Friends of the Society
of Primitive Technology

Activities Calendar for 2013

COILED STRAW BASKET
We will use a roadside grass, or rush (Juncus), to make a bowl-shaped basket, using a skep (bee-hive)-making technique. In several European traditions, large straw bowls are used as dough-rising baskets, while some deep straw baskets were used as beehives and swarm-catchers. This work-shop demands fairly strenuous hand work. We will demonstrate the use of a dough basket in the morning to make sourdough bread for all.

Date: January 19, 2013
Time: 9:30 am - 3:30 pm
Instructor: Charles Kennard
Fee: $75 ($65 - Laguna Foundation members)
Age: 18-years-old and up
Location: Heron Hall, Laguna Environmental Center, 900 Sanford Road, Santa Rosa, CA
Registration Required: Visit www.lagunafoundation.org

Date: January 20, 2013
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

CALIFORNIA KNAPPERS
The knapping get-together is open to flintknappers who like to flake stones, learn from each other, trade for materials and meet fellow lithic knappers. All levels and expertise are welcome --- from novice, intermediate and advanced knappers. There is no fee to attend. California Knappers serve as a source of information and as a means of communication among flintknappers, providing inspiration and friendship. Come and work on your lithic project or practice the art of making Stone Age tools.

Date: February 2, 2013
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

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 10 - 16, 2013
Fee: Early registration - $275 (prior to February 1), Late registration - $350
Location: Maricopa, Arizona
For info & registration: Contact Backtracks for information at http://www.backtracks.net/ContactBacktracks.asp or access http://www.backtracks.net/Registration.html for registration.

PAIUTE-STYLE WATER BOTTLE
Participants will practice splitting and trimming willow, then begin a close-twined willow bottle. These bottles were coated with pine pitch inside and out to make them watertight, or used uncoated as seed bottles.

Date: February 23, 2013
Time: 9:30 am - 4:00 pm
Instructor: Charles Kennard
Fee: $70.00
Min/max Age: Teen / Adult
Location: San Anselmo, CA
To register, contact charleskennard@comcast.net or call (415) 457-1147

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 3, 2013
Time: 10:00 am - 12:00 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.

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 3, 2013
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

ANCIENT WAYS CRAFTING: WALNUT DICE AND COUNTING STICKS
Walnut dice were used for games since times gone by, and walnut dice games are still played today. The shells are filled with natural material and adorned with abalone shell pieces or other items. Game scores are tallied using specially decorated sticks. Spend a morning learning how to make a set of dice and counting sticks. Great class for educators or anyone fascinated with primitive culture. Crafting skills required. Materials provided.

Date: March 9, 2013
Time: 10:00 am – 1:00 pm
Organizer: Ranger Bruce Weidman
Fee: $10.00
Location: Howe Homestead Park, 2950 Walnut Blvd., Walnut Creek, CA
Contact Park Ranger Bruce Weidman for information: (925) 943-5899 x 2665

SKILLS OF THE PAST: ATLATL
Join us for a day of Stone Age activity. Dart throwers or atlatls were utilized by hunter/gatherer societies. The atlatl, with it’s stone-tipped dart, pre-dated the bow and arrow. See various atlatl designs and learn about this prehistoric tool. Watch a flintknapping demonstration and try your skill at hitting a target with an atlatl.

Date: March 10, 2013
Time: 2:00 pm - 4:30 pm
Instructor: 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: Coyote Hills Regional Park, 8000 Patterson Ranch Road, Fremont, CA 94555
Meet at the Dairy Glen campsite (8 minutes walk towards the bay from the Old Quarry parking lot).
No registration, drop-in, for information call (510) 544-3215 or (510) 544-3220.

ON-GOING PROJECTS
This day is an opportunity for students to bring along weaving projects with which you want my help. Alternatively you may start a new basket using a technique you have some experience with. Please let me know in advance what your plans are, so I can provide materials for you.

Date: March 16 , 2013
Time: 9:30 am - 4:00 pm
Instructor: Charles Kennard
Fee: $70.00
Min/max Age: Teen / Adult
Location: San Anselmo, CA
To register, contact charleskennard@comcast.net or call (415) 457-1147

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.
Here are examples of different fire making methods:
1. Flint and Marcasite
2. Fire Plow
3. Fire Thong
4. Bamboo Saw
5. Fire Piston
6. Strap Drill
7. Bamboo Strike-A-Light
8. Hand Drill

Date: March 17, 2013
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 17, 2013
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

ATLATL - PRACTICE TOSS & ISAC CONTEST
Try your skill at tossing the Atlatl, “The Atom Bomb of the Stone Age.” The atlatl has been in use for over 20,000 years.You can also enter an internationally accredited contest (ISAC). Contest winners will get their name in the World Atlatl magazine.

Date: March 23, 2013
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

EDIBLE AND USEFUL PLANTS HIKE
The Ohlone Peoples and European settlers gathered wild plants for food, medicine and tools. Identify edible plants on a sprintime hike. Gather Miner’s lettuce for a tasty salad, process Manzanita cider, munch on acorn cookies, snack on dried Huckleberries and sample other savory wild foods.

Date: March 24, 2013
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: 12-yrs-old (parent participation required) / Adult
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

CALIFORNIA KNAPPERS
If you are interested in flaking obsidian, flint, chert or any glass-like stone, come and join other flintknappers in a knapping get-together at Karl Nordvik Park in Fremont. Work on your lithic project while meeting fellow flintknappers. Join us at the monthly California Knappers get-together. Everyone is welcome . . . . from novice, to advanced knappers, to the curious. There is no fee to attend. It's open to the public.

Date: March 30, 2013
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. An e-mail response is requested, if you plan to attend the knapping get-together. Contact kahikoarts@yahoo.com

GARIN & SETTLER HISTORY HIKE
Meander along the wooded riparian corridor of Dry Creek on a leisurely 3 mile loop hike. Learn about the history of the Meyer's Ranch and the Garin family. Visit the Garin Barn Visitor Center and look at the equipment and tools of pioneer farm and ranching life. We'll hike back to the Dry Creek Garden and the parking lot.

Date: March 31, 2013
Time: 10:00 am - 2:00 pm
Naturalist: Dino Labiste
Fee: No fee for the program
Min/max Age: 9-yrs-old (parent participation required) / Adult
Location: Garin/Dry Creek Pioneer Regional Parks
Meet at the East Bay Regional Park District parking lot at the end of May Road in Union City.
Registration Required: Call 1-888-327-2757, option 2
Contact 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. 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 6, 2013
Time: 10:00 am - 12:00 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.

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: April 6, 2013
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

SEAWEED OR VEGETABLE-GATHERING BASKET
Using Pomo techniques, we will create open-weave twined baskets with whole willow shoots, suitable for gathering seaweed or vegetables, or for holding fruit. Wood-gathering burden baskets, and fish and woodpecker traps were made using the same techniques.

Date: April 6 , 2013
Time: 9:00 am - 4:00 pm
Instructor: Charles Kennard
Min/max Age: Teen / Adult
Location: Point Reyes National Seashore, California
Expect to walk 10 minutes on a hiking trail from the Bear Valley Visitor Center to Kule Loklo (course location).
Registration Required: Visit www.ptreyes.org/fieldseminars

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 13, 2013
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 13. 2013
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

Date: April 13, 2013
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

OVERVIEW OF BASKETRY PLANTS AND TECHNIQUES OF CENTRAL CALIFORNIA INDIANS
A wide range of woody shoots and roots, and perennial plants, are used in basketry and cordage, gathered and processed in time-honored ways. With sample plants at hand, Charlie will introduce them and discuss a variety of weaving techniques using a collection of his own baskets as ex-amples. We may also have the opportunity to practice splitting willow shoots.

Date: April 20, 2013
Time: 10:0 am - 12:00 pm
Instructor: Charles Kennard
Min/max Age: Teen / Adult
Location: Golden Gate Park, CA
Registration Required: Visit www.sfbotanicalgarden.org

4th ANNUAL NORTHERN CALIFORNIA 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 28 – May 4, 2013
Fee: Access the Register webpage for fee information.
Location: Held at Ya-Ka-Ama, a non-profit of confederated Tribal land. Ya-Ka-Ama is located at 7465 Steve Olson Lane, Forestville, CA
Contact califorigin@gmail.com or visit http://buckeyegathering.net for more information.

BETWEEN THE RIVERS GATHERING
The gathering is an opportunity to camp for 5 days with friends in a beautiful setting in a valley nestled in the rolling mountains near Chewelah, Washington and learn the skills that our ancestors have used for centuries to meet their needs. There will be quality instruction by persons knowledgeable in their fields. The main purpose for a Primitive Gathering is to learn from those who know, share what you know, and gain friends.
Date: May 15 – 19, 2013
Fee: Access the Register webpage for fee information.
Location: 3502 Solokar Road, Valley, WA 99181
Contact Patrick Farneman at patrickf@bridgestothepast.org or visit http://www.betweentheriversgathering.com/ for more information.

TULE BASKET
Each participant will make a lightweight basket suitable for gathering berries or holding small fruits, using several different weaves. It may be finished with a cordage handle. Tule baskets were very commonly made in many parts of California, Oregon and Nevada, with varying “starts”, weaves and rim finishes.

Date: May 11, 2013
Time: 9:30 am - 3:30 pm
Instructor: Charles Kennard
Min/max Age: Teen / Adult
Location: Golden Gate Park, CA
Registration Required: Visit www.sfbotanicalgarden.org

ATLATL - PRACTICE TOSS & ISAC CONTEST
Try your skill at tossing the Atlatl, “The Atom Bomb of the Stone Age.” The atlatl has been in use for over 20,000 years. You can also enter an internationally accredited contest (ISAC). Contest winners will get their name in the World Atlatl magazine.

Date: May 18, 2013
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

Date: May 19, 2013
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. An e-mail response is requested, if you plan to attend the knapping get-together. Contact kahikoarts@yahoo.com

BARE BONES PRIMITIVE SKILLS WEEKEND
Join Joe Dabill and Chris Galloway in a packed weekend of training in the skills that ALL our ancestors used! Paritcipants will learn to make the tools and practice the skills that kept our forefathers warm and fed. You will learn flintknapping, various methods of fire making, native plants in cordage, survival trapping methods, and much more.
Date: May 31- June 2, 2013
Fee: $250 for 2 nights / 3 days - includes food, lodging, and all materials.
Location: Camp Ocean Pines, 1473 Randall Drive, Cambria, CA 93428
Register on-line at www.campoceanpines.org or call (805) 927-0254.

OHLONE VILLAGE SITE TOUR
Learn about Ohlone cultures as we tour a diorama of village life at the Visitor Center. Stroll 1/2 mile through a vibrant marsh habitat to a 2,200-year-old Tuibun 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 a reconstructed shade structure, pit house and a sweat house at the village site. We'll also examine reproductions of artifacts.

Date: June 2, 2013
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.
No registration, drop-in, for information call (510) 544-3215 or (510) 544-3220.

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 16, 2013
Time: 10:00 am - 12:00 pm
Naturalist: Dino Labiste
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 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 16, 2013
Time: 1:30 pm - 3:30 pm
Naturalist: Dino Labiste
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 barn.
No registration, drop-in, for information call (510) 544-3215 or (510) 544-3220.

BERRY PICKING BASKET
Tule was used by California Natives for various utilitarian items, like mats, boats, houses, was 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 23 and make the basket on June 30.

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Dates: June 23, 2013 & June 30, 2013
Time: 10:00 am - 12:00 pm (June 23, gathering tule) & 10:00 am - 3:30 pm (June 30, making the tule basket)
Instructor: Dino Labiste
Min/max Age: 18-yrs-old and older
Fee: $15.00 ($17.00 for non-residents of Contra Costa and Alameda counties) + $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

Dates: June 23, 2013
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

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: July 6, 2013
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 10:00 am.
No registration, drop-in, for information call (510) 544-3215 or (510) 544-3220.

SKILLS OF THE PAST: TULE MAT
Acquire the skill to twine a marsh plant called Tule with cordage. Create a comfortable bulrush mat to sit on.
Learn about the cultural significance of this multipurpose plant material. It is and was used by many Native American groups both as a food resource and for manufacturing items of material culture. Baskets, boats, duck decoys, hats, clothing, shoes and thatching for homes are among the Tule items made by the California Native Peoples.
July 13 (10 - 12 pm): Gather Tule for your mat (participation is required).
July 20 (10 - 4:00 pm): Construct your Tule mat.

Dates: July 13, 2013 & July 20, 2013
Time: 10:00 am – 12:00 pm (July 13) & 10:00 am - 4:00 pm (July 20)
Instructor: Dino Labiste
Fee: $10.00 ($12.00 for non-residents of Contra Costa and Alameda counties) + $5.00 parking fee/vehicle
The $10.00 fee is for both days.
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

Dates: July 13, 2013
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

CALIFORNIA KNAPPERS
Join us for a day of flintknapping. The California Knappers, which began in 2010, is a knapping get-together of flintknappers who like to flake stones, learn from each other, trade for materials and meet fellow lithic knappers. The get-together is open to flintknappers of all levels and expertise --- from novice, intermediate and advanced knappers. Anyone who is interested in the skill of making stone tools is more than welcome. California Knappers serve as a source of information and as a means of communication among flintknappers, providing inspiration and friendship. Come and work on your lithic project or practice the art of flintknapping and learn tips from fellow knappers.

Date: July 21, 2013
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.
Send an e-mail to kahikoarts@yahoo.com, if you plan to attend. Access the California Knappers webpage for more information: California Knappers

ECHOES IN TIME
Join us for our 14th gathering of early living skills workshops! Classes include early living skills and primitive crafts from the Stone Age through the pioneer era. the workshops are meant to appeal to people with primitive and hsitorical interests ----Mountain Men, outdoorsmen, families, Boy Scouts, and homeschoolers. However, anyone interested in learning these endangered skills is invited to register. No previous knowledge or experience is required.
Date: July 22 - 26, 2013
Location: Champoeg State Park, 239 Champoeg Road NE, St Paul, OR
For more information and fee, access www.echoes-in-time.com. Also contact Dale Coleman at echoesintime@gmail.com or call (503) 873-4055

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 practices. Learn how fire was created through hands-on activities and try your skill at creating a lighted ember.

Date: July 27, 2013
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

ELEMENTS GATHERING
Spend a week in a beautiful live oak forest learning the sustainable living skills from ancient cultures around the world such as pottery, basketry, fire making, edible and medicinal plants, hunting, tracking, shelter, and primitive tools, as well as drumming, dance, yoga and healing arts all taught by top instructors from around the country. Learn amazing skills by day and by night enjoy live music, dance, and festivities all while living in community during this truly unique and transformative event called the Elements Gathering.
Date: July 27 - August 1, 2013
Location: Santa Barbara, CA
Contact info@elementsgathering.com or access http://www.elementsgatheringfest.com/ for more information.

ANCIENT WAYS AT SUGARLOAF PRESERVE
Atlatl Competition comes to Sugarloaf! Join us for our fifth 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 adobe bricks and 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 10, 2013
Time: 10:00 am – 2:00 pm
Fee: No fee
Location: Sugarloaf Open Space Preserve, 2161 Youngs Valley Rd., Walnut Creek, CA
Contact Park Ranger Bruce Weidman for information: (925) 943-5899 x 2665

BASKET WEAVING WORKSHOPS WITH CHARLES KENNARD
Coiled Willow Trinket Basket - August 24, 2013
Coiled Straw or Rush Basket - September 7, 2013
Curd Cheese Basket - September 21, 2013
Tule Berry Gathering Basket - October 5, 2013
Peeled Willow Twined Basket - October 20, 2013
These are classes for adults and teens; beginning and experienced weavers are welcome.

Access the PDF file Basket Workshops_Kennard.pdf for registration information and details about the workshops.
Contact Charles Kennard at charleskennard@comcast.net for more information.

20th ANNUAL COYOTE HILLS KNAP-IN
Come and join us for this informal gathering of folks who like to make stone tools: arrow-heads, spear points, etc. Experienced knappers and beginners are both welcome. If you have tools and stone of your own bring them along, otherwise we’ll have extra to share. This is traditionally an adult activity, but young adults (12-yrs-old and older) are welcome. Younger kids need to be accompanied by an adult and may try their hand, if supervised. This is our 20th year, so come and help us make it a special event!

Date: August 24 & 25, 2013
Time: 10:00 am – 4:00 pm (both days)
Organizer: Ken Peek
Min/max Age: 12-yrs-old (parent participation required) / Adult
Fee: No fee for the event (only $5.00 parking fee/vehicle)
Location: Coyote Hills Regional Park, 8000 Patterson Ranch Road, Fremont, CA 94555
Contact Ken Peek for more information: (510) 537-1215

Date: August 31, 2013
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

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 15 - 21, 2013
Fee: Early registration - $275 (prior to September 1), Late registration - $350
Location: Rexburg, Idaho
For info & registration: Contact Backtracks for information at http://www.backtracks.net/ContactBacktracks.asp or access http://www.backtracks.net/Registration.html for registration.

4th 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 22, 2013
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.

Date: September 22, 2013
Time: 10:00 am - 4:00 pm
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). There is a $5.00 parking fee.
Access the California Knappers webpage for more information: California Knappers

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 tecniques required to produce a glowing ember as we practice our fire making skills through hands-on activities.

Date: September 28, 2013
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: ATLATL
Dart throwers or atlatls were utilized by hunter/gatherer societies during the Ice Age. Watch a demonstration on making a dart point from obsidian. Try your skill at hitting a target using an atlatl, a prehistoric hunting tool from the past.

Date: September 28, 2013
Time: 2:00 pm - 4:30 pm
Instructor: 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: Coyote Hills Regional Park, 8000 Patterson Ranch Road, Fremont, CA 94555
We'll meet at the front entrance of the Visitor Center promptly at 2:00. Then, we'll walk to the Hoot Hollow picnic area for the hands-on activity.
No registration, drop-in, for information call (510) 544-3215 or (510) 544-3220

SASKATOON CIRCLE
A Primitive and Life Skills Gathering held in the North Cascades Wildlands. Encouraging re-connecting and re-wilding through ancient living skills and craft that link us all to our ancestors. Recognizing the need to preserve and continue these old ways as we delve deeper into a technologically based society. Promoting self-sufficiency, community building, and deep connection to the land and all beings.
Date: September 28 - October 4, 2013
For more information and fee, access the Saskatoon Circle webiste.

Date: October 12, 2013
Time: 10:00 am - 12:30 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: KNOTLESS NETTED BAG
Acquire the skill to create a container using the ancient technique of looping cordage. Knotless netting has been used to make bags, baskets, nets, garmets and other items for over 40,000 years. You'll also learn about plant fibers and learn to make a piece of cordage.

Date: October 12, 2013
Time: 1:30 pm - 4:30 pm
Instructor: Dino Labiste
Fee: $6.00 ($8.00 for non-residents of Contra Costa and Alameda counties) + $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: FLINTKNAPPING
Unearth the art of turning an obsidian flake into a functional paleolithic cutting tool. Learn about prehistoric equipment, such as hammer stones, and us modern materials, like a copper pressure flaker. Practice beginning skills to create a Stone Age microblade or shape an arrowhead.

Date: October 19, 2013
Time: 10:00 am - 3:00 pm
Instructor: 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 Visitor Center.
Registration Required: Call 1-888-327-2757, option 2
Contact Naturalist Dino Labiste for information: (510) 544-3215

Dates: October 26, 2013
Time: 1:00 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

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.
This will be the last knapping get-together for the year 2013. The weather will get too cold to do any outdoor flintknapping in the coming months. We'll take a brief hiatus during the winter season and resume our knapping get-together in March of 2014.

Date: October 27, 2013
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

GOURD CRAFTING / FLINTKNAPPING DAY
Come join us for an informal day of working with gourds and/or trying a bit of flintknapping! Bring along your own materials and tools, if you have them. Otherwise, we have some you can use.

Date: November 2, 2013
Time: 10:00 am - 4:00 pm
Organizers: Ken and Betsy Peek
Min/max Age: Gourd Crafting - no minimum age for kids, if parents accompany; Flintknapping - 13-years-old/Adult
Location: 27361 Palomares Road, Castro Valley, CA 94552
Contact Ken Peek for more information: (510) 537-1215

Date: November 30, 2013
Time: 10:00 am -12:00 pm & 1:30 pm - 4:00 pm
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

MINI-TULE BASKET ORNAMENT
Learn about the marsh plant called tule. We'll create a small tule basket ornament that can be given as a gift or hung on your Christmas tree. Come and join us as we discover the many uses of this versatile plant.

Date: December 22, 2013
Time: 12:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Instructor: Dino Labiste
Min/max Age: 14-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 Coyote Hills Visitor Center.
Registration Required: Call 1-888-327-2757, option 2

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: December 28, 2013
Time: 10:00 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

Date: December 29, 2013
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 10:00 am.
No registration, drop-in, for information call (510) 544-3215 or (510) 544-3220

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