SkyEarth Family Outdoor Skills Gathering

We look forward to seeing you at SkyEarth!

How it starts...We encourage attendees to arrive no later than 12pm on Wednesday, October 5, 2022 for camp setup, orientation and opening circle. Check-in will take place at the gate when you arrive. The gate opens at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, the 4th, and 8:00 a.m. on Wednesday, the 5th. Check-in closes at 7:00 p.m. on both days. Morning announcements occur around the fire pit every morning at 8am.  Classes will begin Thursday morning at 9am.

Wednesday afternoon the instructors set up with a blanket or a table to tell you about their classes and answer any questions you might have. This is the Circle of Instructors. Some classes may have size limits so this will be where you sign up for those.  Some classes may have materials fees and the instructors may collect those at this time (see below for additional information). Many classes you will just be able to show up for on the day of the class.  And of course, the weather may change at any point so flexibility is the name of the game when we're outdoors.  ​Class schedules will be posted on kiosks around main camp with dates, times, size limits, materials fees, etc.

​Next will be the opening circle where we welcome you, help you orient to camp and have instructors introduce themselves. This is a great time to get to know the instructors and other campers around our SkyEarth fire pit.

Every morning we will start with Morning Announcements around the fire pit. We will remind you of the classes that are being taught and of any changes to the scheduling or class openings.

 Materials Fees 

You may be asked to pay a materials fee for the materials used in your class. Some instructors may simply ask for a donation to cover their costs. The materials fee should be just that and should not include any expense for teaching the class, however, instructors may charge for the time that it took to collect the materials.

​How much can you expect to pay for materials?

A bow stave could cost over $100. A willow basket might cost between $15 and $50 in materials, depending on the size of the basket. Felt for a hat might cost $35. A hide for tanning, $15-$35. It is impossible to say how much you should bring for materials fees but $150 should be sufficient and you may not spend even a third of that. Materials fees will be posted upfront and on the schedule so you know what to expect in advance.

Bring cash as there will be no ATM's on site. There are ATMs at gas stations and stores in Graham. Instructors don't take credit cards or checks.

Additional Costs

In 2020 we initiated our first SkyEarth Mercantile in which registrants and instructors brought goods they were interested in selling on consignment. Items ranged from $2-5 bars of handmade soap and used outdoor clothing (in excellent condition) to survival knives, handcrafted jewelry, cast iron cookware to $250 tanned deer hides. The kids even participated by putting in pieces of flint they had knapped and their ball caps.

We also have SkyEarth t-shirts for sale prior to the event.  Order them online and pick them up at the gathering!

 What tools should I bring? 

A knife is an essential tool to almost all classes!

A good, sharp knife and sharpener are a must. Instructors and other campers will be on hand for instructions on tool use, care and maintenance. For flintknapping, tools will be available for use and for sale. If you have your own flintknapping kit be sure to bring it. Many types of knives will be available for sale at the gathering.

Some tools will be made available by the instructors; please take care of their tools and follow directions. Please make sure that they have all of their tools back before leaving a class.