The Course
Are you interested how traditional skills can shape a better future?
Have you ever wanted to pick up a road kill but didn't know if it was safe or legal?
Join us at our off-grid heritage craft centre, in the heart of the Forest of Dean to learn the traditional skill of processing whole deer including hide tanning.
Using an entire intact deer you will connect with, honour and give thanks for the animals life before we go through various skinning techniques and discuss use of the skins and organic tanning methods, then looking at the anatomy and the organs to fully utilise for not just cooking and eating but also for tool making and other ancestral implements..
We will then move onto butchery and different ethos of cooking and eating and ways of preserving and you will even be able to take some delights away with you.
There will also be a number of small mammals such as squirrels or rabbits for you to practice these skills.
Leading this day is our skilled and experienced tanner and company Co-Director Scott Baine. Scott has travelled the world extensively learning and developing his skills and knowledge in ancestral wisdom.
About Scott
Scott has travelled across the world to learn earth and survival skills. He has learnt in the wilds of Scotland, Canada, USA, Sweden and Norway. Being in contact with First Nations and Sami brought him a realisation spiritual and physically. He joined a collective and formed a tribe living in the wilderness in Scandinavia from here they organised DIY wilderness gatherings to create a environment for learning to happen. His main focus on traditional tanning at a renowned handicraft folk school in Sweden taught him to be resourceful with animal skins and set up a ethical organic Tannery to teach people how to make use of waste from road kill, hunting and the food system
The Venue
This course is set at our off-grid woodland craft centre, Kensley Sheds, right in the heart of the beautiful Forest of Dean, situated on the famous Sculpture Trail, close to the Stained Glass Window and Wildlife Trust reserve ‘Woorgreen Lake’
Kensley Sheds is the home of our Social Forestry Project ‘New Leaf’. Here, local adults who are struggling with social issues come learn & practice new skills. We follow regenerative woodland management practices, to extract and process wood from disused Forestry England coppiced woodland. Here the wood is turned it into functional items, firewood and charcoal, giving people access to new careers and a sense of real community.
Kensley sheds has running water, a flushing disabled access toilet, onsite parking and is heated by wood-burner. You will be able to peruse our extensive library of eco / craft / alternative living books throughout the day
Profits
The Rewild Project is a Not for Profit, Community Interest Company, and Social Enterprise. It is our mission to support local craftspeople and promote heritage craft skills. We Rewild People by teaching these skills of self reliance and resilience for an uncertain future.
After the craftspeople are paid, and costs are covered we put any profits back in to the community with our ‘weekday sessions for disadvantaged groups’ a lifeline for many local people who we pick up each day and bring to Kensley Sheds and others sites to build community, skills, and share nutritious hot, locally produced food.
Families & Children
You are welcome to bring well behaved children to any of our workshops, although we cannot guarantee you will have the same experience we will do our best to accomodate you all. Children aged 9-12 will need a half priced ticket (Use code CHILD50) and must be accompanied by a full paying adult at a 1:1 ratio, and children aged 13+ will need a full priced ticket in addition to full paying adult.