
Time: 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Docent/Volunteer Coordinator: Dino Labiste
Min/max Age: 12-yrs-old (parent participation required) / Adult
Fee: No fee
Location: Coyote Hills Regional Park, 8000 Patterson Ranch Road,
Fremont, CA 94555
Meet at the front entrance of the Visitor Center.
Registration Required: Call 1-888-327-2757, option 2
Contact Naturalist Dino Labiste for information: (510) 544-3215
SKILLS OF THE PAST: FIRE MAKING
Ever wondered how fire was created before matches or a lighter? Unravel the secrets of fire-by-friction, fire-by-percussion and fire-by-compression. Discover the various fire making techniques around the world to produce a glowing ember. We'll practice our fire making skills through hands-on activities and demonstrations.
Date: March 16, 2014
Time: 9:30 am - 12:30 pm
Instructor: Dino Labiste
Min/max Age: 16-yrs-old (parent participation required) / Adult
Fee: No fee for the program (only $5.00 parking fee/vehicle)
Location: Coyote Hills Regional Park, 8000 Patterson Ranch Road,
Fremont, CA 94555
Meet at the front entrance of the Visitor Center.
Registration Required: Call 1-888-327-2757, option 2
Contact Naturalist Dino Labiste for information: (510) 544-3215
SKILLS OF THE PAST: CORDAGE MAKING
The ability to twist, twine or braid fibers into cordage allowed indigenous cultures to tie their world together. Learn the various techniques of gathering, preparation, extracting and plying of plant materials to create cordage. Practice the efficient method of leg rolling dogbane fibers.
Date: March 16, 2014
Time: 2:00 pm - 4:30 pm
Instructor: Dino Labiste
Min/max Age: 9-yrs-old (parent participation required) / Adult
Fee: No fee for the program (only $5.00 parking fee/vehicle)
Location: Coyote Hills Regional Park, 8000 Patterson Ranch Road,
Fremont, CA 94555
Meet at the front entrance of the Visitor Center.
Registration Required: Call 1-888-327-2757, option 2
Contact Naturalist Dino Labiste for information: (510) 544-3215
WILD EDIBLES AND PLANT USES HIKE
The Ohlone Peoples and European settlers gathered wild plants for food, medicine and tools. Identify edible plants on a springtime hike. Gather Miner’s lettuce for a tasty salad, process Manzanita cider, snack on Black Walnut and sample other savory wild foods.
Date: March 23, 2014
Time: 9:00 am - 1:00 pm
Instructor: Dino Labiste
Fee: No fee for the program (only $5.00 parking fee/vehicle)
Min/max Age: 18-yrs-old and older
Location: Garin/Dry Creek Pioneer Regional Park, 1320 Garin Avenue, Hayward, CA 94544
Meet at the Garin Barn Visitor Center (red barn).
Registration Required: Call 1-888-327-2757, option 2
Contact Naturalist Dino Labiste for information: (510) 544-3215
RABBIT STICK, ATLATL TOSS & ISAC CONTEST
Try your skill at tossing the atlatl, “The Atom Bomb of the Stone Age.” The atlatl has been in use as a hunting tool for over 20,000 years and the rabbit stick is a non-returning boomerang used to hunt small game. Learn how to throw and take this opportunity to enter an internationally accredited contest (ISAC.) Contest winners will get their name in the World Atlatl magazine. The open target throw is at 2:00 pm and the ISAC starts at 3:00 pm.
Date: March 29, 2014
Time: 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Organizer: Ranger Bruce Weidman
Min/max age: Parent supervision required for children (physical ability to throw objects)
Fee: No fee, free parking
Location: Sugarloaf Open Space Preserve, 2161 Youngs Valley Rd., Walnut Creek, CA
Meet at the Atlatl Range adjacent to Twin Oaks picnic area.
Contact Park Ranger Bruce Weidman for information: (925) 943-5899 x 2665
OHLONE VILLAGE SITE TOUR
Experience the Ohlone cultures as we tour a diorama of village life at the Visitor Center. Walk to a 2,200-year-old Ohlone village site in the park, see replicated structures and examine reproductions of artifacts. Along the trail, we’ll identify plants that provided food, medicine and tools for the first people of the San Francisco Bay Area. Learn about the past and the present.
Date: April 5, 2014
Time: 1:00 pm - 3:30 pm
Naturalist: Dino Labiste
Fee: No fee for the program (only $5.00 parking fee/vehicle)
Location: Coyote Hills Regional Park, 8000 Patterson Ranch Road, Fremont, CA 94555
Meet at the front entrance of the Coyote Hills Visitor Center at 1:00 pm.
No registration, drop-in, for information call (510) 544-3215 or (510) 544-3220.
CELEBRATE CALIFORNIA'S NATIVE PLANTS AND PEOPLE
Native Garden (1-4 pm): Enjoy the blazing colors of wildflowers in our California Native Garden and see some fine examples of native crafts, baskets and tule toys. Garden guides will be leading hands-on demonstrations of indigenous people's crafts. Try your hand at making tule twine, elderberry rattles and pounding acorn flour. Take a mini-tour of our Native Garden with a Garden naturalist and stroll through purple irises, wild lilac and a rainbow of wild flowers.
Children’s Garden (12-3 pm): In our Children’s Garden, families can bring their young children for a California native experience. We are kicking off our weekly Bean Sprouts Family Days. Enjoy family-friendly demonstrations of traditional uses of native plants. Great for children 3-yrs-old and up. Bring a picnic and enjoy the day! Follow signs from either entry gates.
Date: April 5, 2014
Time: 12:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Fee: Free to San Francisco residents with proof of residency. General admission - $7.00
Location: San Francisco Botanical Gardens, 1199 9th Ave., San Francisco, CA 94122
Contact Andrew Sieving (Community Engagement Coordinator) for information: (415) 661-1316 x 400 or asieving@sfbg.org
Website of event: http://www.sfbotanicalgardensociety.org/sfbgs_course_template.cfm?s=5472 5
RABBIT STICK, ATLATL TOSS & ISAC CONTEST
Try your skill at tossing the atlatl, “The Atom Bomb of the Stone Age.” The atlatl has been in use as a hunting tool for over 20,000 years and the rabbit stick is a non-returning boomerang used to hunt small game. Learn how to throw and take this opportunity to enter an internationally accredited contest (ISAC.) Contest winners will get their name in the World Atlatl magazine. The open target throw is at 2:00 pm and the ISAC starts at 3:00 pm.
Date: April 19, 2014
Time: 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Organizer: Ranger Bruce Weidman
Min/max age: Parent supervision required for children (physical ability to throw objects)
Fee: No fee, free parking
Location: Sugarloaf Open Space Preserve, 2161 Youngs Valley Rd., Walnut Creek, CA
Meet at the Atlatl Range adjacent to Twin Oaks picnic area.
Contact Park Ranger Bruce Weidman for information: (925) 943-5899 x 2665
MAKING PREHISTORIC SHELL BEADS
Utilize past technology to break, drill and grind shell pieces by hand to create shell beads. Learn about stone tools and prehistoric techniques. Shell beads provided anthropologists with knowledge of trade and exchange networks, the distribution of wealth and status in central California Native societies.
Date: April 26, 2014
Time: 9:30 am - 12:00 pm
Instructor: Dino Labiste
Fee: No fee for the program (only $5.00 parking fee/vehicle)
Min/max Age: 12-yrs-old (parent participation required) / Adult
Location: Coyote Hills Regional Park, 8000 Patterson Ranch Road,
Fremont, CA 94555
Meet at the front entrance of the Visitor Center.
Registration Required: Call 1-888-327-2757, option 2
Contact Naturalist Dino Labiste for information: (510) 544-3215
SHELL PENDANT & SEED BEAD NECKLACES
Shells and seeds were made into indigenous necklaces for adornment. Create pine nut beads and make an abalone shell pendant. Use a pump drill to produce the pendant hole. Watch a demonstration on making dogbane cordage. Using past technology, we'll make a very unique necklace.
Date: April 26. 2014
Time: 1:00m - 4:00 pm
Instructor: Dino Labiste
Fee: $12.00 ($14.00 for non-residents of Contra Costa and Alameda counties) + $5.00 parking fee/vehicle
Min/max Age: 12-yrs-old (parent participation required) / Adult
Location: Coyote Hills Regional Park, 8000 Patterson Ranch Road,
Fremont, CA 94555
Meet at the front entrance of the Visitor Center.
Registration Required: Call 1-888-327-2757, option 2
Contact Naturalist Dino Labiste for information: (510) 544-3215
BUCKEYE GATHERING
Ancestral Arts & Primitive Living Skills
The gathering is an educational event that will consist of teachers hosting classes ongoing for five days, on a variety of topics including: hand-drill fire making, plant fiber cordage, stone tools, buckskin, basket weaving, nature awareness, pottery, local flora and fauna identification, food preparation (acorns!), primitive weapons including bows and arrows, fiber arts, herbalism, shelter building, and storytelling. We are excited to have local Native American involvement in both the planning process and the event itself. We will encourage a family-oriented, all-ages event and will emphasize skills and materials indigenous to California, while welcoming students and instructors from all over the map. There will be activities interspersed throughout the week such as a marketplace, panel discussion, and dance night. We will provide breakfast and dinner. Participant camping will consist of cars, tents, tipis, and trailers.
Date: April 27 – May 3, 2014
Fee: Access the Register webpage for fee information.
Location: Lake Concow Campground, Butte Co., CA
Contact califorigin@gmail.com or visit http://buckeyegathering.net for more information.
CALIFORNIA KNAPPERS
Join us for a day of flintknapping. The knapping get-together is open to novice, intermediate and advanced knappers. Anyone who is interested in the skill of making stone tools is more than welcome. Come and work on your lithic project or practice the art of flintknapping and learn practical advice from fellow knappers.
Date: May 10, 2014
Time: 10:00 am - 3:00 pm
Location: Karl Nordvik Park, 5850 Commerce Drive, Fremont, CA 94555
The park is on the corner of Commerce Dr. and Ardenwood Blvd. We will be located across the restrooms, on the far end of the park, near a small pine tree. Look towards the children's playground. Parking is free.
Access the California Knappers webpage for more information: California Knappers
RABBIT STICK, ATLATL TOSS & ISAC CONTEST
Try your skill at tossing the atlatl, “The Atom Bomb of the Stone Age.” The atlatl has been in use as a hunting tool for over 20,000 years and the rabbit stick is a non-returning boomerang used to hunt small game. Learn how to throw and take this opportunity to enter an internationally accredited contest (ISAC.) Contest winners will get their name in the World Atlatl magazine. The open target throw is at 2:00 pm and the ISAC starts at 3:00 pm.
Date: May 10, 2014
Time: 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Organizer: Ranger Bruce Weidman
Min/max age: Parent supervision required for children (physical ability to throw objects)
Fee: No fee, free parking
Location: Sugarloaf Open Space Preserve, 2161 Youngs Valley Rd., Walnut Creek, CA
Meet at the Atlatl Range adjacent to Twin Oaks picnic area.
Contact Park Ranger Bruce Weidman for information: (925) 943-5899 x 2665
OHLONE VILLAGE SITE TOUR
Meet at the Visitor Center and visit the Ohlone exhibits and displays. Then, we'll walk 1/4 of a mile through vibrant marsh habitat to a 2,200-year-old Ohlone village site. Along the trail, we’ll identify plants that provided food, medicine and tools for the Ohlone Peoples. Tour reconstructed structures, like a tule house, shade shelter, sweat house and a circular subterranean house. You'll also get the opportunity to examine reproductions of artifacts of the first people of the San Francisco Bay Area.
Date: June 1, 2014
Time: 2:00 pm - 4:30 pm
Naturalist: Dino Labiste
Fee: No fee for the program (only $5.00 parking fee/vehicle)
Location: Coyote Hills Regional Park, 8000 Patterson Ranch Road, Fremont, CA 94555
Meet at the front entrance of the Coyote Hills Visitor Center at 10:00 am.
No registration, drop-in, for information call (510) 544-3215 or (510) 544-3220.
CELEBRATE WORLD ATLATL DAY
Call it an atlatl, a spearschluder, or a woomera, it’s still the same primitive weapon: a stick that launches a spear. Join us for an afternoon of contests that are simultaneously happening in a dozen other countries. We’ll start the morning with some practice and warm-ups and then “go for the gold” so to speak. Contest scores will be sent to the World Atlatl Association. Last year we ranked second in mixed competition, first in woman’s individual high score, and second in men’s two person team. California ranked best in the USA.
Date: June 7, 2014
Time: 10:00 am
Imstructor: Ranger Bruce Weidman
Min/max age: Parent supervision required for children (physical ability to throw objects)
Fee: No fee, free parking
Location: Sugarloaf Open Space Preserve, 2161 Youngs Valley Rd., Walnut Creek, CA
Meet at the Atlatl Range adjacent to Twin Oaks picnic area.
Contact Park Ranger Bruce Weidman for information: (925) 943-5899 x 2665
FATHER'S DAY ADVENTURE: FIRE MAKING
Learn how to start a fire without matches or lighters. Unravel the science behind how the bow drill produces an ember. Generate solar power to create a hot coal using an aluminum can or water bottle. Acquire the skill to build a safe and efficient campfire.
Date: June 15, 2014
Time: 10:00 am - 12:00 pm
Naturalist: Dino Labiste
Min/max Age: 8-yrs-old (parent participation required) / Adult
Fee: No fee for the program (only $5.00 parking fee/vehicle)
Location: Garin/Dry Creek Pioneer Regional Parks, 1320 Garin Avenue, Hayward, CA 94544
Meet at the front entrance of the Garin Barn Visitor Center at 10:00. The fire making activities will be at one of the picnic tables in the immediate area near the back of the barn.
No registration, drop-in, for information call (510) 544-3215 or (510) 544-3220.
FATHER'S DAY ADVENTURE: ATLATL THROWERS
Join us for a day of Stone Age activity using a prehistoric dart thrower. Altatls were utilized by hunter/gatherer societies. Watch a demonstration on how to create a Paleolithic stone point. Try your skill at hitting a target with an atlatl dart.
Date: June 15, 2014
Time: 1:30 pm - 3:30 pm
Naturalist: Dino Labiste
Min/max Age: 8-yrs-old (parent participation required) / Adult
Fee: No fee for the program (only $5.00 parking fee/vehicle)
Location: Garin/Dry Creek Pioneer Regional Parks, 1320 Garin Avenue, Hayward, CA 94544
Meet at the front entrance of the Garin Barn Visitor Center at 1:30. The flintknapping demonstration will be at one of the picnic tables in the immediate area near the back of the barn. The atlatl activity will be located along the hillside behind the barn area.
No registration, drop-in, for information call (510) 544-3215 or (510) 544-3220.
CALIFORNIA KNAPPERS
Join us for a day of flintknapping. The knapping get-together is open to novice, intermediate and advanced knappers. Anyone who is interested in the skill of making stone tools is more than welcome. Come and work on your lithic project or practice the art of flintknapping and learn practical advice from fellow knappers.
Date: June 21, 2014
Time: 10:00 am - 3:00 pm
Location: Karl Nordvik Park, 5850 Commerce Drive, Fremont, CA 94555
The park is on the corner of Commerce Dr. and Ardenwood Blvd. We will be located across the restrooms, on the far end of the park, near a small pine tree. Look towards the children's playground. Parking is free.
Access the California Knappers webpage for more information: California Knappers
VOLUNTEER DAY: OHLONE VILLAGE SITE
Learn about the Tuibun Ohlone culture, as we help care for an important 2,200-year-old village site. Volunteer to clean, weed and renew the structures and the site. We’ll provide snacks, water, gloves, tools and a presentation about the archaeological village site’s historical and cultural significance.
Dates: June 22, 2014
Time: 2:00 pm - 4:30 pm
Docent/Volunteer Coordinator: Dino Labiste
Min/max Age: 12-yrs-old (parent participation required) / Adult
Fee: No fee
Location: Coyote Hills Regional Park, 8000 Patterson Ranch Road,
Fremont, CA 94555
Meet at the front entrance of the Visitor Center.
Registration Required: Call 1-888-327-2757, option 2
Contact Naturalist Dino Labiste for information: (510) 544-3215
BERRY PICKING BASKET
Tule was used by California Natives for various utilitarian items, like mats, boats, houses, as well as baskets. What makes this versatile marsh plant so unique? Learn more as we create a berry picking basket from tule. This is a two-day workshop. Participation in gathering tule is required to take the class. We'll harvest tule on June 22 and make the basket on June 29.
Dates: June 22, 2014 & June 29, 2014
Time: 10:00 am - 12:00 pm (June 22, gathering tule) & 10:00 am - 4:00 pm (June 29, making the tule basket)
Instructor: Dino Labiste
Min/max Age: 18-yrs-old and older
Fee: No fee for the program (only $5.00 parking fee/vehicle)
Location: Coyote Hills Regional Park, 8000 Patterson Ranch Road,
Fremont, CA 94555
Meet at the front entrance of the Visitor Center on both days.
Registration Required: Call 1-888-327-2757, option 2
Contact Naturalist Dino Labiste for information: (510) 544-3215
OHLONE VILLAGE SITE TOUR
Experience the Ohlone cultures as we tour a diorama of village life at the Visitor Center. Stroll 1/2 mile through vibrant marsh habitat to a 2,200-year-old Ohlone village site in the park. Along the trail, we’ll identify plants that provided food, medicine and tools for the first people of the San Francisco Bay Area. See replicated structures and examine reproductions of artifacts at the village site.
Date: July 5, 2014
Time: 1:00 pm - 3:30 pm
Naturalist: Dino Labiste
Fee: No fee for the program (only $5.00 parking fee/vehicle)
Location: Coyote Hills Regional Park, 8000 Patterson Ranch Road, Fremont, CA 94555
Meet at the front entrance of the Coyote Hills Visitor Center at 1:00 pm.
No registration, drop-in, for information call (510) 544-3215 or (510) 544-3220.
VOLUNTEER DAY: OHLONE VILLAGE SITE
Learn about the Tuibun Ohlone culture, as we help care for an important 2,200-year-old village site. Volunteer to clean, weed and renew the structures and the site. We’ll provide snacks, water, gloves, tools and a presentation about the archaeological village site’s historical and cultural significance.
Dates: July 12, 2014
Time: 1:30 pm - 4:30 pm
Docent/Volunteer Coordinator: Dino Labiste
Min/max Age: 12-yrs-old (parent participation required) / Adult
Fee: No fee
Location: Coyote Hills Regional Park, 8000 Patterson Ranch Road,
Fremont, CA 94555
Meet at the front entrance of the Visitor Center.
Registration Required: Call 1-888-327-2757, option 2
Contact Naturalist Dino Labiste for information: (510) 544-3215
LOOPED STRING BAG FROM PLANT FIBERS
Acquire the skills to twine cordage and learn looping techniques. Also called knotless netting, this is the earliest fabric making technique known, which utilizes plied string. This is a two-day workshop. Participation in making cordage is required to take the class. We'll twist plant fibers into cordage on July 12 and construct your looped string bag on July 19.
Date: July 12. 2014 & July 19, 2014
Time: 10:00 am - 12:00 pm (July 12, create cordage) & 10:00 am - 4:00 pm (July 19, make the looped string bag)
Instructor: Dino Labiste
Location: Coyote Hills Regional Park, 8000 Patterson Ranch Road,
Fremont, CA 94555
Meet at the front entrance of the Visitor Center.
Registration Required: Call 1-888-327-2757, option 2
Contact Naturalist Dino Labiste for information: (510) 544-3215
CALIFORNIA KNAPPERS
Join us for a day of flintknapping. The knapping get-together is open to novice, intermediate and advanced knappers. Anyone who is interested in the skill of making stone tools is more than welcome. Come and work on your lithic project or practice the art of flintknapping and learn practical advice from fellow knappers.
Beginners who want to learn basic knapping techniques can sign up for the new "Knapping Lesson", which is from 10:00 to 3:00. Hands-on knapping practice will be available after lunch. The lesson will be held during the CA Knappers knapping get-together. Access Knapping Lesson for more information.
Date: July 20, 2014
Time: 10:00 am - 3:00 pm
Location: Beard Staging Area, Fremont, CA
Beard Staging Area is along the Alameda Creek Regional Trail in Fremont. Parking is free.
Access the California Knappers webpage for more information and directions: California Knappers
BOW DRILL & HAND DRILL FIRE MAKING
Learn the secrets of fire-by-friction. Indigenous cultures throughout the Americas utilized the hand drill method, as well as the bow drill technique for fire making. Explore the differences between the two unique methods. Learn how fire was created through hands-on activities and try your skill at creating a lighted ember.
Date: July 26, 2014
Time: 1:30 pm - 4:00 pm
Instructor: Dino Labiste
Min/max Age: 16-yrs-old (parent participation required) / Adult
Fee: No fee for the program (only $5.00 parking fee/vehicle)
Location: Coyote Hills Regional Park, 8000 Patterson Ranch Road,
Fremont, CA 94555
Meet at the front entrance of the Visitor Center.
Registration Required: Call 1-888-327-2757, option 2
Contact Naturalist Dino Labiste for information: (510) 544-3215
ANCIENT WAYS AT SUGARLOAF PRESERVE
Atlatl Competition comes to Sugarloaf! Join us for our 6th year of competitive primitive technology contests, featuring over a dozen games, and activities. Try your skill at tossing the Atlatl, “The Atom Bomb of the Stone Age.” Throw the rabbit stick, the American Indian boomerang that doesn’t come back. Make and spin an acorn top. Play stick dice and other games. Make simple crafts from cattails, tules, pine nuts, soap stone and more, using only primitive tools. Exhibitors will have more to share. Make this a family day at Sugarloaf.
Date: August 9, 2014
Time: 10:00 am – 2:00 pm
Organizer: Ranger Bruce Weidman
Fee: No fee for the event (donations gladly accepted)
Location: Sugarloaf Open Space Preserve, 2161 Youngs Valley Rd., Walnut Creek, CA
Contact Park Ranger Bruce Weidman for information: (925) 943-5899 x 2665
No pets permitted
CALIFORNIA KNAPPERS
Join us for a day of flintknapping. The knapping get-together is open to novice, intermediate and advanced knappers. Anyone who is interested in the skill of making stone tools is more than welcome. Come and work on your lithic project or practice the art of flintknapping and learn practical advice from fellow knappers.
Beginners who want to learn basic knapping techniques can sign up for the new "Knapping Lesson", which is from 10:00 to 3:00. Hands-on knapping practice will be available after lunch. The lesson will be held during the CA Knappers flintknapping get-together. Access Knapping Lesson for more information.
Date: August 23, 2014
Time: 10:00 am - 3:00 pm
Location: Beard Staging Area, Fremont, CA
Beard Staging Area is along the Alameda Creek Regional Trail in Fremont. Parking is free.
Access the California Knappers webpage for more information and driving directions to the Beard Staging Area: California Knappers
COYOTE HILLS KNAP-IN
Join us for our 21st annual gathering of flintknappers and observe how stone tools and arrowheads were made, or if you’re 13 or older, give it a try yourself! If you have tools and safety gear (eye protection, leather pads, etc) bring them along, otherwise we usually have plenty to share.
Date: August 30 & 31, 2014
Time: 10:00am - 4:00pm both days
Instructor: Ken Peek & friends
Fee: No fee for the event (only $5.00 parking fee/vehicle)
Location: Coyote Hills Regional Park, 8000 Patterson Ranch Road, Fremont, CA 94555
Camping will be available for knappers wanting to attend both days
Contact Ken Peek for more information at (510) 537-1215
WORKSHOPS WITH CHARLES KENNARD
Cordage Making Materials and Techniques - September 6, 2014
Twined Tule Basket - September 13, 2014
Full Size Tule Boat - October 11, 2014
These are classes for adults and teens; beginning and experienced weavers are welcome.
Access the PDF file Basket workshops 2014.pdf for registration information and details about the workshops.
Contact Charles Kennard at charleskennard@comcast.net for more information.
OHLONE VILLAGE SITE TOUR
Learn about Ohlone cultures as we tour a diorama of village life at the Visitor Center. Walk to a 2,200-year-old Tuibun Ohlone village site in the park, see replicated structures and examine reproductions of artifacts. Along the trail, we’ll identify plants that provided food, medicine and tools for the first people of the San Francisco Bay Area. Learn about Ohlone cultures, past to present.
Date: September 7, 2014
Time: 10:00 am - 12:00 pm & 1:30 pm - 3:30 pm
Naturalist: Dino Labiste
Fee: No fee for the program (only $5.00 parking fee/vehicle)
Location: Coyote Hills Regional Park, 8000 Patterson Ranch Road, Fremont, CA 94555
Meet at the front entrance of the Coyote Hills Visitor Center at 10:00 am or 1:30 pm.
No registration, drop-in, for information call (510) 544-3215 or (510) 544-3220.
RABBITSTICK RENDEZVOUS
The Rabbitstick Rendezvous is a totally unique learning experience of various primitive technology and wilderness skills. This premier event focuses on hands-on classes that will introduce you to many new and varied formats, skills and personalities. Rabbitstick will provide you with an unparalleled chance to learn from both journeyman and master teachers. This gathering of experienced instructors and eager participants is made available to you from Backtracks. The Rabbitstick Rendezvous is one of the largest and oldest of the comtemporary primitive skills gatherings.
Date: September 14 - 20, 2014
Fee: Early registration - $300 (prior to September 1), Late registration - $375
Location: Rexburg, Idaho
For info & registration: Contact Backtracks for information at http://www.backtracks.net/rabbitstick.html or access http://www.backtracks.net/Registration.html for registration.
5th ANNUAL STONE AGE OLYMPICS & KNAP-IN
Join us for a day of primitive technology contests and stone tool making demonstrations. Cast a prehistoric dart thrower called an atlatl, create fire by rubbing two sticks together, throw a rabbit stick, fling a bolas and participate in other age appropriate primeval activities. Watch skilled knappers transform rocks into functional tools. There will be an atlatl International Standard Accuracy Competition (ISAC) scheduled in the morning. The ISAC Competition will end at noon. Stop by, if you want to compete for ISAC scores. Plaques will be awarded for 1st place winners in the Men's Divison, the Women's Division and the Youth's Division.
Date: September 21. 2014
Time: 10:00 am - 4:00 pm
Organizer: Dino Labiste
Fee: No fee for the event (only $5.00 parking fee/vehicle)
Location: Coyote Hills Regional Park, 8000 Patterson Ranch Road, Fremont, CA 94555
Meet at the Dairy Glen campground (8 minutes walk on the Bayview Trail towards the bay from the Old Quarry parking lot).
No registration, drop-in, for information call (510) 544-3215 or (510) 544-3220.
Open to the general public. The event is family-friendly.
SKILLS OF THE PAST: FIRE MAKING
Ever wondered how fire was created before matches or a lighter? Unravel the secrets of fire-by-friction, fire-by-percussion and fire-by-compression. Discover the various fire making techniques around the world to produce a glowing ember. We'll practice our fire making skills through hands-on activities and demonstrations.
Date: September 28, 2014
Time: 9:30 am - 12:30 pm
Instructor: Dino Labiste
Min/max Age: 16-yrs-old (parent participation required) / Adult
Fee: No fee for the program (only $5.00 parking fee/vehicle)
Location: Coyote Hills Regional Park, 8000 Patterson Ranch Road,
Fremont, CA 94555
Meet at the front entrance of the Visitor Center.
Registration Required: Call 1-888-327-2757, option 2
Contact Naturalist Dino Labiste for information: (510) 544-3215
SKILLS OF THE PAST: CORDAGE MAKING
The ability to twist, twine or braid fibers into cordage allowed indigenous cultures to tie their world together. Learn the various techniques of gathering, preparation, extracting and plying of plant materials to create cordage. Practice the efficient method of leg rolling dogbane fibers.
Date: September 28, 2014
Time: 2:00 pm - 4:30 pm
Instructor: Dino Labiste
Min/max Age: 9-yrs-old (parent participation required) / Adult
Fee: No fee for the program (only $5.00 parking fee/vehicle)
Location: Coyote Hills Regional Park, 8000 Patterson Ranch Road,
Fremont, CA 94555
Meet at the front entrance of the Visitor Center.
Registration Required: Call 1-888-327-2757, option 2
Contact Naturalist Dino Labiste for information: (510) 544-3215
SKILLS OF THE PAST: ACORN PROCESSING
Acorns were, and still are, a nutritious food of California Native Americans. Watch and participate in the techniques of acorn processing. Stone tools, as well as modern tools, will be used to shell, pound, leach and cook the acorns into a meal.
Date: October 18, 2014
Time: 10:00 am - 3:00 pm
Instructor: Dino Labiste
Fee: $5.00 ($7.00 for non-residents of Alameda and Contra Costa counties)
Location: Garin/Dry Creek Regional Parks, 1320 Garin Avenue, Hayward, CA 94544
$5.00 parking fee/vehicle
Meet at the Red Barn Visitor Center. We'll promptly leave at 10:00 to walk to the Arroyo Flats campground.
Registration Required: Call 1-888-327-2757, option 2
Contact Naturalist Dino Labiste for information: (510) 544-3215
CALIFORNIA KNAPPERS
Join us for a day of flintknapping. The knapping get-together is open to novice, intermediate and advanced knappers. Anyone who is interested in the skill of making stone tools is more than welcome. Come and work on your lithic project or practice the art of flintknapping and learn practical advice from fellow knappers.
Date: October 26, 2014
Time: 10:00 am - 3:00 pm
Location: Beard Staging Area, Fremont, CA
Beard Staging Area is along the Alameda Creek Regional Trail in Fremont. Parking is free.
Access the California Knappers webpage for more information and driving directions to the Beard Staging Area: California Knappers
GOURD/KNAPPING DAY AT THE PEEK'S
Ever wondered what’s involved in making those beautiful crafted gourds that you’ve seen in the gift shops? Or how arrowheads and stone tools were made? Well, here’s your chance to find out by trying your hand at either or both of these activities! Join us for an informal day of gourd-crafting and flint-knapping, and bring along an item to share at the pot-luck lunch table. Hope you can join us!
Date: November 1, 2014
Time: 10:00am – 4:00pm
Instructors: Ken & Elizabeth Peek & friends
Fee: No fee to attend
Location: 27361 Palomares Rd, Castro Valley, CA 94552
Contact Ken Peek for more information at (510) 537-1215
CALIFORNIA KNAPPERS
Join us for a day of flintknapping. The knapping get-together is open to novice, intermediate and advanced knappers. Anyone who is interested in the skill of making stone tools is more than welcome. Come and work on your lithic project or practice the art of flintknapping and learn practical advice from fellow knappers.
We will have one more knapping get-together on November 16 before we take a short hiatus. The winter season gets a bit too chilly for outdoor knapping . As soon as the weather warms up in March of next year, we'll continue our flintknapping session again. So, if you haven't been joining us lately for our knapping get-togethers, stop by on November 16 as we end the year with our last gathering for 2014. If you plan to attend, send me an e-mail message.
Date: November 16, 2014
Time: 10:00 am - 3:00 pm
Location: Beard Staging Area, Fremont, CA
Beard Staging Area is along the Alameda Creek Regional Trail in Fremont. Parking is free.
Access the California Knappers webpage for more information and driving directions to the Beard Staging Area: California Knappers
