Making cordage from plant fibers is an inextricable part of many diverse tools and ancestral skills. You can find cordage as the string on hunting bows and bow drills for making fire, the lashing to bind poles together for shelter, the netting used to catch fish or make bags, the string on a trap, fine jewelry string, rope for building bridges, binding rafts and more.
Making cordage is a foundational skill for ancestral living, as well as for connection. Harvesting, processing and wrapping plant fibers connects us to the plants, to our breath, to our ancestors, and to the rhythms of the living world.
This workshop will include a ¼ to ½ mile slow paced walk on the land to discuss ethical wild harvesting practices and to gather yucca leaves. We will then use the harvested yucca along with dried evening primrose stalks to practice two techniques for processing plants for fiber and wrapping them into cordage.
The walk can be made accessible by vehicle and is open to all abilities.
Class Overview
WHO: We created this class for adults and teens. Children under the age of 14 must be enrolled with an adult.
WHERE: Big Oak Canyon
WHEN: Sunday, June 25th, 10 AM to 1 PM
Participants need to bring:
- Comfortable outdoor clothing and shoes
- Drinking water*
- Lunch and/or snacks*
- Optional: knife (if you do not have one, we have a few to borrow, and if you want to purchase one on site, we will be bringing Morakniv knives for sale)
*We encourage you to bring water and food in reusable containers.
Earthroots will provide:
- Tools and materials to make cordage
Pricing
Suggested donations per person ($25, $35, $45)
Note: The actual fee to cover expenses for this program is $35 per person. If your heart is calling you to support this gathering by contributing a larger amount, your generosity would allow Earthroots to cover the expenses while creating space for people to participate who may otherwise not be able to attend. Thank you!
Scholarships Available
Earthroots is committed to creating nature connection opportunities for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) participants and families in need.
About the Instructor
Jodi Levine
Founder | Executive Director
Jodi is passionate about sharing the earth’s gifts with children, knowing that they will inherit it all. Her hope is that we will protect these gifts along with the knowledge to make them worthwhile for generations to come. Jodi has been living and teaching experientially-based environmental education professionally since 1999. Her teaching style incorporates outdoor, hands-on activities that awaken a sense of connection and stewardship between children and the natural world. Jodi enjoys spending time in nature with her young children.