The Conscious Omnivore

A whole weekend course where you will learn about what it means to consciously, legally and ethically observe and use the animals of this land for food and animal products.  

A rare opportunity to learn about fundamental ancestral skills that aided our species in our evolution, whose continuing use can help us all live more consciously and sustainably.   Whether you raise animals yourself or get them elsewhere.

The population explosion of non-native animals such as deer, rabbit and foxes make it difficult for native flora and fauna to thrive. 

This workshop is jam packed with not only how to minimise your impact on the environment by making your own leathers and animal derived resources, but also how to positively improve it through our activities that can help to balance our local ecology for the longevity and survival of our precious native wildlife by consciously and ethically managing introduced fauna.  

Explore the art of tracking, awareness and really knowing the creatures that inhabit the landscape.  

Learn about using the whole beast, field dressing and bush butchery with techniques for extracting the meat, bones, fat, organs and tendon.  

Have the opportunity to make bush jerky in a homemade smoker. 

Learn about natural and traditional leather tanning techniques using animal skins for clothing to create no waste and live as a conscious omnivore. 

Location: 

Held at Ironbark Bushcamp in the picturesque rural town of Mangrove Mountain (approx 60 minutes from Sydney and Newcastle). 

More details provided of the program venue once your booking is confirmed.   

What to bring: 
Everything you would need to go camping for a weekend, including tents, bedding, food and water.

Cost: 
$370 per person (15+ only) for full weekend immersive learning experience.  All fitness levels welcome. 

Book soon to avoid missing out on this workshop!

About Jake:

Jake Cassar has been described as an encyclopedia of bush knowledge, earning this reputation by living in the wilderness for extended periods and subsiding largely from only what he can sustainably and respectfully obtain from the bush.

When Jake isn't visiting family, he lives in his grass hut next to Ironbark Creek at Mangrove mountain and has done so for many years.

Jake has featured as a Bushcraft teacher, tracker and prepper on ABC's Prepping Australia, SBS, Triple J Hack, National Indigenous TV, the History Chanel and features in the upcoming 7 Mate series Goin Off Grid. Jake has been described as the Aussie Bear Grills by the Today Show and a Bush Tucker Guru by the Daily Telegraph.

Jake is an award winning conservationist known for playing a key role in protecting massive areas of culturally and ecologically sensitive bushland and defending sacred Aboriginal sites. Just by coming on Jake's courses you are directly supporting his self-funded community and environmental work.

While this course is focused on edible & medicinal wild plants, Jake will be sharing his knowledge of bush survival and tracking based on decades of his own personal experiences.

Jake Cassar Bushcraft (JCB) acknowledges Traditional Custodians and Elders past, present and emerging. JCB strives to interact with the land and all its inhabitants in a safe, sustainable and respectful way.

'In order to reactivate our innate connection to nature we must forge a real, tangible and mutually beneficial relationship with the land and all it's inhabitants' - Jake Cassar

About Ei Yang: 

Ei Yang is self sufficiency skills mentor and workshop facilitator whose passion for nature connection has put her on a life path of exploration into traditional crafts and wisdom so that these skills may be preserved and practiced for perpetuity. 

She first learnt how to tan leather traditionally during her visit to the US in 2012 and has been perfecting and experimenting with a range of different animal skins, techniques and conditions since then. Her mission is to show others how to connect to themselves and nature through earth-based living skills.

Further participant information: 

- Campfire provided if needed. You may camp beside or inside your vehicle.  

- Please bring weather appropriate clothing and enough warm gear for cold nights on the land, walking shoes, sun hat, raincoat, bottle of water, notepad & pen and food. 

- Please keep dogs and other pets at home. 

- Remember to take your rubbish home with you at the end of the program.  

- DO NOT ATTEND if you are exhibiting any flu-like symptoms to keep participants and presenters safe. 

- The event location is not accessible by public transport, please carpool where possible.  

- Undercover learning areas available as required.  Events go ahead regardless of rain. 

- Please inform loved ones that the location has poor reception and no electricity so you are unlikely to be reachable during the program dates.