2010 Rendezvous!
The Roots Rendezvous is a several day primitive skills gathering that begins on Friday morning at 10:00 AM on September 24, and goes all day Saturday and ends on Sunday, September 26, at 5 PM. Throughout the course of the weekend participants will be able to choose from a wide variety of workshops. The schedule is posted below, but is always subject to change.
 
Friday:
10 – 12 Welcome!
Open Flint knapping Pit with Brad Salon of Roots School
Games! with Gifford Walsh All Ages
Stalking and Body Movement
Archery course is open
12-1 Lunch time      Archery course is closed
1-3

Tracking Introduction with Brad Salon of Roots School
Ninjutsu with Ben Goodrich
Cattail Mats with Nick Neddo of Roots School Learn how to use a simple, easy to make, three bear loom to weave beautiful and functional cattail mats. This workshop is for all ages.
Archery Course is open
3:30-5:30
Hide Tanning Techniques with Nick Neddo of Roots School Stretching hides thoroughly and efficiently or Working rawhide into a finished creation. *What technique we work on will be weather dependent.
Flowers to flame with Tim Mcfarline Candle making is an easy, fun and useful skill to know and practice. Using beeswax from our hives and plant fibers for the wick, participants will make their own candle to take home. We will start with a short story and talk about bees, the hive and where wax comes from. Followed by wick making using reverse wrapping and the actual candle making using dipping or molding techniques. This workshop is for all ages.
Archery Course is open
5:30-7 Dinner     Archery course is closed
 
Post Dinner Fireside Chat with Harlan Morehouse Rethinking The End; A conversation about time and collapse.  Our time has important issues to discuss, and we want to provide a forum where a number of people can dialogue. Bring something to roast over the coals if you like a bit of food with your talk.
 
Saturday:
8:45-9:30
Cattail Mats with Nick Neddo of Roots School Learn how to use a simple, easy to make, three bear loom to weave beautiful and functional cattail mats. This workshop is for all ages.
10 – 12
An Alternative Land Management, establishing edibles in a 'wild' context, and maintaining fertility through gardening like the forest. With Nicko Rubin of East Hill Tree Farm.
Naturalist Walk; Moving through the Northern Wetlands and Uplands with Dan Farrell An introduction to the ecology and plants of wetland and upland natural communities. We will visit a beaver marsh, a mixed forested swamp, and several upland communities. We will identify plant species and discuss where they like to grow.
Fiber Technology with Sarah of Roots School We will be looking at both protein and cellulose based fibers, processing, twisting, and get you started on a twined bag project.
Camouflage; Primitive and Modern with Brad Salon and Jeff Deforge Take a look at primitive camouflage, and then use those concepts to make your own camouflaged t-shirt. This is for all ages, will be done with modern dyes while looking at different resists by tying.
Bird Awareness with Amy Butler Winter or spring, city or rural countryside, the voice of a bird can be within our reach. Come experience deep listening and keys to better awareness of the natural world and ourselves through the study of bird language.
Archery Course is closed.
12-1 Lunch time     Archery Course is closed.
1-3
Wild Plants as Earth Healers, Food and Medicine with Annie McCleary and George Lisi of Wisdom of the Herbs School, and representing Transition Town Montpelier. Join us as we sample the gifts of food and medicine that the plant people continue to offer as the year draws in. We will tap into the potent energies stored in roots and other late fall plant forms, and tune into microhabitats and winter stalks. We will explore and engage with the foundational power of the Kingdom Plantae that emerges yet more clearly as the dazzling displays of summer withdraw into root, seed, and branch.
Food Preservation; Fermentation with Graham Unangst Rufinacht. All ages are welcome.
Flint knapping Basics with Brad Salon of Roots School
Rabbit Skinning Demonstration with Nick Neddo of Roots School
Flexibility and Joint Mobility with Mujib of North Country Kettlebells

Archery Course is open
3:30-5:30
Ninjutsu with Ben Goodrich
5:30-7 Dinner        Archery Course is closed.
 
Trade Blanket! led by Nick Neddo of Roots School This is a time of simple bargaining, with high spirits, and a great deal of hooting and hollering. If you would like to participate, bring any item of interest that you are willing to lay down on the blanket to then trade for items others place down, that you find of equal value.
 
Sunday:
Morning body movement  Time TBA 
10 – 12
Throwing knives, Spikes, and Hatchets with Brad Salon of Roots School
Fire By Friction with Nick Neddo of Roots School co-instructing with Sarah Shapiro Learn the basics of coaxing fire from wood, or improve your skills with these age old techniques. The workshop will focus on the bow drill and hand drill methods, with a few other variations for the more experienced or curious. All experience levels.
Primitive Pottery with Charlie Paquin This workshop will include a talk about all sorts of aspects of primitive pottery technology with the second half where hand building techniques will be introduced.
Archery course is open
12-1 Lunch time   
Archery Course is closed.
1-3
Mushroom Walk led by Alan LePage Alan has years of experience met by a relationship of long time appreciation to the fungi world.
How to help teach Tracking to Yourself and Others with Brad Salon of Roots School

Health, Stress Reduction, and Massage with Sarah Shapiro
Ninjutsu with Ben Goodrich
Advanced Primitive Pottery with Charlie Paquin This presentation on primitive pottery that has to do with the study of ceramics, ceramics and the archaeological record, and primitive ceramics as a useful industry (cooking and survival skills). During this people can continue to work on their projects started earlier, listen, and participate in the discussion.
Archery Course is closed.
3:30-5:00
Throwing Stick Range with Nick Neddo of Roots School This is a time where you will be utilizing various specific throws with sticks, stones, and boleadoras.
Stalking and Body Movement with Mujib of North Country Kettlebells
Archery course is open Group clean-up and farewell.
 
 
3D Archery Shoot and Projectile Range Bring your traditional bow and arrows and shoot the 20 3D target course located in the woods along the archery trail. To those that shoot, we are all familiar with the backyard target, this is an opportunity to move through the woods and test your skill with turkey, deer, and even a flying grouse. Note that there will be times when the course is open, and when it is closed. Bring your throwing sticks, atl-atls, slings, spears, bolas, and bows for our projectile range. We will also have different weapons available for you to try your hand at. This is for all experience levels. For the Youth! We will be offering several workshops and adventures for children of all ages such as: Awareness Games, Tracking, Throwing sticks, and ancient games of skill.
 
All Ages and experience levels are welcome! Children under 16 must be accompanied by and adult. Please do not leave your children unattended. Children under 12 are Free!