Outdoor Primitive Skills Workshops offered at Hobbs

What are primitive skills? Primitive skills are ways to appropriately use materials found in nature to solve problems and provide life supporting needs. They are survival techniques passed down through generations, including shelter building, animal tracking, fire building, and others.

You ask yourself, “Why would I need to learn primitive skills”? With the increased frequency of natural disasters and generally more unpredictable weather, knowledge of primitive skills could make your life much more tolerable until conditions improve if you had to “live off the grid” for a while.

Eric Fuselier, an environmental scientist, will be your instructor.

From a young age, Eric enjoyed learning and practicing primitive skills in the woods with his friends. As an adult, Eric has continued to learn and practice these skills while spending extended lengths of time in the Ozark wilderness as an avid hiker and backpacker. Extending the idea of self-sustainment even further, Eric and his family eventually built their own cabin they now call home.

In 2015, he founded “Ozark Primitive Skills” to help others enhance their experiences in nature by giving them the knowledge and skills they need to confidently explore the Ozark wilderness with reverence for the natural world. Fuselier has taught primitive skills workshops at the

Ozark Natural Science Center, the Arkansas Living History Association, and the Bois D’Arc Primitive Skills Gathering in Missouri.

Primitive Skills Workshop #1 Shelter Building Saturday, May 14 10 a.m.-2 p.m. (Ages 12 and older)

Knowing how to protect yourself from the elements when necessary is essential to survival, in any scenario. Participants will learn the importance of shelter in all seasons and weather, the different types of shelters, and will have an opportunity to practice making their own shelter either by themselves or in small groups. Meet at the Education Pavilion next to the Hobbs State – Conservation Area’s visitor center.

Participants should bring a sack lunch.

Primitive Skills Workshop #2 Making Rope and Cordage (Limit of 15 – registration necessary) Saturday, July 9 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

Knowing how to create the cordage you need from natural or found materials can prove invaluable. In this workshop you will learn how to make rope/ cordage from plant fibers, which plant species in the Ozarks supply the best fibers, and the uses for rope and cordage when traveling through the wilderness. Meet at the Education Pavilion next to the Hobbs State – Conservation Area’s visitor center. Participants should bring a sack lunch.

Primitive Skills Workshop #3 Friction Fire (Ages 12 and older) Requires the use of a knife. Bring your own knife. (Limit of 15 – registration necessary) Saturday, Oct. 1 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Knowing how to start a fire is one of the most important primitive skills you should know. For cooking, warmth, and lighting, a fire is essential. This workshop will focus on friction fire using a bow and drill. Participants will learn how to make and use their own bow and drill. Meet at the Education Pavilion next to the Hobbs State – Conservation Area’s visitor center. Participants should bring a sack lunch.

Primitive Skills Workshop #4 Animal Tracking (Ages 8 and older) Saturday, Dec. 3 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

In order to successfully hunt animals for food, or to help identify any potential predators in your area that could put your family in danger, you need to be able to identify animal tracks.

Participants will learn about animal ecology and the tracks and signs left behind by the species that call Hobbs State Park – Conservation Area their home. Meet at the Education Pavilion next to the Hobbs State – Conservation Area’s visitor center. Participants should bring a sack lunch. All workshops are free. To register for the Rope/ Cordage and Friction Fire workshops, call: 479-7895000