The name First Earth represents a time when humankind walked in balance with the earth, as a member of the natural community. Learning the ancient ways can re-awaken our awareness of how little we really need to live, and be mentally, physically and spiritually nourished by that knowledge. Recognizing the sacred gift of our food plants and animals, simply even living outside and sleeping under the stars can re-aquaint us with the miracle of “the spirit that in moves in all things”, and help guide us toward a healthier relationship with our world.

The recent fad/craze of TV (non) reality survival shows has introduced a new generation to these skills, and has produced a slew of new survival schools and instructors, some with a disturbing trend – no ethical concern for the possible impacts of their activities. With a larger segment of the population engaging in the collection of plants and animals while learning bushcraft and wilderness skills, it is imperative that we always choose to minimize our impacts to the flora & fauna in our already-struggling wild areas.  

 

First Earth’s Founder and Director, Bo Brown, has been teaching primitive skills since 1992, has worked as a wildlife/avian field biologist since 1985, was Associate Director with Ozark Center for Wildlife Research for it’s 15-year history, was a naturalist for MO Dept. of Conservation in Branson MO for 9 years, and is still active in contract fieldwork. His career has taken him all over the U.S./Central America and has provided a wealth of natural history knowledge. While playing music at Silver Dollar City near Branson MO in 1978, Bo and backpacking buddy Don Brink struck up a friendship with tribal chief and medicine man Jim Fire Eagle during a crafts festival. His knowledge of flintknapping, useful plants and native woodlore set them both afire to learn, their backpack trips evolved into opportunites to expand and hone those skills.
“Knowledge is incomplete till it’s passed on” – Jim Fire Eagle.
After seeing their books, Bo & Don spent a few days in 1992 with renowned wilderness skills authors John & Geri McPherson to pick up what they could about starting a school. Armed with that guidance, they co-founded Red Willow Primitive Skills, Inc., teaching workshops at Bo’s property on the Niangua River. First Earth Wilderness School was an outgrowth of that collaboration after Don left to pursue a career in outdoor youth rehabilitation. Today, they co-host the annual Bois D’ Arc Primitive Skills Camp & Knap-In at Hulston Mill on the last weekend of September. Currently, Bo presents primitive skills, nature awareness, and foraging programs for schools, museums, and nature centers around the country, including weekly skills programs and edible plant walks at Dogwood Canyon Nature Park near Blue Eye MO. He instructs at several large primitive skills gatherings around the country, and assists John McPherson with his 2-week training courses for Army Special Forces SERE School survival instructors. He is also a professional musician, performing locally and nationally in several area bands.
Bo Brown with a thistledown-fletched blowgun dart.

Bo Brown

Chief Jim Fire Eagle

Jim Fire Eagle

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2025 Events!

BIG CHANGES COMING! I’m moving this page’s content into a new page at bobrownforaging.com. I’m phasing out my scheduled primitive skills classes since foraging walks & programs have literally taken over my life and I’m now devoting my time to those programs. I’ll still teach a few skills classes by appointment only, contact me if you get a small group together. Thanks!

Foraging Central Grasslands is now available, order signed copies from the “shop” button. Signed copies of Foraging the Ozarks are also in stock.

June 6th, 10 am

Foraging Clinic at Horse Thief Canyon, on Kanopolis Lake

Kanopolis KS. Call 620.694.9336 for ticket info

June 14- Wild Yeast Fermentation Class at Powell Gardens. In this 3 hour class, you will learn the basics needed to start making bacteria-rich, gut-enhancing wild foods at home. You’ll take home a jar of your own wild yeast-infused mixture, taste some fermented goodies and learn about “lazy” wines, wild sodas, and kimchi!

September 5-6: Ozarks Homesteading Expo at Marshfield Fairgrounds. I’m honored to be a guest speaker at this awesome event for the fourth year in a row! It will feature another stellar lineup with nationally-known speakers, along with friends like Rachel West with Eating the Ozarks and Mike & Cara Snyder with Wildwise Botanicals.

September 12-14 –Midwest Wild Harvest Festival, Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin. I’ve been invited to teach at this legendary wild food event! (sold out)

Oct. 10-12: Wild Herbal Field Trip and Medicinal Plant Symposium at the Ozark Folk Center. Join this group of nationally-known speakers and instructors to learn about the uses of our local Ozarks flora. I’ll be helping lead the walks, and doing a program in Saturday’s symposium. Don’t wait to buy tickets, these sell out quickly.

June 21, Oct. 4 –  Plant & Fungi Walk with Bo Brown and Mike Snyder from Wildwise Botanicals. We’ll do a walkabout for an in-depth coverage of the plants and fungi found at the amazing new venue between Springfield and Ava – The Dockley Ranch!  Walk is from 10 am – 2 pm. I’ve done several events with these folks, always a great time. Get tickets early before they sell out, as all of Mike’s programs do.

August 16 –Foraging Program/Walk at Truman Dam Visitor Center. Details TBA

September 24-27: The 27th annual Bois d’ Arc Ancestral Skills Camp & Knap-In at Hulston Mill. The Knapper’s Camp free public area features various native arts & crafts vendors, an atlatl competition, and a Saturday evening raffle. Stone-age wilderness skills instruction in the paid workshop area features stone tool construction, friction fire, basketry, pottery, weaponry, traps, wild food foraging. shelter, and much more.

October 10-12: WOW Outdoor School at Roaring River This year I’ll be teaching workshops in friction fire, stone & string, (expedient cordage and stone tools) birding by ear, and foraging. Check their site catalogue for classes and schedules.

Dogwood Canyon  Weekly foraging walks and stone-age wilderness living demonstrations, free with admission. Foraging walks at 11:00 a.m. – 12:30p.m., wilderness skills demos from 1:30 – 3:00 p.m.  Dates: May 30. June 4, 11, 13, 18, 22. July 6, 9, 13, 23, 30. August 3, 9, 13, 20, 27. Programs start under the treehouse, or inside during inclement weather. Also visit Dogwood Canyon’s activities page (educational programs) calendar for dates.

Seasonal Foraging Walks with Springfield Area Herb Society. Dates: July 20, October 26. The walks are at 2 pm at Busiek State Forest, about 22 mi. south of Springfield off 65 hwy. For membership info: call Joan Bass at (417) 725-5134.

 

June 28-July 4 and July 6-9 2023:  The Ozarks: Faces and Facets of a Region at the The Smithsonian Folklife Festival on the National Mall in Washington D.C. I joined a slew of other talented and knowledgeable folks from the Ozarks to present various cultural foodways programs at this legendary event. Presenters include fellow forager Rachel West, renowned herbalists Tina Marie Cox and Sasha Daucus from the Ozark Folk Center, Maryland’s Susan Belsinger (also does programs at OFC), and my friend, bandmate, and national treasure Marideth Sisco was there storytelling and singing. MSU has a bit about the concert series here.

Watch for me on NatGeo Wild in the new NatGeo series “Farm Dreams” with host and urban forager Indy Srnath. We visited Jill Steffensen  and Craig Heimsoth at Heimsoth Farms near Concordia, where they planted a wild food forest to supplement their domestic crops. It can be viewed on Hulu and Disney+, view a short trailer here.

My international TV debut! In September 2017, a British TV crew from the highly acclaimed series “New Lives in the Wild with Ben Fogle” lived with me for a week in Ozarks to document my life in teaching wilderness survival skills. The series and my episode continues to air in countries around the globe, but not yet in the US. View it here:  https://vimeo.com/244983714 then enter the password WM6. Our beloved local Italian eatery Bambino’s catered the event, and wrote this nice blog article about it.

I’ve had request for articles concerning the “Nightwalking with Peripheral Vision” classes I teach at Wintercount and other skills gatherings, here’s a link: http://rexresearch.com/articles/nightwalk.htm