Turtle Island Preserve’s Families Learning Together 2019

Fire Roll InstructionTurtle Island Preserve (located in Boone, NC) lives and teaches traditional and sustainable living skills and methods. I was initially invited by Eustace Conway, the founder, to demonstrate some of my primitive and survival skills and over the last eight years I have enjoyed spending time with the staff, volunteers, and attendees at different events. This year at the annual Families Learning Together event I focused on a single demonstration of “the fire roll” method of creating fire-by-friction.

I’ve just been reacquainted with this fire-by-friction method recently and enjoy the simplicity and ease-of-use to create an ember/coal so I wanted to share it with others, enabling them to try it out for themselves. Folks who tried it were delighted with how quickly they could create a coal that could be placed into a tinder bundle to create fire. The more hefty the firecrafter the quicker the ember would be created when a person’s weight over the top board would cause greater friction when passed over the tinder roll.

UNC-TV Interview At Turtle Island Preserve

 
In the course of the day some videographer’s from UNC-TV Public Media North Carolina arrived to capture footage for the program North Carolina Weekend (Airing Thursdays, at 9 PM, on UNC-TV) and I was able to demonstrate this fire-by-friction method as well as shared my thoughts on Turtle Island Preserve, Families Learning Together, and Eustace Conway. I was glad to give a positive report! I was featured (for a whole two seconds worth! starting at 2:19) along with a host of other folks that day. Click on the photo to see the finished video production that captured the day’s events.

It is always fun to share my knowledge and skills but just as importantly to learn from others who have come to share their knowledge and experiences. I highly recommend this annual event as a destination for you, your family, and friends next year. Perhaps I’ll see you there.

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