John N. Kallas, Ph.D., Wild Food Adventures ™
4125 N Colonial Ave, Portland, OR 97217-3338
Phone: (503) 775-3828e-mail: mail@wildfoodadventures.comPrint a Reminder Poster of This Year's Rendezvous
Go To - GingerRoot Wild Food Rendezvous

Comments of Past Participants

By John Kallas John Kallas collecting nori at the Pacific Ocean

Our Goals To help participants understand the roles that wild foods can play in recreation, survival, primitive living, and simple living situations; to provide hands on experience with some of the most important plants and processes that could be used in those situations; to provide the opportunity for participants to share and learn from each other regarding their cumulative experiences with wild foods; to promote a sustainable harvest mentality with a strong support of protecting and respecting green and wild places; to directly address the great mass of misinformation found in the popular literature and the internet; and to have fun, make friends, and connect with people who are interested in the same kinds of things. The Mood We'd Like to Set We want this to be a fun and educational outdoor experience and adventure. We expect everyone to be friendly, respectful, encouraging of others, and open minded. Leave bad attitudes at home. You are welcome to be a lone wolf or be as social as you feel comfortable - as long as you are respectful to others. We will be together a lot of the time so take the opportunity to get to know people and make friends.

The Site, Accommodations, & Food - NEW SITE this year Our new base camp is at Rockaway Beach, Oregon, about 16 miles North of Tillamook. The lodge is at 882 N Miller St, Rockaway, OR 97136. The accommodations are primitive to rustic, most participants will be in tents in open grass while others can opt to stay indoors in a bunkhouse situation. Parking is adjacent to our lodge and there are no hook-ups for RVs. Wherever practical / sustainable / allowed, we will snack on, or add wild foods to our meals, otherwise, participants will want to bring snacking and sack lunch type foods. Participants have the option of staying in a local bed and breakfast or hotel but you must provide your own transportation to and from the Native Shores event. There is no refrigeration available for participants outside of Native Shores activities. Find a map here. Instructors / Guides / Teachers Everyone attending will share their knowledge, ideas, methods, and wisdom based on their own experiences. Participant skill levels will range from beginner to advanced. All input will be respected as personal experience to be learned from. The main instructor and moderator is Dr. John Kallas, Director of Wild Food Adventures. Dr. Kallas has a Ph.D. in nutrition and a Masters in education. He is a trained botanist, nature photographer, writer, researcher, and teacher. John has researched edible wild plants since 1970 and taught in colleges, universities, primitive technology conferences, and to the general public since 1978. He has taught and trained thousands of people in wild foods from all over North America, and given hundreds of wild food presentations. Dr. Kallas founded the Wild Food Adventures outdoor school in 1993 and the Wild Food Adventurer newsletter in 1996. More about John. To read a personal account of the Rendezvous go Here

Bay Cockles

What to Bring (See Detailed List)
Rockaway is a small coastal town with a library, a few small convenience stores, and a few tourist stops. Tillamook, 16 miles to the South, comes complete with hospitals, markets, and tourist attractions. The ocean is a 4 minute walk from our base camp. If you plan to fly in, limiting your ability to transport items, call us before making travel plans so we can arrange to provide some things for you. We will be in the same location for four days with access to modern kitchen and bathroom facilities. Those not wanting to stay in tents can pay an additional $45 to stay in the lodge for the duration of the event. Tents should be relatively wind and water proof in the event of severe coastal weather. May is not a typically bad weather month, but you should come prepared. Beginning on Saturday, breakfasts and dinners will be provided through Monday morning. You are responsible for 2 sack lunches and snacks.
Refrigeration for personal items will not be provided. Bring a plate, bowl, cup and utensils if you'd like them at your campsite or in your room, but they are not generally necessary. Conventional food supplies will be available in town. Wild foods will make up the bulk of our evening meals.

Partially Submerged Laminaria - One Kind of Kombu

We will travel daily to several gathering sites. Bringing the bounty back to camp for processing and cooking. Most of the gathering sites require a current Oregon Shellfish Collecting License. This is mandatory! . See below for details. It is helpful to being a small backpack for day trips, a good knife and other field materials that are listed in detail at "What to Bring". Prepare for temperatures usually ranging from 40 F to 75 F. Bring clothing for comfort. For coastal forests, bring rugged but layered hiking cloths and hiking boots. All seashore clothing should be layered and able to withstand immersion in salt water and protect your body from a fall on sharp rocks. Bring old wetable tennis shoes and very warm layered wool clothing (socks, pants, sweaters). If you do not have much wool, check out thrift stores for old sweaters and pants. Wet suits might be overkill as most people will only get wet from their knees to their waist. Shorts, bare feet, sandals, and light summer cotton clothing are not recommended for our field trips. Bring a musical instrument, a song, a dance, and a folk tale to tell for the evenings.

The Oregon Coast
For scale - note that the two specks on the far end of the beach are humans.

Do NOT Bring
Drugs, alcohol, firearms, fireworks, fighting, or pets. Smoking is prohibited inside the Lodge. Violators and troublemakers will be asked to leave. Anyone asked to leave has no right to a refund.

Arrival / Event / Departure Schedule
Arrive: Anytime after 4pm on Friday May 9, 2008: Set up camp/meet other participants.
First activities officially begin at 7pm Friday.
The last activity ends by noon Monday, May 12th.

Fee: $290 (in US dollars) for the full 4 day event. See discounts and childrens fees below.

Carpooling Contribution: Currently estimated to be $8-10/person depending on the current price for gas. So in addition to the entrance fee, you will be asked to contribute a car pooling fee. We will be traveling to a variety of habitats over the four days of the event. Since we do not have busses or vans, some participants who have space in their cars will volunteer their vehical for use in car pooling. Based on current prices, the fuel required for traveling for the Rendezvous costs about $32 per car. Participants will be asked to contribute their fair share of that amount to the driver when they get here.

Lodging: Camping is free, or stay in the lodge for a small fee...
The lodge contains the Native Shores Kitchen and provides primitive bunkhouse conditions with shared bathrooms. Here are the costs for the full event:
Bunkhouse (Male & Female): $36
Private Room: $120 (for 2 persons, add $30 per extra adult or child): 3 available
Beds & rooms are limited and assigned on a first come first serve basis.
Lodge beds come with bare mattresses, so sleeping bags and/or sheets, blankets, and pillows must be brought by participants.
We are all responsible for cleaning the rooms before we leave - there is no room service or staff.

Discounts: Register in advance on or before...
February 15, 2008 and pay a reduced rate of only: $230
March 15, 2008 and pay a reduced rate of only: $240
April 1, 2008 and pay a reduced rate of only: $250
April 15, 2008 and pay a reduced rate of only: $260
May 4, 2008 and pay a reduced rate of only: $275
May 5th, onward, pay full price of $290
Fees for the Lodge must be added to these discounts.

Early registration bonuses require that you pay in full (received in our office) by the appropriate date above.
Previous Native Shores Attendees get a $60 discount off any of the cut-off dates above.
Two Day (Saturday + Sunday) attendees pay full prices listed above.
Two Day (Either Saturday + Monday OR Sunday + Monday) attendees pay $170 if they register on or before April 15, 2008, $190 thereafter
Single Day (Saturday or Sunday) attendees pay $120 if they register on or before April 15, 2008, $135 thereafter
There is no extra charge for one or two day participants to attend Friday's orientation.

These adults (18+) get a $30 discount:
Full time students
Native Americans
Family members that register together
Some Work-in-Trades might be considered.

Fees for "Attending" Children
Ages: 0 - 5 attend for free
Ages: 6 - 8 pay 8 times their age
Ages: 9 - 11 pay 10 times their age
Ages: 12 - 14 pay 12 times their age
Ages: 15 - 17 pay 14 times their age up to a maximum of $230
Children through and including the age of 17 must be under the supervision and responsibility of a parent or guardian at all times. The Native Shores Rendezvous, Dr. Kallas, Wild Food Adventures, and anyone associated with them are not, and cannot be responsible for non-adults. There are no child care facilities. That being said, children will find a supportive environment from the staff.

Refund Policy / Important Dates
All except a $20 non-refundable processing fee is returned if a refund is requested on or before April 15, 2008.
80% is returned if a refund is requested on or before April 20, 2008.
60% is returned if a refund is requested on or before April 26, 2008.
40% is returned if a refund is requested on or before May 1, 2008.
20% is returned if a refund is requested on or before May 5, 2008.
0% is returned if a refund is requested on or after May 6, 2008 (includes no-shows)

How to Register
Print out the Registration Form and Acceptance of Personal Responsibility Form at this site. Fill them out completely. Sign them. Write out a check or money order (in US dollars) payable to "Wild Food Adventures" for the appropriate amount.
IMPORTANT: if you live outside of the US... a personal or local bank check cannot be accepted. We can only accept a cashier's check or money order made out in US dollars from a US bank or American Express office. These forms of currency should be payable to "Wild Food Adventures".

Recreational Shellfish Licenses
Recreational Shellfish Licenses are now required for anyone over 13 years of age to collect shellfish in Oregon. In-state licenses are $6.50/year, Out of state licenses are $9 for 3 days or $16.50/year. 3-Day licenses must specify the days you intend to do the collecting. You must have the License with you during the workshop or you will only be allowed to watch. If shellfish are found in your possession on the beach and you do not have a license, the fine is $75 and up. Licenses can be purchased "PRIOR" to our events at any Oregon Fred Meyer, GI Joes, Bi-Mart, and other sporting goods stores. If you have any questions call the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife at 800-720-6339 or 503-947-6000. There is an informational page at http://www.dfw.state.or.us/FF/shellfish.htm. Licenses can be ordered by mail but the process takes about a month. DO NOT wait until the last minute!
Note that a license does not allow us the ability to collect shellfish if there is a marine toxin advisory from the Department of Fish & Wildlife, The Department of Health, or the USDA.

Other Topics at this Web Site...
Wild Food Adventures Main Directory
John Kallas Biography
Book Reviews / Bookstore
Euell Gibbons Biography
Technical Adviser for Movie Industry
Wild Foods in Wilderness Survival
Wild Food Retreat at Opal Creek
Wild Food Workshops
Wild Food Newsletter
Wild Food Primer
Wild Food Services
Nature Photographs