Alexander “Bush Ninja” Howe is a passionate practical herbalist, global adventurer, storyteller, and flamboyant fire performer. He has been adventuring South(ern) Africa for much of the past decade. On his journey he was gifted the moniker Bush Ninja for his passion for teaching earthskills while having many wild African experiences. All the while honing a number of skills and crafts, including practical herbalism, making artisanal salve, teaching South African mysticism and traditional healing techniques, and fire dancing/flow arts including a unique expression of burning fire flowers 🌹🔥
He’s delighted to be sharing these passions with you as well as offering a special spoken word secret set performance of Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax! So, come join him in a talk/playshop, follow on the socials, or sit down on the medicine blanket to gain better access to your natural human heritage of health.
Conceived in a surplus canvas tent on the shores of a wilderness lake and born into a big old goofy world, Camperbob Jarrell has been teaching art and traditional wilderness skills since way back in the last century. He likes critters and people too. This year at HemlockFest’s Earthskills Village he will be making traditional yucca fiber cordage bracelets and necklaces adorned with shell or stone beads. Stop by and learn something!
Josh Barnwell has been sharing his knowledge and passion for the outdoors from a young age. He has taught for private groups as well as at gatherings like Earthskills Rendezvous, Firefly Gathering, and many summer camps.
Whatever your skill level – from novice to grizzled wild one – he invites you to join him as he shares his knowledge and over 15 years experience connecting people to the natural world.
James Clinkscales started learning primitive skills at an early age, cutting teepee poles for his family’s lodge on multi-week camping trips, where they would forage along the ocean and woods for food, crafts, and medicine. He has been teaching a variety of skills, including flintknapping, cordage, basketry, atlatl crafting and throwing, archery and arrow making, trapping, fire by friction, natural glue making and more for over 35 years. He teaches Scouts, school groups, at Earthskills gatherings, and more.
James owns a homestead farm outside of Greenville, South Carolina where he practices modern permaculture techniques, including mushroom log cultivation, beekeeping, chicken and goat farming, gardening, and making mead.
Adventures in his whitewater kayak and explorations for ancient artifacts are a few of his varied passions. He created his business, Modern Primitive Life, to kindle the fires of inspiration and share ancestral knowledge in this time when it is needed more than ever.
Hi. My name is Pilar, aka: MamaBear. When I think about it, I suppose I’ve been an artist my whole life. Of course I was the best crayon artist as a child, but before crayons I actually had a toy spinning wheel, thus began my life as a fiber artist. As a teenager, of course I was a macramé maniac. I remember how excited when I was first commissioned to do a macramé wall hanging.
Then, I I learned to spin wool. When I had several large baskets of wool balls I thought Maybe I should learn to do something with all this yarn that I made. First I learned to knit, then crochet. My parents found me a full sized floor loom at an army auction. It was used for rehabilitation for WWI/WWII veterans. I was honored to have it. Back in those days, we had to go to a bookstore to find information on weaving. It wasn’t long before I was weaving rugs, placemats, scarves, blankets, even fabric that I actually cut to make clothing.
I’ve been making felt items for approximately 15 years: beautiful needle felted items and wet felting anything from pillows, purses, scarves, slippers etc.
I look forward to meeting you at the HemlockFest. I’ll be offering 3 fun classes:
• One fun and very easy class is making felt pouches over a bar of Ivory soap.
• Spinning wool on a drop spindle. Imagine making your own yarn.
• Making a wet felted bag/pouch to carry treasures that you will find here at the
Hemlock Festival! See you there soon!
Momma Wendy (She/they/momma/hey you) after finishing her thesis in education and experiencing the school systems as they are currently set-up, decided she and the rest of the world needed something different. She has been studying all things homestead and primitive culture related for over a decade now, with her interests primarily focusing on the creative and agricultural themes. It has always seemed like a great mountain adventure; with every plateau there is a realization that there is always another level to be obtained, another goal to reach. For more than a handful of years now, she has been building up her own homestead full of chaos, critters, lots of hard work and happiness with her now extending family. Heart and Homestead focuses on becoming a creative self sufficient homestead and teaching others how to do all of this for themselves as well. Which takes a number of skills and a great community to be successful, but obtainable by everyone. Bring back the skills!
