Tickets and info: click here

From building them, to tending them and cooking over them, fire is an instinctual part of all our lives at a very early age. During this exciting hands-on class, students will be guided through the steps of learning all about:

• Collecting tinder, kindling & wood

• Proper fire structures & design

• Safely lighting matches

• How to use a ferrocerium rod properly

In addition to the above, students will also be shown how to safely and properly tend to and safely extinguish their fire while camping outdoors. Participants that attend this class will leave with a newfound respect for fire as well as a passion for being the master fire maker during their wilderness outings.

Please bring a notepad and pen to take notes. Free drink token and Lumber Society Fire Building badge with each paid admission! Arrive early! Questions: email mark@buzzmillcoffee.com.

Tickets and info: click here

Location: Mary Moore Searight Park

This is a 3-day event: November 7-9

Class Experience

During this inspirational hands-on class you will learn how to take a fresh deer skin and transform it into soft, supple, and luxurious buckskin for use in clothing, moccasins, bags and so much more. Participants will gain a whole new perspective when it comes to animal skin as they bring the hide through the various stages of the process.

What you'll learn

• How to properly soak the hide

• Scrape away the hair & grain

• Rinse, wring & acidify

• Membrane the flesh side

• Saturate the hide in emulsified oils

• Soften with cable & rack

• Smoke to waterproof & give color

Tickets and info: click here

Pine needle basketry offers both beginner and expert basket makers an equal opportunity for satisfaction. With almost endless variations, sizes, and shapes that can be created using only thread and a bundle of needles, there is sure to be a beautiful, yet functional basket stitched by each student. This is a wonderful natural craft for children ages 9 and up as well. So bring the family out and join us in keeping the skill of pine needle basketry alive. 

Free drink token and Basket Making Badge with each purchase.

Join the Lumber Society and Squatch Frontier Fitness to improve the Country Club Creek Greenbelt, a beautiful natural area in the middle of dense development. We will provide tools and gloves for this event. Please bring a water bottle. The greenbelt is not a manicured park, but a wilderness area with streams and ravines. Please dress for this environment with long sleeved shirt, long pants, and sturdy shoes. Volunteers will assemble at the South Pleasant Valley Road Trailhead of the Country Club Creek Trail, Google Maps Plus Code: 67C9+F9 Austin, Texas. This spot is the end of South Pleasant Valley Road, south of Oltorf. We will start at 9 AM and work until noon. After the event, volunteers can enjoy a happy hour at Buzz Mill Coffee hosted by Independence Brewing. Please register with GivePulse to ensure that you receive the proper size for your It's My Park Day T-shirt. Thank you for volunteering with Austin Parks Foundation.

Tickets and info: click here

During this workshop participants will learn how to make hot-process soap safely and with confidence. This class will cover supplies, ingredients, safety procedures, basic formulation theory and scenting with essential oils. Create a one-pound batch (four bars) of soap scented with essential oils of your choosing, perfect for gifts as well as personal use.

Free drink token and Soap Making Badge with purchase.

Tickets and info: click here

This is a two date event: Sun., Oct. 19 & Sun., Nov. 2

Class Experience

"From earth, we shape. From fire, we awaken."

Long before metal and modern cookware, clay was the pinnacle of human innovation—the first technology that allowed us to store, cook, and purify with fire. In this immersive hands-on journey, you’ll walk in the footsteps of ancient artisans, mastering the sacred transformation of wild earth into enduring vessels.

By the end of this class, you’ll carry home 3-4 fired clay vessels—each a functional work of art, ready to hold water, simmer stews, or gather wild edibles on your next wilderness adventure. You’ll also take with you extra clay, the skills to create more, and the spark to inspire your community with this timeless craft.

Class Requirements

• All tools, materials, and guidance provided—just bring your curiosity and readiness to create

What you'll learn

• The Hunt for Clay – How to locate, harvest, and process wild clay from the land

• The Alchemy of Mud – Filtering impurities and blending natural tempers for strength

• Hands in the Earth – Primitive hand-building techniques: pinch pots and coiled forms

• Tools of the Ancients – Crafting with bone, wood, and stone to shape your vision

• The Art of Burnishing – Polishing clay to a luminous sheen with smooth river stones

• The Dance of Fire – Pit-firing your creations, where flame and smoke bestow strength

Sample Class Format

• Oct 19 (8am - 6pm)

• How to wildcraft your own clay

• Building clay pots by hand

• Nov 2 (8am - 6pm)

• Fire pots in an open pit

Tickets and info: click here

Class Experience

As crisp autumn air sweeps through the Hill Country, nature unveils her most generous season – a time of ripening seeds, nourishing nuts, and wild plants offering both sustenance and wisdom. Join master naturalist Chris Hyde for an immersive plant walk through one of Austin’s most vibrant wild spaces, where every trail turn reveals new edible, medicinal, and utilitarian treasures.

What you'll learn

• Discover edible, medicinal, and practical uses of local flora

• Master key techniques for plant identification by family

• Decode the "wall of green" that surrounds Austin’s wild spaces

• Gain confidence in foraging and sustainable harvesting

Advanced Knife Carving: Traps & Snares

Tickets: click here

Are you ready to bring your knife skills to the practical application level for survival and backcountry camping? Join us for trap and snare making as well as other advanced carving skills that will help you become more proficient with your knife during wilderness outings.

Students are encouraged to take our Knife Carving Basics Class prior to signing up for this class, however it isn't required. Expect to walk away with a lot of new skills in how to most effectively utilize your camp and bush knife.

**Knives will be for sale at this class for $20 or you can bring your own. However YOU need to ensure it’s newly sharpened and ready to carve. We recommend a Mora Fixed Blade Companion Knife. These are easily found online for $20. The knife we gave you at the Knife Carving Basics Class works great!

Please bring a notepad and pen to take notes. Arrive early. Free drink token and Advanced Knife Carving Badge with each paid admission! Questions: email mark@buzzmillcoffee.com.

Tickets and info: click here

Location: Mary Moore Searight Park

2-day event, Sat.-Sun., Sept. 13-14

Class Experience

A bow is only as good as the arrow it sends flying. In this hands-on, immersive weekend workshop, you’ll learn the ancient art of crafting fully functional primitive arrows—just like our ancestors once did. Using traditional techniques and natural materials, you’ll shape, fletch, and finish your own ash-wood arrows, designed to pair perfectly with our self bow class.

What you'll learn

• Shaping the Shaft: Remove bark and smooth your arrow with stone tools.

• Straightening Techniques: Master steam & fire-bending for perfect flight.

• Nock Carving: File strong, reliable nocks for shooting and hafting.

• Fire Hardening: Toughen your arrow for long-lasting durability.

• Fletching with Feathers: Bind wild turkey feathers using natural sinew.

• Pine Pitch Glue: Cook up this ancient adhesive for securing arrowheads.

• Flintknapped Arrowhead: Each student receives a handmade stone point to complete their arrow.

What To Bring

• Clothing & shoes for the weather (consider layering your clothes for cold)

• Notebook + pencil/pen

• Water bottle

• Small ground pad for kneeling/sitting on (camp chair is also fine)

• Lunch & Snacks for the day (consider a cooler to keep drinks/snacks cold)

• Mora Fixed Blade Knife (you can purchase one for $25 from us also)

• Wet weather gear in case of rain

• Backpack to carry supplies from car to camp

Making Rope From Plants

Learn the art of twisting wild fibers together in order to make strong usable rope for survival! No matter what survival book you grab off the shelf, the skill of rope making lies within.

Join us for a fun and educational evening as we explore a wide variety of materials found in nature to make rope from. No experience needed, this is a great intro class to the world of plants and rope making.

Please bring a notepad and pen to take notes. Free drink token and Lumber Society Rope From Plants badge with each paid admission! Arrive early! Questions: email mark@buzzmillcoffee.com.

Tickets: click here

Date: Thursday, Sept. 18, 7pm

Location: Buzz Mill Coffee, 1505 Town Creek Dr.

Tickets and info: click here

Location: Mary Moore Searight Park

2-day event, Sat.-Sun., Sept. 13-14

Discover an entirely new experience when it comes to archery by learning how to make your very own wooden longbow. Making a traditional longbow is a talent that encapsulates so many areas of outdoor skills. From identifying and understanding types of wood and how they bend, to working with tools and understanding a bow design and layout. You will experience archery at its foundation level. With experienced archer & bowyer Chris Hyde by your side and a 1:4 student ratio, you will be guided in crafting a beautiful – fully functional work of art. No previous experience needed when it comes to working with wood or tools. Want to complete your archery adventures? Consider taking our Arrow Making Class also.

Class Format

• Day 1

• 9am - Introductions

• 9:15am - Intro to Bow Making

• 9:45am - How to Obtain a Growth Ring

• 10am - Profiling Bow & Design

• 10:05am - Begin working profile

• 12pm - Lunch on site (please bring lunch)

• 12:20pm - Continue working limbs down

• 2pm - Floor tiller

• 5pm - Clean up

• 6pm - Depart

What To Bring

• Notebook + pencil for taking notes

• Work gloves you prefer

• Chair/Blanket

• Cooler for drinks, lunch, ice

• Lunch for both days

• Snacks

• Water bottle + Drinking water

• Sunhat

• Clothes you dont mind getting dirty and dusty, possible stained

• All other materials, bow woods, tools and supplies will be supplied for the class

Tickets: click here

When you think of knife carving does an old man on a rocking chair come to mind? If so, then we need to change that. Knife carving is essential for survival. You can turn a stick into a tool quickly and efficiently. Join us for a hands-on workshop and get the know-how from Camp Master Chris Hyde. Don't worry about bringing your own knife (unless you want to), the ticket purchase for this workshop includes a free knife! Plus a free drink token and Lumber Society Knife Carving badge. Please bring a notepad and pen to take notes.

Date: Thursday, Sept. 11, 7pm

Location: Buzz Mill Coffee, 1505 Town Creek Dr.

Stone Tool Making Workshop

Take a journey into the past as we explore the history of ancient humans and how they lived with stones as tools for survival. During this class we will explore the concepts of making stone tools known as flintknapping as well as practice making a stone arrowhead with all natural materials. Students can expect to walk away with a foundation in basic stone tool manufacturing and some simple knapped blades and points.

Free drink token and Lumber Society Stone Tools badge with each paid admission! Bring your own lunch, a knife, and pen and pad to take notes. Long pants, long-sleeve shirt, and closed-toe shoes recommended. Questions: email mark@buzzmillcoffee.com.

Tickets: click here

Date: Saturday, Sept. 6, 8am

Location: Mary Moore Park

https://maps.app.goo.gl/51g37AfqtdwUGPhLA

557R+2R, Austin, TX 78748

More details and tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1428176968759?aff=oddtdtcreator

Tickets and more info: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1411053913239?aff=oddtdtcreator

Tickets and info: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1359053839619?aff=oddtdtcreator

More info and tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1357336021579?aff=oddtdtcreator

Bears & Outdoor Hazards Workshop

Join us as we explore wilderness hazards and dangers that you could face when traveling in the backcountry. And bears!

The outdoors can be a dangerous place at any time of year, but more often it's our own perception of these potential threats that make them more dangerous than they really are. Through understanding comes knowing and through knowing comes confidence.

Join us for another exciting class hosted by outdoor educator and wilderness guide Chris Hyde as we explore the most basic of wilderness hazards and dangers that you could face when traveling in the backcountry. Like Bears!

Free drink token and Lumber Society Bears & Outdoor Hazards badge with each paid admission! Arrive early! Bring pen and pad to take notes. Questions: email mark@buzzmillcoffee.com.

RSVP: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/buzz-mill-shore-corps-town-lake-clean-tickets-1374915712909?aff=oddtdtcreator

Buzz Mill Shore Corps Town Lake Clean

The Buzz Mill Shore Corps along with Squatch Frontier Fitness, the Texas River School, and the Lumber Society are hosting a big Town Lake Shore Clean on Saturday, June 7, from 8:30 to 11:30am! We’ll be attacking the trash from the shore and from the water with a dozen canoes at our disposal! 

We’ll meet at Buzz Mill Coffee, 1505 Town Creek Drive, at 8:30am. Afterward we’ll head back to Buzz Mill and JNL Barbecue for a snack and a drink on us! 

We’ll have 2-person canoes available for use to get on the water and grab all the trash that can’t be reached from the shore. This is the work that most needs to be done, and it can be fun doing it. Our canoe spots will be filled first-come first-serve, so show up early! 

We will provide tools and gloves (bring your own if you'd like) but bring a water bottle and wear work-appropriate clothing: long pants, long-sleeved shirt, closed-toe shoes, sunscreen, bug spray. Thanks!

Date: Sat., June 7, 8:30-11:30am (don’t be late)

Location: Buzz Mill Coffee, 1505 Town Creek Drive

Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1263029508259?aff=oddtdtcreator

Take a journey into the past as we explore the history of ancient humans and how they lived with stones as tools for survival.

During this class we will explore the concepts of making stone tools known as flintknapping as well as practice making a stone arrowhead with all natural materials. Students can expect to walk away with a foundation in basic stone tool manufacturing and some simple knapped blades and points.

Free drink token and Lumber Society Stone Tools badge with each paid admission! Bring your own lunch and arrive early!

[The Lumber Society is now offering new, weekend adult survival-skills workshops focusing on longer-form activities/studies and smaller classes with a greater student-to-teacher ratio. We hope this is an exciting new chapter for Lumber Society members!]

More info and tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1344382838259?aff=oddtdtcreator

Info and tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1325279138579?aff=oddtdtcreator

Tickets and more info: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/intro-to-mammals-of-texas-tickets-1272886530879?aff=oddtdtcreator

Learn about the mammals of Texas with Capital Area Master Naturalist and Lumber Society Camp Master Chris Hyde. During this 2-hour intro class you will get a chance to experience mammal skulls, furs, and tracks in order to better understand the local mammals of Austin. This is a great way to begin your journey into animal tracking, becoming a naturalist, or improving your awareness while hunting. Come discover all there is to know about our Texas mammals.

Tickets and info: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/useful-plants-of-texas-walk-tickets-1246756033859?aff=oddtdtcreator

Details and tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/utensil-carving-weekend-workshop-tickets-1245393197579?aff=oddtdtcreator

Tickets and info: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1127907564889?aff=oddtdtcreator

Details and tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1153330696159?aff=oddtdtcreator

Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1224066679389?aff=oddtdtcreator

See Eventbrite for meet-up location

Tickets and more info: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1127806462489?aff=oddtdtcreator