Who's a typical student at Four Seasons Prehistoric Projects?
We strive to cultivate a village atmosphere where people of different skills levels can learn from each other. Therefore, we welcome beginners and experienced people alike. However, considering the living arrangements at the primitive camp (see below), we require that people have experience and be comfortable with primitive camping situations for an extended period of time. Additionally, we require that people be able to work with their hands, as most classes involve some crafting skills. Most of our classes are week-long intensives and students should be in good physical conditions to complete all What accommodations are available at the primitive camp? Being a primitive camp, there are no modern amenities around: no electricity, no running water, no bathroom, no laundry, no shower, no cell phone signal. Students cook on open fires, get drinking water from the nearby creek, bathe in the river, and use pit latrines. Be sure you can be comfortable with these living conditions before you apply to our classes or make other arrangements. Where are the nearest modern accommodations I can use?There is a town about 14 miles from the camp. It has a grocery store, a health-food store, a public library with internet access, a laundry facility with showers, a post office, a food bank, a couple of gas stations, a play theater, and often live music. What's the gear list I should bring to a program?
 You are responsible for your own sleeping gear. Bring a tent, a sleeping bag, a thermarest, a tarp, etc; whatever you need to remain comfortable regardless of the weather (see notes on climate below). What's the climate like?You are also responsible for your own food and cooking ware. Bring enough food/snacks so that you don't need to run to town too often. It may be useful for you to also bring containers/coolers to store your food in. Bring some cookware that can stand being used on open fires/coals (like cast iron), as well as a plate/bowl and utensils. Please bring clothes with muted, earth-tone colors that blend with the natural surrounding. Bright pink may be cute but that's not what we're about! It's even better if they're made of natural materials; the swish-swish of nylon can get very annoying. Finally, please minimize the modern gear you bring. We want to give you an immersion experience into wilderness living skills and it's hard to do if you bring hand-held TVs, Ipods, video games, or such other gizmos. Simple and natural is better!  We live at the edge of a sagebrush shrubsteppe and mountainous pine forest area on the Eastern side of the North Cascades range. The climate is generally dry and sunny, though we can get much snow in the dead of winter (about 4 or 5 feet of snow at camp). In summer it can be very hot during the day (over 100 degrees Fahrenheit) and cool at night (down in the 40s) so make sure you have adequate clothing to deal with the big difference in day and night temperatures. In the winter it can get very cold (it can be -20 sometimes) and you should therefore come with some warm clothes, gloves, and hat if visiting during that time of year. Though relatively infrequent, it does rain sometimes, including big summer storms.  There's always a lot to do! You can finish the projects started in class, experiment some more with the new information you were taught and practice your new skills, start other projects, go out and gather wild foods, hike in the mountains and fish at alpine lakes, be exposed to taking care of horses, enjoy some relaxing time... There are endless possibilities; we're never bored. Are there any work trade opportunities? Unfortunately, we are currently unavailable to offer any work trade options for participants. We understand that money can be an issue for people who live simply and we really strive to keep prices as low as possible so that everyone can participate. Can I bring my pet to classes? Unless we already know your pet and we gave you the ok (this is really rare), the general answer is NO, no pets are allowed. Where are classes taught?Classes are taught on private land so we do not need to apply for expensive permits.  Why the stone age? Our goal is to live truly sustainably. Though many people have different definitions of what this means, their solutions generally still rely on the infrastructure of civilization being intact - using solar energy is sustainable but building solar panels requires fossil fuels. Our definition is to live in such a way that the seventh generation into the future can live just as well, if not better than we do; to live in a respectful and honorable manner toward all life on Earth; and to take full responsibility for our actions, including not oppressing other people to do the things we don't want to do ourselves. In our opinion, the only level of technology that allows us to truthfully live sustainably is the so-called Stone Age, as everything comes directly from the Earth and returns directly to the Earth. Why do our classes cost money?Though we would very much like to already be living without a need for money, the reality is that there is still much for us to learn and figure out. We were all born within civilization and taught to rely on civilization for all things. It is taking time for us to reclaim the skills and knowledge necessary to live successfully in the wild. Moreover, we need a tribe of people to be able to do this in the long-term and we are still seeking like-minded people to join us. Teaching classes is one way to bring these people together. And of course, teaching classes takes time and energy that cannot then be invested in other life-sustaining activities. Therefore, we do still rely on your generous support. |