Crow’s Nest Wildcraft

Current offerings

Online Hide Tanning Consultation

To help support my community during social distancing of COVID-19, I am offering virtual hide tanning consultation at a pay-what-you-can basis.  Simply choose your price at checkout. 

A Virtual Hide Tanning Consultations is a 1:1 conversation on everything you are wondering about hide tanning. Whether you’re jumping into a new skill on your own or need help troubleshooting a pesky problem, the floor is yours to ask questions and delve deep into the craft with me.

Sessions are 75 minutes long via a phone call or Zoom video.  Sit back, sip some tea, and let’s talk hide tanning.

Each session comes with a package of class notes on the four fundamentals of natural tanning (barktanning, smoketanning, fur-on, and mineral tanning) as well as an invitation to a Crowsnest Wildcraft alumni Facebook group, for continued community support.

Read more
Framing a hide for smoketanning

Video download: Hide Tanning as Medicine

This video download is an introduction to hide tanning, with an overview of history, natural methodologies, and cultural relevance of this ancient craft.  Mara covers the deep time roots of tanning’s ancient origins and weaves a  narrative of co-evolution by people, plant, and animal through the ages.
Smoke-tanning (brain-tanning), mineral tanning, and bark tanning are all covered, with examples of hand-tanned products for all.  Downloading this course comes with free class notes to each method for re-creation of DIY home tanning projects.
Cost:
The sliding scale cost is $0-$60. Indigenous people are welcome to download for free.  At checkout, you will “name your price” and then you’re good to go.
 
See below for notes on interpreting a sliding scale for your own needs.
Read more
Hide Tanning, Private Workshop

Private Hide Tanning Workshop

$250.00

This option is for individuals and groups wishing to learn or practice hide tanning on your own, with some help from me.

A private hide tanning workshop is wonderful for farmers, hunters, fur trappers, and all those curious about learning more who want to learn in a small, intentional setting.  I often travel to Gulf Islands and to backwoods communities to offer these private hide tanning workshops.  Learning on your own or with your friends and community is a deep way to connect with the craft of hide tanning and to set aside time for yourself.

For those wishing to deepen their skill of tanning, this option is a perfect opportunity to blend several hide tanning methods into one window of time, and experiment with your own process of learning.

In a private workshop, I can travel to you or you can travel to my studio in Aldergrove, BC.  You may provide your hunted or harvested skins that we work on together, with instruction and tools brought by me; or I can provide the skins from my ethically-harvested sources.

Pricing as follows:

$250 daily teaching rate

+ materials (hides, etc. when applicable)

+ travel costs (fuel and ferries)

+ accommodations for me, if needed (provided or compensated by you)

 

To register: a down payment of $250 is made here.

Add to cart

List of available workshops

Introductory Plant Walk Workshop

Introductory Plant Walk

A half-day walkabout becoming acquainted with local plants, both those who evolved on this continent and recent transplants. We will…

Read more
Holistic First Aid Workshop

Holistic First Aid

An introduction to basic first aid care and emergency preparedness.  Incorporated are elements of Wilderness First Aid, Occupational First Aid,…

Read more
Herbal Medicine Making Workshop

Herbal Medicine Making

The medicine of plants is contained within their phytoconstituents, and these can be extracted with various menstrua (natural solvents) to…

Read more
Smoke-tanned Buckskin Workshop

Smoke-tanned Buckskin

This 3-day workshop (with 2-day weekend option) is on the classical method of smoke-tanning. Smoke-tanning is the most widespread of…

Read more
Rawhide Making Workshop

Rawhide Making

Rawhide is more than it seems. This stiff, preserved hide has been through some stages of the tanning process but…

Read more
wool, sheepskin, hide tanning

Fleece Craft

An exploration of textile creation, centred on sheep. One track a fibre class; one track a hide-tanning class; plus some…

Read more