Friction Fire: Carve, Tend & Cook
From foraging for materials to carving a bow drill kit to igniting a fire with sticks and stone, tending it for cooking, and sharing a simple open-fire meal together. In this class, you will learn the fundamental skills and joy of creating and using friction fire for light, warmth, cooking, and community gathering.
You will begin by identifying important Michigan friction fire trees, then use basic carving skills to make the essential parts of your own bow drill kit, which will be yours to keep. With an understanding of the elements of fire, body position, and proper use of materials, you will spark a fire with your bow drill. We will then work together to tend, prepare, and cook a simple open-fire meal to share.
Creating and tending fire is uniquely human. Connecting with fire through this ancient skill reconnects us to nature, our ancestors, our bodies, community, and ourselves. In a fast-paced world, friction fire is an opportunity to slow down, breathe, and appreciate the work that goes into one simple spark.
Join us in feeling the joy of spinning a fire to life with just a few sticks and a stone, as humans have been doing for millennia.
Meet Your Instructor
Asher McLaughlin
Asher McLaughlin is devoted to reconnecting people of all ages to the earth, community, and the ancestral skills that once shaped our lives. He specializes in teaching friction fire, butchering animals with reverence, and crafting drums that carry the rhythm of the earth. Asher’s work is about bringing people back to their senses—to the land beneath their feet, the skills in their hands, and the wisdom in their bones.
Asher has practiced earth skills most of his life. In childhood, he learned at skills gatherings and from mentors, and in adulthood, he has studied at the Deep Remembering Wilderness Immersion program in NC, and the Lindera Herbal Intensive with Jim McDonald. He is an instructor at the Earthcraft Skillshare and the Vital Hive in Lowell, MI. He has been a youth nature connection mentor at Strong Roots Nature School for seven years, guiding kids through the wild to remember their place within it. His teachings are rooted in lived experience, blending traditional skills with a deep respect for the earth and the cycles of life and death.
Class Details:
Location: Green Door Folk School – 2312 E Kasson Rd, Cedar, MI
Date/Time: July 18th @ 9:30 am – 5:00 pm
Prerequisites/Skill Level/Age Requirements:
- No prior experience required.
- Ages 18+
Booking Information:
What happens after I book the class? After you book, we will send you a confirmation email that you are IN! A week out from the class, we will send you an email with more details about our meeting locations and some housekeeping items.
Policies:
Go for it! If you are curious about primitive skills or have many beach bonfires planned for the summer, this is the class for you!