Learn in person with Woniya
I am thrilled to announce that we now have a land base in and are developing our new learning center in Nevada City, California. Returning to my home town region to create the skills school I have always longed for has been a dream come true!
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!
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!
Fall and Winter 2025
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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
Register Here
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
Register Here
Winter Soulstitch Retreat 2025: Fiber and Fire December 19-21
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 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.
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. We will be exploring our wilder sides and sharing meals, songs, and stories around the blazing yule logs. $825 (no meals)-$975 (with meal plan)
Register Here
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 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.
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. We will be exploring our wilder sides and sharing meals, songs, and stories around the blazing yule logs. $825 (no meals)-$975 (with meal plan)
Register Here
Examples of Woniya's previous classes
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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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Surthrival Series: Plants Intensive May 17&18
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 make tinctures, to make cordage from plant fibers, to naturally dye silk with a variety of different plant based techniques, and will craft compact, belt worn foraging bags. Fee includes instruction, camping, and materials.
$375
Course Closed
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 make tinctures, to make cordage from plant fibers, to naturally dye silk with a variety of different plant based techniques, and will craft compact, belt worn foraging bags. Fee includes instruction, camping, and materials.
$375
Course Closed
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Feral Feet Footwear May 31-June 1
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 two different styles of minimalist footwear: Surthrival Sandals, using both leather and modern sole materials, and Side Seam moccasins of brain tanned buckskin. $355 for whole weekend including camping and materials, or $135 for Sandals on May 31 $255 for moccasins June 1. Course closed |
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Buckskin Soulstitch June 21-26
Spend the week surrounding the Summer Solstice diving deep into buckskin artistry with the Buckskin Summer Soulstitch! 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 your choice. Fee includes camping, tools, & instruction, but not materials. Students provide their own brain tanned hides $1250
Course closed
Spend the week surrounding the Summer Solstice diving deep into buckskin artistry with the Buckskin Summer Soulstitch! 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 your choice. Fee includes camping, tools, & instruction, but not materials. Students provide their own brain tanned hides $1250
Course 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 |
More Fall and Winter classes will be added to this page as they are scheduled
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
