Connect with the community and discover new skills!
Every 3rd Thursday of the month, 6:30PM-8:30PM
2019 Dates Jan 17, Feb 21, No Skill Share in March, April 18, May 16
Thursday Skills Night
Join us every 3rd Thursday when our community comes together to share skills. Connect with Trackers educators, administrative staff, students, families, and other community members. Journey through a world of traditional arts and crafts.
How It Works
This event is free. Our community makes Skills Night work! Every skill is welcome and questions are greatly encouraged. The atmosphere is family friendly. Connection is the greatest skill we share. You can join Skills Night at anytime. Whenever you attend, you choose from any of the following roles:
Role #1 Explorer
Wander about the event, exploring different skills. You might meet someone handcrafting a bow, weaving a basket, building a boat, or more! Everyone is encouraged to ask questions.
Role #2 Practitioner
If you have a skill or craft to work on, bring it. Utilize the power of community experience and knowledge to improve your craft. Also, share what you are doing and explore questions, even if you don't have the answer.
Role #3 Teacher
If you are excited to teach a skill, come ready to potentially share it with Explorers and Practitioners. Consider bringing the necessary supplies so other community members can learn and participate.
How To → Join Us
When Every 3rd Thursday* - 6:30pm - 8:30pm
Where Trackers HQ, 4617 SE Milwaukie Avenue, Portland - Map It
How FREE - No RSVP required, just show up!
Before joining us at Skills Night, you must read the "Agreements of Participation" below.
Minors under 16 must be accompanied by an adult.
*No Skills Night December or June-August.
Skills to Share
Every skill is welcome, especially earth based arts and crafts. We highly encourage sustainability. The Four Trackers Guilds serve as a fun roadmap for where different skills might fit within the village.
Rangers Guild Forest craft and wilderness survival, tracking and the Curriculum of Shadows.
Wilders Guild Folk craft and homesteading, wild plants and the Wilders Garden.
Mariners Guild Knots, fishing, navigation, boat building and the Ecological Compass.
Artisans Guild Artisan crafts, improvisation, community leadership, storytelling and myth making.
Additional Options Archery & Blacksmithing
We offer OPEN Workshop programs that run alongside Skills Night.
OPEN means using our specialized facilities to practice skills beyond direct instruction.
While Skills Night is completely FREE, participation in the OPEN Workshop areas often requires a fee.
OPEN Archery Range Come loose arrows. All levels of experience welcome. Range Fee: $7. Bring your own gear or use ours. Learn More >>
OPEN Blacksmith Forge Use our blacksmithing workshop for individual projects. Forge Fee: $15. Reservations required. Prerequisite: Blacksmithing Basics. Learn More >>
IMPORTANT Agreements for Participation
This is a community event where Trackers Earth primarily provides a space and time for like-minded people to gather and learn from one another. By participating, you acknowledge the following:
- Skills Night is NOT a class. It is a place to cooperatively share experience and skills.
- Not every Teacher at Skills Night is officially connected to Trackers as an educator or staff. So, we cannot guarantee instruction quality at this event.
- If you act as a Teacher at Skills Night, you are responsible for your project's materials and time. You are not working for or with Trackers and agree to not represent yourself as such. Also, Trackers cannot guarantee you an audience, it's up to you to make what you teach compelling enough.
- If you teach a skill, strongly consider the safety needs of all participants.
- If you are a participant, you are responsible for your own safety, including while learning skills from fellow community members.
- If you are not enjoying, learning from, or contributing to an activity, use your own two feet to walk away and find something else to do.
- If you are parent or guardian, you are responsible for all of the above related to your children, including: their safety, their learning, their whereabouts, and their respect for other community members and the space.
- Trackers Earth staff reserves the right to ask anyone to leave or alter or stop an activity we deem unsafe or not conducive to a family friendly environment.
- Because of their inner Nature, Trackers Staff are often excited to answer questions and assist. Also, please recognize and respect that Skills Night is also their time to relax and enjoy the community, they are not necessarily required to be on call, teach, or perform duties for attendees.
About - Material Fees
- For Explorers While skills night is free, some Community Teachers may request a material fee to help compensate for materials they purchased or resources spent harvesting.
- For Teachers If you choose to request a material fee, please consider carefully if it is necessary and limit it to the actual cost of materials, not for any instruction.