JANUARY - MARCH 2009

Backwoods Tracking & Winter Survival Snowshoe Trek [Adult & Teen]
1/25 |9:00 am to 4:30 pm | $80 A full-day animal tracking and winter wilderness skills under the instruction of Jim Bruchac, Ndakinna Director and co-author of Scats & Tracks of The Northeast and the upcoming Jim Bruchac's Guide to Woodland Survival. Traveling by snowshoe, participants will both explore the stories found in animal tracks they find as well as learn such key winter survival skills as natural insulation, shelter building, firemaking, natural navigation and more . Dress for the weather and bring a bag lunch. Snowshoe rental available. Morning spent indoors going over track ID and basic survival. Afternoon, following Lunch spent outdoors. 

Winter Wilderness Adventure & Storytelling Camp ( Ages 6 -8 )FULL
2/16-17 (Two days) | 10:00 am to 4:00 pm | $110 Two full days of both indoor and outdoor activities from shelter making and animal tracking to Native American games, crafts and storytelling. Dress for the outdoors and bring a bag lunch.

Winter Wilderness Adventure Camp ( Ages 9-12 )FULL
2/16-18 (Three Days)| 10:00 am to 4:00 pm | $160 Three days of indoor and outdoor winter activities from snowshoeing to animal tracking, shelter building, animal tracking, Native American games, basic winter survival and more. Dress for outdoor adventure (bring snowshoes if you have them) Bring a bag lunch.

Adirondack Celebration of Life: a concert featuring Dan Berggren and Ed Lowman
2/21 | 7:00 pm | $7 adults, $5 children
Click here for more information...

 Winter Firemaking Workshop [Adult & Teen] FULL
2/22 (Sunday) 10 am to 1 pm | $40 Join Ndakinna Director James Bruchac as he covers the essential skill of winter firemaking. This workshop will include how to gather a variety of natural firemaking materials as well as how to succesfuly make a fire in a wilderness setting utilizing both flame and spark based techniques. A must for anyone who spends time in the outdoors. Dress for the outdoors (snowshoes) bring a good knife.

Primitive Firemaking Workshop: Bow Drill (Adult & Teen) FULL
2/22 | 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm | $40 ($70 for both Firemaking Workshops)
Participants in this workshop will learn to contruct and use their very own fire by friction kit. From wood and string selection to tinder collection and proper bow technique, you will learn the rewarding skills of this ancient fire making method. Bring a good knife and dress for the outdoors.

Wilderness First Aid Course (SOLO Certified) [Adult & Teen]
3/28-29 |8:00 am to 5:00 pm | $160 Led by Clark Hayward, Director of Adirondack Wilderness Medicine, this 16-hour course is designed for the wilderness professional and recommended for anyone who spends a lot of time in the outdoors. Through a combination of lecture and plenty of hands-on activities, including role-playing wilderness accident scenarios, participants will learn how to deal with variety of injuries and potentially life threatening situations in a wilderness setting. Text and handouts included in price of the course. 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Dress for the outdoors and unexpected weather. Bring a bag lunch.

Advanced Wilderness First Aid - 36 Hours (Adult & Teen)

3/28-29 4/4-5 |8:00 am to 5:00 pm |Intended for: Outdoor professionals and recreationalists who want more than WFA but don't need Wilderness First Responder. The SOLO AWFA course from Adirondack Wilderness Medicine is a comprehensive introductory course in backcountry medicine and wilderness medical protocols. This course will prepare you for the most common wilderness injuries and emergencies with an emphasis on prevention. WAFA includes a mix of classroom, hands on skill and improvisational labs and simulations. Course includes Adult CPR certification, full color text and nationally recognized completion card. E-mail for Price

APRIL- JUNE 2009

Native American Games Day (Two groups: Ages 6-8 & 9-12)
4/13| 9:00 am to 4:00 pm | $60
Participants in this program will take part in a variety of Native American games from simple games of chance and skill to games that heighten one's awareness of the natural world. Also included will be an introduction to the non-contact skills needed to take part in such Native American team sports as double-ball and lacrosse. For the younger group, James Bruchac will share Native stories throughout the day.

Spring Animal Tracking with James Bruchac ( Ages 9-12)
4/14 | 9:00 am to 4:00 pm | $60 [Sign up for both days for $90]
Participants join expert tracker Jim Bruchac (co-author of three Scats and Tracks books – covering the Northeast, Southeast, and Mid-Atlantic) for an outdoor adventure to learn how to identify basic mammal tracks (fox, coyote, deer, raccoon, and more) and make plaster casts. Kids will be using the adjacent 80-acre Nature Preserve as well as our extensive animal tracks collection.

Spring Tracks & Scats Workshop [Adult & Teen]
4/26| 9:00 am to 4:00 pm | $75
A full-day of animal tracking under the instruction of Ndakinna Director, James
Bruchac. Participants will learn the art of animal tracking from basic to advanced footprint and scat identification to locating and aging tracks in a variety of terrains. Through hands-on learning activities, participants will test their new skills during a mid-day tracking field trip into the surrounding nature preserve. Prior experience a plus but not required. Bring a bag lunch. Detailed hand-outs and certificate of participation included.

Wilderness Navigation Essentials (Adult & Teen)
5/16 | 10:00 am - 3:00 pm | $50
During this course participants will learn just about every way (besides GPS) you can navigate through the woods. From basic map & compass use to the use of the sun, moon, stars, trees, moss, animals and beyond - this is a class that anyone who spends time in the outdoors shouldn't miss. Could you make it without your GPS? Take this class and you can!

Wilderness First Aid Course (SOLO Certified) [Adult & Teen]
5/30-31 |8:00 am to 5:00 pm | $160 Led by Clark Hayward, Director of Adirondack Wilderness Medicine, this 16-hour course is designed for the wilderness professional and recommended for anyone who spends a lot of time in the outdoors. Through a combination of lecture and plenty of hands-on activities, including role-playing wilderness accident scenarios, participants will learn how to deal with variety of injuries and potentially life threatening situations in a wilderness setting. Text and handouts included in price of the course. 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Dress for the outdoors and unexpected weather. Bring a bag lunch.

The Dawnland Singers - Down to Earth Performance Series [All Ages]

5/30 |7:30 pm | $25/family or $10 adults, $7 students & seniors. The Dawnland Singers with neighbor musicians, John, Trish & Ed will be performing at Ndakinna Education center on Saturday, May 30th at 7:30 PM as part of the Down to Earth Performance series. This concert will be a CD release celebration for their new CD, ‘Honor Songs’ and will be held at the Ndakinna Education Center, 23 Middle Grove Rd. in Greenfield Center, NY.

The Dawnland Singers are a Native performance group founded in 1993 when they were featured at the Abenaki Cultural Heritage Days in Vermont. Their presentations include new and traditional northeastern Native music mixed with Abenaki storytelling. The original four members of The Dawnland Singers are James Bruchac, Jesse Bruchac, Joseph Bruchac and Marge Bruchac. All four Bruchacs are respected and much-traveled as traditional storytellers and have hundreds of publications – ranging from books for adults and children to academic essays – between the four of them.

ROY HURD - Down to Earth Performance Series [All Ages]

6/20 |7:30 pm | $25/family or $10 adults, $7 students & seniors. Held at the Ndakinna Education Center, 23 Middle Grove Rd. in Greenfield Center, NY.

Fathers' Day Family Wilderness Camp [Ages 8 and up] A Wilderness Camp for The whole Family!!!
6/21 (Sun) | 10:00 am - 3:00 pm. $15 per participant
Run using the same format as Ndakinna's popular youth camps family participants will learn such skills as shelter making, animal tracking, Native games, awareness activies, wilderness fire making, storytelling and more. Parents if you ever wanted to see what all the fuss was about and at a fraction of the cost, nows your chance! Pack a lunch and be ready for some fun.

Grizzly and Wolf Tracking Expedition at Yellowstone National Park [Adult & Teen]
TBA 2010 | $1500

JULY - SEPTEMBER 2009

Kid's Wilderness Skills & Storytelling Camp (Ages 6-8)
Session 1: 7/13 – 7/15 (Mon-Wed) - $165 (9:00 am to 4:00 pm)
Session 2: 7/20 – 7/22 (Mon-Wed) - $165 ($300 for any two sessions)
Session 3: 7/27 –7/29 (Mon-Wed) - $165 ($450 for all three sessions)
Three days of outdoor fun including wilderness skills, animal tracking, Native American games and storytelling. Taking place at the Ndakinna Education Center with miles of nature trails, Native American wigwams, and other educational exhibits. In case of bad weather programming will take place inside our Education center with 3,200 square feet of teaching space. Session 2 builds on Session 1 with plenty of new stories and activities.Session 3 builds on two. If possible, first time campers should start with session one. Returning campers can take their pick. 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

Wilderness Adventure Day Camp (Ages 9-13)
Session 1: 7/13 – 7/17 (Monday-Friday) - $290 (9:00 am to 4:00 pm)
Session 2:7/20 – 7/24 (Monday-Friday) - $290 ($530 for both sessions)
A full week of wilderness skills, Native American games, group challenges, Animal Tracking, nature awareness, hiking, Native stories and more. Also included is a full-day of flatwater kayaking. In case of bad weather programming will take place inside our Education center. Session 2 includes a wealth of new skills, stories, and activities. 9:00 am – 4:00 pm.

Lost in the Woods! Wilderness Survival Basics [Adult & Teen]
7/25 | 9:00 am to 4:00 pm | $75
Missed the Backwoods Winter Survival and Snowshoe Trek? No worries, come spend a full-day in the woods with Ndakinna Director James Bruchac learning basic to advanced emergency wilderness skills and survival techniques. Participants will spend a day both on and off-trail learning skills such as primitive and modern land navigation, shelter construction, animal tracking, finding water, basic wild edibles, wilderness firemaking, natural insulation, rescue signaling and more. Bring a bag lunch. Certificate of participation included.

Jr. Pathfinders Tracker Training [Ages 10 -12 ]
7/27 - 7/28 | (Mon-Tue) $110 ($350 for entire week) 9:00 am - 4:00 pm.
Join Ndakinna Director James Bruchac, Author of multiple books on animal tracking and wilderness survival for two days of tracker training. Participants in this program will learn basic to advanced trail, track and scat identification, how to measure and make castings of tracks as well as the use of GPS tracking devices and infared camera traps. Part of our new Junior Pathfinders program this program is aimed at 10- 12 Year olds who have a real hunger to really "get out there and explore!" Bring a bag lunch and dress for adventure.

Jr. Pathfinders Wilderness Training [Ages 10 -12 ] (OVERNIGHT)
7/29 - 7/31 | (Wed - Fri ) $260 ($350 for entire week) 9:00 am (Wed) - 4:00 pm (Fri). Run by Ndakinna Director James Bruchac, This program is made for kids who want to learn some serious wilderness skills including spending at least one night in a shelter of their own construction. During these three days participants will learn both basic-advanced wilderness survival and awareness skills as well as take part in both day and night wilderness awareness activities and Native games. Bring a bag lunch for Wednesday. Participants must provide their own camping gear.

Adirondack Pathfinders Teen Wilderness Training  [Ages 13 -16] (OVERNIGHT)
8/9 – 8/14 (Sunday -Friday) | $575 Join Ndakinna Director James Bruchac with master Adirondack Guide Gary Marchuk for a true backcountry adventure. Following two days of basic training at Ndakinna participants will travel by canoe deep into the Adirondack wilderness. During this week participants will learn a host of ancient and modern wilderness skills from the tracking of wild animals to survival skills such as shelter making, land navigation, and fire by friction. Along with plenty of hiking and off-trail exploration participants will take part in numerous awareness activities and games (day& night) as well as enjoy a host of Native American Tales around the glow of the campfire. Participants must provide their own camping gear. Group to meet at Ndakinna Center 1:00 p.m. Sunday and returning by 6:00 pm Friday. Special certificate of participation included. Space is limited - sign up now!

Wilderness Survival Overnight [Adult & Teen]
TBA | 10:00 am Sat to 12:00 pm Sun. | $150 During this twenty six hour intensive class participants will learn basic to advanced survival and animal tracking techniques from Ndakinna Directer James Bruchac. Once evening comes spending a night in a shelter of your own construction. Participants will spend a day both on and off-trail learning skills such as primitive and modern land navigation, shelter construction, animal tracking, finding water, basic wild edibles, primitive and modern firemaking, natural insulation, rescue signaling and more. Bring a bag lunch. Certificate of participation included.

OCTOBER - DECEMBER 2009

SARATOGA NATIVE AMERICAN FESTIVAL OCTOBER 3-4 2009