p.i.n.e. news
the FRESH edition

Hello and Happy spring! As we move past the vernal equinox (first day of spring) there is certainly a freshness in the air. We are witnessing all sorts of changes and rebirth in nature. In many traditions this is the time of the new year, and opportunity to shed some of our old layers, our winter clothes, and open up the windows to let in that fresh spring breeze! As you move through the world these next few weeks, see if you can notice the first stirrings of the spring time; swelling buds, new bird songs, returning birds, chipmunks. What else is changing within and without?

Please read on to see what's fresh this season with p.i.n.e. If you do.. here's what you'll find:

Spring skills-workshop list
~ Want a new hobbie? Learn to make tools and crafts with materials that come straight from the earth
~ New Mark Morey workshop series- Coming this April
3 workshops on various mentoring/ parenting and rites of passage topics
~ Sit-aThon! What is a sit-a-thon? and why being involved can support nature connection!
~ Plant apprenticeship For the plant enthusiast ready to take the next step
~ Village Fire and Tracking Club
This Sunday!

Go here to see this beautiful, exciting newsletter from my colleaguesa at the p.i.n.e. project!
http://us6.campaign-archive2.com/?u=081c7528c7dab8973a834d82d&id=15b0f9c...

Fresh Spring Workshops

Natural Glues and Adhesives, April 12th
This workshop will focus on all things sticky; you will learn how to find, harvest process and store pitch, how to render down birch tar, how to make and use hide glue, and more! For more info: see our site.

Primitive Cooking, April 13th
Where did people get the idea that primitive cooking is all about bug soup and grasshopper-kabobs? Come join us for a proper primitive feast, and discover how delicious and easy it can be to cook over (and on) an open fire! See here for more details.

Natural Soap Making, April 14th
In this workshop you will learn how to make your own lye using wood ash in both the traditional and modern styles, how to bring it to the proper concentration for making soap, how to properly render fat, and how to put all your ingredients together to make a truly homemade product “just like Grandma used to make”! For more info

Felting and Woolen Arts, May 11 and 12, 2013
Join Sue Steffes, Fibre Arts Practitioner, as she explores with you the world of woolen fibre. Learn how to transform wool into pouches, clothing and other functional and artistic pieces, and see how easy and satisfying it can be to work with wool! Both beginner and advanced programs are offered. See our webpage for more details.

Camp Fire Pottery! June 15-16th
Eddie and Julie of Practical Primitive are running another fantastic workshop on Primitive Pottery. Learn how to shape and fire artistic and functional pieces over the fire, and how to harvest and process your own clay from the wild. Leave with stunning pieces made by your own to hands, all with out a kiln. Check our website for more details

Urban Edibles, June 21-23
p.i.n.e invites one of our favourite folks, Alexis Burnett of Earth Tracks Wilderness School, back to the city to guide you on a wild plant adventure. Come learn the edible and some medicinal properties of plants that grow right in your own backyard. This program is a wonderful mixture of content and experience. You will enter the world of plants and begin to learn their patterns, how and where they grow, their uses, their delicious tastes and which ones to steer clear of. For more info click here.

Survival Skills Intensive, July 12-14
This class is the epitome of our “be more, need less” philosophy. It’s focus is to give participants the skills and knowledge to be able to head off into natural spaces and take care of themselves, with little or no modern tools! Come learn how to make fire, filter water, build shelter and much more with out the support of modern technology. This course is instructed by Sticks and Stones' own Skeet Sutherland a practiced and inspiring teacher!

Remembering our Roots: Reconnecting with Nature and Each
Mark Morey returns to Ontario.

Visionary, Mentor, and leader in the nature connection movement.p.i.n.e. is thrilled to announce that Mark Morey, founder of the Vermont Wilderness school and the institute for Natural Learning is returning to Ontario to host a series of 3 workshops and a speaking event in Toronto. Come to one or come to all 4!

Remembering our Roots- Reconnecting with Nature, Speaking Event- April 25th. deep in all of our roots, there are stories of our ancestors living in healthy, regenerative communities—villages where people of all ages were in deep relationship with the land, each other, and themselves. Join Mark Morey for an evening of story telling around building and maintaining healthy communities through reconnecting with nature. (More info)

Mentoring for Resilience, April 26th: What is mentoring? How is it different than teaching? How and where has it been used throughout time, and when did it stop being a part of modern western culture? Learn tools to foster creativity, inspiration, resilience, helpfulness, vibrancy and confidence in people you work with, or spend time with. (More info)

Rites of Passage, April 27th: How can we recognize and honor the transitions in people from one life stage to the next? Learn how life stage transition events promote healthy development in youth, and confident, happy adults. (More info)

Conscious Parenting, April 28th: Using the power of nature to raise calmer, happier, and more resilient children (while being calmer yourself!). (More info)

New Wednesday Fiery Foxes
Spots still available!http://www.pineproject.org/program/fiery-foxes/

We are proud to announce that, starting this spring, p.i.n.e. will be running a Wednesday fiery Foxes program in the West-end. Fiery Foxes is a program for kids aged 7-10 that focuses on nature connection, earth skills, and connecting to others. Kids in this program get a wide range of experiences from harvesting wild edible plants in a safe way to building shelters, carving and woodwork, tending fires, story telling and much more. Kids work with a highly experienced team of leaders at a ration of 4:1. Please check out our web link for more details.

Calling all Plant Lovers!

http://gallery.mailchimp.com/081c7528c7dab8973a834d82d/files/plantsappre...

There are some amazing opportunities coming up for those people walking the plant path. Alexis Burnett of Earth Tracks is offering 2 intensive programs this spring and summer.

The Plant Apprenticeship is a 6 month program exploring the medicinal, utilitarian and botanical realms of plants. For more details check out this document.

Internship: Earth Tracks is hiring their summer interns. Not only do these folks get to take part in all of Earth Tracks tracking and plant programs, they also get some great one on one mentoring from Alexis, get to help out with the Earth Tracks homestead growing plants and raising chickens, and venture into the wild on some beautiful, guided canoe trips! If interested contact Earth tracks directly at: earthtracks@gmail.com or 519 217 4921.

Sit-a-thon
Sit Down for Nature Connection: This fall p.i.n.e. will be hosting a province wide campaign to raise money to provide nature connection experiences to those who need it. On September 15th a 24hr sit-a-thon will take place where participants will pledge to sit quietly and observe nature for any length of time. They will hence be participating in one of the most ancient routines of nature connection called the sit-spot. Contact Carly @ pineproject.org for more details and to participate.