Herbs for Food and Medicine
Who: Adults & Children 7 and older
Ages 7 and up may enroll with a participating adult
Ages 12 and up may be dropped off without an adult
When: TBD
Discover the fragrant and delicious wonder of growing and using herbs from backyard gardens and wild areas of southern California. Herbs have been used by people for thousands of years for food and medicine. These beautiful, multifunctional plants are easy to grow and can add depth, flavor and healing to a wide array of dishes. Herbal teas keep you warm throughout the cooler winter months, can lift your mood, calm tension, and aid with digestion.
Women and Wild Plants
Who: Ages 16 and up
When: Various dates throughout the year
Take a walk with Earthroots Instructors Macy and learn about the diverse and lush flora of Big Oak Canyon! Big Oak is a 39-acre property located on ancestral Acjachemen and Tongva territory in Silverado Canyon, California.
This land is home to 200+ year old oak trees and diverse native flora, and is the ideal location for anyone who wants to learn about local native, edible, and medicinal plants and their uses.
This women-only class is designed to revive the sisterhood of our ancestors who lived in relationship with plants for thousands of years! Come gather us to learn about local plants while building community and connection.
Family Bird Language Class
Who: Adults & Children 7 and older
When: TBD
Did you know that animals use a pattern of vocalizations and body movements to communicate between species? Earthroots instructors Raz Allen and Shane Brown will help you develop the skill of listening to bird language, tune into your natural surroundings by listening to the birds, and understand the connections between all things in nature.
Learn how you can tune into your natural surroundings by listening to the birds, nature’s constantly updating newsfeed. The skill of listening to bird language is a gateway to understanding the connections between all things in nature, and to seeing the waves of influence we each have in the world.
Loom Beading Workshop
Who: Adults and teens ages 15+
When: TBD
Enjoy the art of loom beadwork in this day-long workshop. Spend the day at Big Oak Canyon working with seed beads on a beautifully crafted, hand-made loom. Loom beadwork can be used to create bracelets, hat bands, or patches to adorn a hat or bag. We will be working with intricate designs and beads to craft a piece of beadwork of your creation!
Lylah’s knowledge of beadwork was passed to her from her mother who learned while living on the Navajo reservation in Northern Arizona. The detail and time it takes to make this work is a true act of patience. The designs traditionally tell a story, integrating the lives of people in the work.
Making Cordage with Plant Fibers
Who: We created this class for adults and teens. Children under the age of 14 must be enrolled with an adult.
When: TBD
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.
Basket Weaving Workshop
Who: We created this class for adults. Children with knife safety & carving experience ages 14 and up may enroll independently and be dropped off without a parent.
When: TBD
Containers made of plants have been used by our ancestors around the world for thousands of years. Learn to weave a ribbed egg basket out of locally harvested willow, english ivy, morning glory and tule. Identifying plants for weaving opens a new world to connecting with and using plants as tools.
Depending on the size of your basket, some participants may finish within the time frame of the class, while others may need to complete theirs at home.
Fire by Friction
Who: This class is created for adults. Children with knife safety & carving experience ages 14 and up may enroll independently.
When: TBD
The ancient skill of fire making has been practiced for tens of thousands of years, and unites us all as human beings.
Energy from the sun is stored in the plants around us. We release this stored energy through fire to warm us, cook our food and give us light. Using friction, you can create enough heat to bring that fire to life.
When we learn these skills we are recreating the experiences of our ancestors. Come learn how to identify local native plants used for creating fire by friction kits, make your own spindle and fireboard, and practice making friction fire with a bow drill and hand drill.