Recommended for Grades 3-6
Throughout history our ancestors have lived within nature and tended to the lands. Learning about how our ancestors lived reminds us that we can still know, honor, and tend to the land as our home. Connect with trees and other plants that can provide everything we need to stay alive: shelter, food, fire, and tools. Learn survival skills through hand-on ancestral living activities and exciting games while developing virtues such as mindfulness, self-confidence, and a grateful perspective on modern world conveniences.
Choose one of the following hands-on activities:
- Gourd Bowl or Cup: Make a natural drinking vessel out of a gourd
- Archery: Make an arrow out of mulefat and practice shooting with a bow.
- Shelter Building: Use sticks, leaves and other natural materials to build an insulated survival shelter.
- Fiber: Learn how to make cordage (rope) out of yucca leaves.
- Acorns: Harvest, process and cook acorns for food. Harvesting is available in the Fall. Other activities can happen year round.
Field Trip Details
Length of Trip: 3-5 hours (3 hour minimum)
Maximum field trip size: 60 participants (i.e. 2 classes)
Location: Most field trips will meet at Big Oak Canyon, our 39-acre property in Silverado Canyon. We are also available to meet at Orange County based wilderness parks, regional parks, or beaches. If you are interested in Earthroots instructors coming to your school or group gathering, we encourage you to check out our Earthroots Comes to You experiences. Otherwise, we look forward to welcoming you at Big Oak Canyon where you’ll step into a land of mature oak woodlands, a seasonal flowing creek, sagebrush hillsides, an orchard, and gardens. Our property connects to the Cleveland National Forest, with trails extending into steep hillsides with sweeping canyon views.
Field Trip Fees
(7 person, 3-hour minimum | 60 student maximum)
$15 per student per hour, for groups of 7-15
$12 per student per hour, for groups of 16-30
$10 per student per hour, for groups of 31-60
Don’t see your group size listed here?
Indicate how many students you would like to bring for a field trip on the field trip request form. We will do our best to accommodate your group size.
There is no fee for chaperones (teachers and parents) within the recommended ratio*, as long as attending chaperones are fully engaged participants.
*Recommended chaperone to student ratio is no more than 1:5. Additional chaperones will pay a $20 flat-rate fee per additional chaperone above the recommended ratio.