Read John's one-on-one interview with Les Stoud, SurvivorMan during his recent trip to Annapolis.

 

Mission Statement My philosophy is based on a love of the natural world, which has consumed my life for as long as I can remember. I believe that my role is as a caretaker for the planet and wish to encourage in others a profound connection to the earth. Most importantly, I want to create a positive experience for children and adults in an outdoor setting. See a video of an average day in one of John's Native American programs: See Video.

Click here for full year calendar to see the whole upcoming schedule by month through 2024.

Summer Programs - Click here to learn about some of my upcoming nature programs, plans for the summer and kids camps summer 2024. Watch a video of nature adventure campers at the beach: Video

John is offering exciting events almost every weekend and many week days. Click here for full year calendar to see the whole upcoming schedule by month through 2024.

Birthday Parties: - John has all of the materials to host an exciting Native America craft party. Children will make their own authentic, fun crafts. Learn about nature and Native American culture through activites and a hands-on nature collection. Each child can choose their own project to construct such as: bows, bone knives, leather pouches, blowguns, spears, tomahawks, and dream catchers
Fall Programs - Click here to learn about some of my upcoming Fall programs. New Native American Nature Class, Tracking, and Drum making. New Deer Processing and Usage
Spring Programs - Click here to learn about some of my upcoming nature programs and plans for the kids camps Spring 2024.
Indian Crafts and Outdoor Games - We will be making fires, bone knives, antler whistles, small game traps, bows & arrows, moccasins, shields, tomahawks, bolas, and many other cool crafts and games (Click here for a complete list). To learn about how to make some projects on your own. select the craft: make a Bow and Arrow, Construct a Bone Knife, make a blowgun, make a hut, construct a rawhide craft and make a shield.

Paintball Parties: - John has all of the materials, paintball guns and safety gear to host an exciting and safe capture-the-flag paintball party as well. Start by building your fort so that you can protect it from attack then defend your fort or go on the offensive to capture the other team's flag. New BT and Tippman paintball guns along with thermal masks! John provides everything you need: Paintball guns, CO2 tanks, paintballs, and masks. Or if you want, you can bring your own paintball gun. Learn more about Paintball Tactics.

John has a week-long residency program which follows the Maryland State Curriculum See Teaching Artist Institute (TAI) Program. The Native American Cultural Enhancement series is a school program in coordination with Native American History, see: School Programs. In these programs, students learn about the original inhabitants of North America through an authentic display of Native American Technology, demonstrations, slideshows, student construction of daily lifestyle items and native activities. Students can make a group wigwam or tipi, bark containers, medicine pouches, rattles, masks, talking sticks, cornhusk people or play native American Games. Learn more about the available after School Programs by selecting one of the following flyers: Native American Program, Hunter and Gather Program, and the Craftsman Program.

Drum Making - In this class each student will transform a deerskin and an eight-sided wood frame into a powerful personal, large drum and beater linking the student to the spirit of the deer and the earth which all things come from. For thousands of years deer hide has been used by native peoples for many things including spiritual objects such as the drum, shield and rattle. The drum making class is at John's house. There is a $175 fee that covers the deer skin, octagon wooden frame, and other materials. Reserve your spot today!

Survival Skills - John offers Wild Edible and Medicinal Plant Class, Survival Class, and tracking and hunting classes. If you ever end up on the TV show Survivor, John will make sure you can start a fire, and live off the land. Click to learn more.

Read John's account of his trip to the Amazon .

I'm writing about my visit to the Amazon where I explored the Amazon Jungle and the Andes Mountains in Peru with the Fishback and Tyson families....Continued

Click here to see some photos from John's trip to Costa Rica.

Background. For those who are new to my programs, I'm an environmental educator with a degree in Natural Resource Management from the University of Maryland. I have taught youth and adults about the natural world for more then twenty-five years. My self-employment began in 1994 with one home-school group and has evolved into Native American studies for public and private school groups, Nature adventure camps running continuously through the summer and spring break, teacher education seminars, birthday parties and other activities involving paintball, kayaking, fishing, caving, rock climbing, survival and most of all Native American crafts. I have studied with well-known trackers, biologists, and Native American elders; conducted an extensive wildlife survey; survived off the land; made log canoes, teepees and "Indian" Villages; learning kits; produced a wide range of crafts and many more natural related activities. Finally I'm a Emergency Medical Technician and an Anne Arundel County firefighter.

Safety is the primary concern in all my camp and class endeavors and is an integral part of the educational process. All participants are instructed as to the safety rules and restrictions associated with each activity and must conform to these rules in order to participate in each.

Parent Testimonials:

Former Maryland Governor Parris Glendening: My daughter was very excited to take your school nature program. She would come home and enthusiastically show us what she made and what she had learned in the woods. She enjoyed greatly learning about the Native American culture and nature. These memories, I am sure, will stay with her for years to come. Thank you for your good work.

Cynthia Kamman - I can't resist adding to the accolades being showered upon the John Fishback Nature Programs. My son, now 13, has been lucky enough to participate in many of John's programs since he was 8. I've never found a child drawn to nature that didn't think John was the greatest. He knows and understands and transfers his enthusiasm for nature like no one I have ever seen. He is especially familiar with our geographic area. I think he spends more time in nature than indoors, and probably has for most of his life. Not only does he transfer information and knowledge about the flora and fauna, the kids absolutely inhale a respect and sense of responsibility about the earth and care for it at the same time.

Lisa Cox - The kids came home from camp exhausted and fell asleep early every night. All of the kids respect John, and listen to him. John takes safety seriously and the kids follow his safety rules.

Send your name and address to be included on John's mailing list. You'll hear about all of John's camps, activities, and special events.

Email John: fishbacknature@verizon.net

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