New Website Summer 2023

We are currently working on a new website which will be completed in the Summer of 2023. Until then, some content may be unavailable and some links may not work properly. We apologize for the inconvenience. If you need something from the old website, it can still be viewed here. Note that information on the old website may be out of date.

 Frequently Asked Questions

What are the facilities like?  Do you have bathrooms and/or showers?
Yes, we provide hot showers and bathrooms.  There are now bathrooms with flush-toilets as well as shower facilities.

Approximately how many skills is one able to attend during the Gathering?
There is some variability in how many skills you can do in a gathering, and it depends on where you choose to focus. Some of these skills, such as hide tanning or bow making, will take the better part of the gathering to complete. In other cases, a class may be very basic and short. The general format for the gathering is a period of classes after breakfast in the morning and a period of classes after lunch. Occasionally, there is a 3rd symposium offered in the late afternoon or evening. You may choose to become familiar with a wide variety of skills during the gathering, or focus on becoming adept at one.

Are all of your classes available everyday of the gathering?
Generally there will be more than 10 to 15 classes offered on any given day. The diversity of subjects and skills can vary throughout the event. We will, however, offer the “core skills” everyday. Core skills include fire making, flint knapping, and cordage/fiber arts.

Do all of the teachers on your list teach each day?
No, the teachers rotate through, and often teach different subjects on different days. We want them to have a chance to enjoy the event also. Most of the teachers we have are willing to offer one-on-one instruction at any time.

Is the info posted somewhere how long each class lasts?
Information on the classes is posted on a bulletin board at the beginning of the gathering. See the general schedule for class length.

Is there a Youth program?
We have awesome children’s programming at the Piedmont Earthskills Gathering!  While the kids are with us, we will be exploring the surrounding area, playing awareness games, and work on age-appropriate naturalist and bushcrafting skills.  Our teaching philosophy follows Coyote’s Guide to Connecting with Nature by Ellen Haas, Evan McGown, and Jon Young. If your child likes to look for critters under rocks, peel bark off of a walking stick, or cover themselves in piles of leaves, your child will  have a blast spending time with us.

Is it possible to car or RV camp?
Yes, we have many car camping options available. We do request that there are no cars in the main circle area though… we are trying to create a unique space. For the Bahama location, we are requesting that you not bring a large RV.

Is there a place to coordinate rideshare?
Rideshare is organized on Facebook here:  Piedmont Earthskills.

Are the weekends a lot busier than the weekdays?
Yes, but not overwhelming. We will also offer more classes on the weekends.

Why are there only tickets for the entire event? What if I can only come for the weekend or for 1 day?
The 2022 Piedmont Earthskills Gathering will be limited to 150 people including staff and instructors.  This allows us to have a small, intimate gathering and carefully curate classes.  If many tickets are sold for only 1 or 2 days, our other days will be low in numbers due to the cap on total attendance.  This affects our budget and ability to hire instructors.  And…to really get the most value from the event we recommend you be there for as long as possible!  You can still purchase full event tickets even if you can’t attend for the whole time.  We anticipate that the 2022 Gathering will sell out early due to the cap on attendance, so it is recommended to register early!

What are your instructors like?
Earthskills instructors hail from all walks of life and cultures.  We’ve had both women and men descended from Cherokee, Asian, European, African, and a host of other backgrounds.  Some are professional teachers and some are living the primitive life.  What’s certain is that, regardless of heritage or profession, our instructors are highly skilled at what they teach.

What are the minimum age requirements for this?
There is no minimum or maximum age; we have a full range of ages in camp. Some classes may require adult/parental supervision.

Do you have overnight facilities?
We do offer overnight camping during the gathering for people who bring their own tents.  Some participants bring tipis, yurts or wall tents or other alternative shelters.  These are welcome and encouraged.  Both primitive camping and limited cabin rentals will be available.  There are a limited number of dormitory-style seasonal cabins (no heat or AC) available to rent at an additional cost.  See our registration page of prices.

What we offer is daily workshops and evening entertainment around the campfire.  Bring a fiddle, guitar or drum!

Do you have any Cambium Crew (formerly work trade) positions available?
We have a limited number of Cambium Crew (formerly work trade)/volunteer positions at each event. These positions fill up quickly and are in high demand! Applications can be found here:  work trade and gift trade here.

If you are interested in Cambium Crew (work trade) or volunteering or if you have any questions not answered on this page, please contact us! We’ll get back to you as soon as possible.