Learn in person with Woniya
We are thrilled to welcome you to our beautiful 90+ acres for a unique learning experience and immersion in the beautiful, wild nature of the Sierra Nevada foothills. Trails, a year round creek with dipping spots, hiking to the magnificent Yuba River right from the land, and more, are all part of the coming to learn with us!
Woniya's 2026 Teaching Schedule
(Under construction- registration links and more classes still being added)
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Coming soon! Woniya's Online Gathering:
F.I.R.E.S.- Foundations In Resilience & Earth-based Skills FIRES is the newest iteration of Woniya's popular annual online gathering, formerly known as the Buckskin Revolution Online Gathering (BROG). Every gathering has 4 different themes, known as tracks, to choose from. The 2026 FIRES tracks will be Wilderness Living and Survival, Rewilding Your Life, Wild Foods and Foraging, and Hide Tanning. Registration opens March 17 and the course begins March 31. Link to learn more coming soon |
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Surthrival Series: Plants Intensive April 11&12
Plants are one of the most abundant and generous members of our wider communities, but they are a largely mystery to most of us. Woniya has spent a lifetime studying and working with plants and this class will be on her home turf of the beautiful Sierra Nevada Foothills of Northern California. Our weekend will be a deep dive into the green world, and spring is a wonderful time to do it! We will be building relationships with local plants not just by doing walks to learn plants for food, medicine, cordage, dye and more, but also discussing ethical harvest and wild tending as ways to give back to the plant communities that offer us so much. We will be learning to harvest plants for food, medicine, and craft materials in a way that gives back to plant populations; will make tinctures for medicine, learn to create cordage from plant fibers, and will naturally dye silk with the eco-printing technique. Fee includes instruction, camping, and materials. $425 |
Winter Soulstitch Retreat 2026: Fiber and Fire December 17-20
Winter Solstice is the turning point of the year, the rebirth of the sun and with it, a part of ourselves. The Winter Soulstitch is more than a class or a retreat. It is an opportunity to come together in the deepest darkness to welcome back the light; to set our intentions for the coming year through connection, craft, and ritual.
Each year's Winter Soulstitch has a theme. In 2026, we will be courting light and warmth in the forms of fire and fiber. We will be weaving connection with the natural world through our fingers. Our mornings will be spent learning different ways, both ancient and modern, of calling fire into being. The afternoons will find us running our finger through fiber- making plant fiber cordage, spinning wool into yarn, and weaving on simple looms. We will also be exploring our wilder sides and sharing meals, songs, and stories around the blazing yule logs. $1175 (no meals)-$1395 (with meal plan)
Winter Solstice is the turning point of the year, the rebirth of the sun and with it, a part of ourselves. The Winter Soulstitch is more than a class or a retreat. It is an opportunity to come together in the deepest darkness to welcome back the light; to set our intentions for the coming year through connection, craft, and ritual.
Each year's Winter Soulstitch has a theme. In 2026, we will be courting light and warmth in the forms of fire and fiber. We will be weaving connection with the natural world through our fingers. Our mornings will be spent learning different ways, both ancient and modern, of calling fire into being. The afternoons will find us running our finger through fiber- making plant fiber cordage, spinning wool into yarn, and weaving on simple looms. We will also be exploring our wilder sides and sharing meals, songs, and stories around the blazing yule logs. $1175 (no meals)-$1395 (with meal plan)
Surthrival Sandals May 30-31
There is no substitute for feeling ones bare feet on the earth, but most of us can't go barefoot everywhere. The next best thing is homemade footwear, custom tailored to your feet and made from simple, natural ingredients.
In this two day workshop you'll about rewilding your feet and why it matters, and you'll make a pair of Surthrival Sandals, using both leather and modern sole materials,
$345 including instruction, materials and camping at Timeless Ways
There is no substitute for feeling ones bare feet on the earth, but most of us can't go barefoot everywhere. The next best thing is homemade footwear, custom tailored to your feet and made from simple, natural ingredients.
In this two day workshop you'll about rewilding your feet and why it matters, and you'll make a pair of Surthrival Sandals, using both leather and modern sole materials,
$345 including instruction, materials and camping at Timeless Ways
Buckskin Soulstitch June 18-21 2026
Spend the days leading up to the Summer Solstice fully embodying your creative self by diving deep into buckskin artistry.
Whether you are a beginner or have been sewing for some time, this course will take you from craft to artistry!
Fundamentals of buckskin sewing, garment construction & skills for taking your creativity to the next level. We will begin with a simple hands-on project to learn the basics, then each student will receive one on one guidance in creating a custom garment of their choice. Fee includes camping, tools, & instruction, but not materials. Students provide their own brain tanned hides $985
Spend the days leading up to the Summer Solstice fully embodying your creative self by diving deep into buckskin artistry.
Whether you are a beginner or have been sewing for some time, this course will take you from craft to artistry!
Fundamentals of buckskin sewing, garment construction & skills for taking your creativity to the next level. We will begin with a simple hands-on project to learn the basics, then each student will receive one on one guidance in creating a custom garment of their choice. Fee includes camping, tools, & instruction, but not materials. Students provide their own brain tanned hides $985
Examples of Woniya's previous classes
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Forestry Skills for Women October 25-26
I didn't grow up learning skills for working hard in the woods and bringing in my own firewood. For many years, I felt intimidated by chainsaws. I worked hard to educate and empower myself, and now I'm offering these skills to other women so they can do the same in a supportive environment. We'll be learning how to safely start, use, sharpen, and maintain a chainsaw, how to buck, split, and stack firewood, how to use leverage and tools to more easily accomplish tasks as smaller bodied people, and how to assess and increase forest health with thinning, fuels reduction and burn piles. $345 Registration Closed |
Cozy Felts for the Colder Months November 15-16
As the leaves fall and temperatures drop, thoughts turn to cozy wool hats and slippers. If you are feeling the urge to get wild and wooly, look no further!
Spend the second weekend in November in beautiful Nevada City making artful felted gifts for yourself or loved ones. You'll learn to process and prepare the fiber, wet felting basics, how to use resists to make 3 dimensional shapes, and pattern inlay techniques.
You'll begin with a small hot pad to learn felting, a bag to learn 3 dimensional techniques, and then a larger project of your choosing, with a possibility of purchasing materials to make more projects on your own. Get prepared for the coziest winter ever, or a wonderful holiday season of gifting!
Out of town students welcome to camp on the land. Fee includes instruction and materials for 3 basic projects $385
As the leaves fall and temperatures drop, thoughts turn to cozy wool hats and slippers. If you are feeling the urge to get wild and wooly, look no further!
Spend the second weekend in November in beautiful Nevada City making artful felted gifts for yourself or loved ones. You'll learn to process and prepare the fiber, wet felting basics, how to use resists to make 3 dimensional shapes, and pattern inlay techniques.
You'll begin with a small hot pad to learn felting, a bag to learn 3 dimensional techniques, and then a larger project of your choosing, with a possibility of purchasing materials to make more projects on your own. Get prepared for the coziest winter ever, or a wonderful holiday season of gifting!
Out of town students welcome to camp on the land. Fee includes instruction and materials for 3 basic projects $385
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Women's Surthrival Intensive October 10-12
Wilderness skills and survival courses can often be taught from a more macho approach that many women feel less comfortable with. This course is taught by women, for women, and highlights women's unique gifts and strengths. It will cover the basic elements of Wilderness Survival, but instead of focusing just on keeping ourselves alive, we will focus on how to feel safe, healthy and at home in the wild. You'll come away knowing the difference between just surviving and truly thriving! Students will be responsible for their own cooking, but we will also enjoy some potluck meals and lots of community camaraderie. Fee includes camping, instruction, and basic materials. $675 Registration Closed |
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Wet Felting: Flat projects with inlays July 27, 2025
Learn to transform raw sheep wool into beautiful, durable fabric. We'll explore different color blending, wet inlay techniques, and needle felting to turn our flat felt into high art! Flat felt is wonderful for chair pads, sitting mats, baby changing pads (the inspiration for this class) and more, and can also be cut and sewn to make other useful items and apparel. Nevada City, CA $150 Fee covers material and instruction. Participants traveling from further away, email [email protected] |
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Surthrival Intensive August 25-30 It will cover the basic elements of Wilderness Survival, but instead of focusing just on keeping ourselves alive, we will focus on how to feel safe, healthy and at home in the wild. You'll come away knowing the difference between just surviving and truly thriving! Surthrival Philosophy, Sheltercraft, Campcraft including lashing and knots; Water, Fire, Wild Foods, Tool use and maintenance, Building Health and Resilience from the inside out, and more. Students will be responsible for their own cooking, but we will also enjoy some potluck meals and lots of community camaraderie. Fee includes camping, instruction, and basic materials. $1475 Register Here |
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Brain Tanned Buckskin September 6-8 2025
Join me for this 3 day course on learn how to transform raw deer hides into Brain Tanned Buckskin, one of the most wonderful, resilient and natural materials on earth. Everyone will participate hands-on in every stage of tanning, including hide prep, scraping, dressing, softening, and smoking. By working in groups, students will have community support, a big help when tanning your first hide! You will go home with a piece of finished buckskin and some ideas of how to use it, as well as a wealth of knowledge about all things hide and buckskin related! $645 |
Read Class Terms and Conditions
In order to check out for a course, you will be asked to type your name into the box, confirming that you have read and agreed to the terms and conditions you'll find at this link: Read Class Terms and Conditions
In order to check out for a course, you will be asked to type your name into the box, confirming that you have read and agreed to the terms and conditions you'll find at this link: Read Class Terms and Conditions
