Flint & Steele Fire-Starting

Learn the skills of the pioneers in this flint and steel class. Early colonists, frontiersman (and women) and trappers alike in the early days of the United States relied on this simple method to control fire, create warmth and light, cook food and purify water. The mastery of fire is a foundational and empowering skill for any outdoorsperson. This class will be relaxed and easy. We will spend time around a fire creating our kits and then then use them to make more fires. We will discuss and demo other fire-making techniques for comparison, the importance of the tinder bundle and how you can make what you need from the items you have around your home.

Joshua Lisbon: Outdoorsman in Residency

Joshua Lisbon is an avid outdoorsman, an educator and a graduate of the University of Montana. He is the education director for MPG Ranch, a private conservation organization that stewards over 15,000 acres in the Bitterroot Valley of western Montana. Since 2012, Lisbon has led a winter mountain lion population study on MPG and the surrounding public lands. This project is non-invasive, meaning cats are never collared or handled. The project tracks the resident population and the relatedness of those individuals over time through rigorous field study and DNA sampling. Recently, this research has led to documentary film work with MPG and PBS.

When not tracking cougars, Lisbon is a student and teacher of traditional wilderness skills. This interest grew from a boyhood fascination into a lifelong passion. He now teaches hide tanning, tracking, hunting, fire techniques, clothing making, basketry, plant medicines, cordage and other skills. These traditions are an empowering way to better understand how we all once lived in greater harmony and a direct authentic connection with the natural world.