Thursday, December 27, 2007

Wolf Howl Canoe Trip and Wolf Tracking in Algonquin Park





This is an interview I did talking about the Wolf Howl Canoe Trips in Algonquin Park. It also deals with wolf and animal tracking in general. We visit a very beautiful part of the park for these trips and one that is a little less travelled as well. For more information on these canoe trips you can visit my website at www.earthtracks.ca or www.northernedgealgonquin.com where you can find all of the registration and logistical information. Tracking is such a passion of mine! Following and learning from and about these animals can be so rewarding and serves as a way that we can strive to protect them and thier environment. By understanding what role these animals play in maintaining a balanced eco-system we can be better suited to making decisions that not only affect us, but also the future generations.

I hope you all had a wonderful and joyous holiday season. I look forward to seeing you and making new friendships in the new year.

Happy Tracking

Alexis

Wednesday, December 12, 2007

Bow Drill Firemaking Method






This is the Bow Drill Fire method. Different woods and techniques can make obtaining fire easier or harder. The principles and methods remain the same. It never ceases to amaze me --- The beauty of working with FIRE!

Saturday, December 8, 2007

Earth Tracks Update


Hello Everyone


I hope you are all enjoying the beautiful winter weather! I sure love this time of year and the 'feelings' that come with it. Solitude, introspection, wisdom and a time to look within. It can be a very powerful time of year with many changes both internally as well as externally. Remember to take time to look at the last year and where you've come from and where this journey is taking you. It can help to ground you on your path and provide focus for the coming year.


With that said, I'd like to let you know that I am in the process of developing a schedule for next year of many new and exciting programs that will be offered in central and southern Ontario. I will be continuing to guide wilderness canoe trips into Algonquin park for Northern Edge Algonquin as well as running some workshops/classes at thier beautiful eco-lodge located near South River. In conjuction to this Earth Tracks will be holding classes near the Orangeville and London areas throughout the next 4 seasons. I am currently working on setting up a website which will be available by Christmas of this year and will have lots of information about classes as well as some cool tracking and naturalist resources along with photographs etc... The website will be http://www.earthtracks.ca/ I'll be sending out an email to everyone on the email list as soon as it is up and running. Please feel free to get in touch with me directly to be put on the list or with any further questions you may have. It is an exciting time right now and I am really looking forward to the coming year. Some of the classes that will be offered include: Wildlife Tracking, Naturalist Training, Wild Edibles, Medicinal Plants, Salve and Tincture making, Wilderness Survival, etc... I wish you all the best this winter and look forward to seeing you at one of our upcoming programs.


In Light


Alexis Burnett

Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Buckskin Workshop November 24-25th 2007


We have just announced a Buckskin Making workshop taking place at the end of November 2007. Please see following details for all the info:


Learn to tan your hides LEARN TO TAN YOUR HIDES! Have you ever wanted to use more of your year's harvest? To MAKE BEAUTIFUL SOFT LEATHER AND BUCKSKIN from the hides of deer and other animals? Do you like working with your hands and creating? Do you want to be able to make long lasting clothing for yourself and others? Here is your opportunity! Outdoor enthusiasts and tanners Alexis Burnett and Andrew McMartin are offering their experience to a INTRODUCTORY CLASS IN TRADITIONAL HIDE TANNING. This weekend course takes you through the entire tanning process. Learn where to get materials to tanning hides and what you can do with your newly tanned, soft buckskin. You'll learn it all! _ _ When: Weekend Tanning Course Nov. 24-25 Where: PaddleFoot, 1035 Long Line Lake Rd., Baysville, ON For more information check out www.paddlefoot.ca [1] or To register call: 1 -888 -388 -3668 Or 1 -416 -801 -3668 Links: ------ [1] http://www.paddlefoot.ca/
For more info on this course and other ones feel free to contact me directly at:

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

The Science and Art of Tracking





Eastern Wolf


I will be offering a new class entitled 'The Science and Art of Tracking'. This class is going to focus on the scientific as well as intuitive side of tracking. By learning to track and follow wild animals we begin to see how they live thier daily lives and what kind of a role they play in maintaining a balanced eco-system. We also begin to look at our own selves in a deeper way that helps us to connect to nature in a powerful way. We will spend time learning to classify and identify various animals by thier tracks as well as sign that they leave behind. Some of the animals that we have tracked in the past include; deer, wolf, marten, fisher, otter, ermine, snowshoe hare, red and flying squirrels, many small rodents, etc... Time will be spent learning how to properly measure tracks, sign tracking, pattern and gait classification, and trailing. We will also look at the ecology of the landscape through a naturalists 'eye' and learn to ask questions that will draw us deeper into the study of nature. Through tracking we begin to experience the natural world in a new and powerful way. Please come and join us this winter as we follow the many tracks left for us by the various animals that live in the forest.


This class will be taking place February 7-10th 2008 at the Northern Edge Algonquin
More information can be found on thier website at http://www.northernedgealgonquin.com/
Here is the link directly to the class description: http://www.northernedgealgonquin.com/tracking.html


I will also be teaching a similar program in the Orangeville area this winter in southern Ontario.

If you are interested please contact me directly ( alexisburnett@sympatico.ca ) and I will post details here on this site as they become available.


Happy Tracking

Alexis Burnett




River Otter Tracks and Slide

Monday, August 13, 2007

The Art of Survival










I just finished the 4 day long course entitled 'The Art of Survival' at the Norther Edge Algonquin and it was a great success. We had 4 participants involved in the class and we all had a good few days learning and practicing survival skills in the comfortable setting of this eco-lodge located just outside of Algonquin Park. Most of the time was spent in our camp area where we had set up a fire pit and 'sweet' reflector wall. It was great to practice these skills in the beauty of the forest and close to the lake. We focused on the Sacred order of Survival -- Shelter, Water, Fire and Food and went over different skills relating to these topics. We built a debris hut as a group, practiced making bow-drill fires, talked about various methods of water gathering and managed to do a little foraging to add to our section on primitive cooking. The last night of the class we went over various cooking methods which included a steam pit where we cooked salmon, squash, potatoes and corn. A granite grill where we fried bannock bread and salmon. We rock boiled shrimp, cooked steaks on the coals and our friend Chris Gilmour showed us how to stir-fry veggies using hot rocks and birch bark. It was a wonderful thing to prepare our food in such a special and traditional manner. The cooking of the food in this way always brings a group closer together and develops a sense of community. As we learned these skills during our time together we focused on the deeper aspects of survival and the 'oneness' that we experience with nature when we practice these skills in a Sacred manner. By the time the last day rolled around we had covered a great deal of information and things came to a close as people left with a greater appreciation for what it means to 'walk in balance' with nature. I send my thanks to the 4 people who joined me for this class and hope that our paths will cross again soon.



In Light



Alexis Burnett

Tuesday, July 31, 2007

Upcoming Classes and Programs


Hello Everyone

I am in the process of setting up some classes for the Fall and winter months. I will be running these classes in the Orangeville area in southern Ontario as well as a couple possible locations further north. Some of the classes that I hope to offer include "The Art of Survival", "Primitive Fire-Making", "The Art of Tracking", "Bow-making" and "The Way of the Naturalist". Most of these will be weekend classes with the possibility of the Naturalist and Tracking classes being more of a long-term study. If anyone is interested in these classes please feel free to get in touch with me. I will post more info on these pages as I get each class organized. For the summer I will be guiding adventure canoe trips for The Northern Edge Algonquin. Check out thier website and see what exciting trips and retreats they have to offer. http://www.northernedgealgonquin.com/

Happy Tracking

Alexis Burnett