Using the Whole Animal Weekend Course with Dr. Theresa Emmerich Kamper
Schedule
Thu, 06 Aug, 2026 at 05:00 pm to Sun, 09 Aug, 2026 at 05:00 pm
UTC+01:00Location
Blinkbonny Wood | Haddington, SC
Advertisement
For much of human history, hunting came with real cost and real risk. Using short-range weapons and operating within fragile environments, our ancestors could not afford waste. Every animal taken represented an extraordinary concentration of resources—food, clothing, tools, containers, fibres, adhesives, and light—each part holding value, purpose, and potential.In contrast, modern food systems present us with only a narrow fragment of this picture. Supermarket shelves conceal the complexity, skill, and responsibility once embedded in the act of taking an animal’s life.
The Using the Whole Animal Weekend Course invites participants to step back into that older, more complete relationship. Under the guidance of Dr. Theresa Emmerich Kamper, you will explore how animals can be used respectfully and intelligently in their entirety—honouring the life taken by ensuring that as little as possible is wasted.
A Deeply Practical and Respectful Approach
This course provides a comprehensive introduction to the many usable components of an animal, how to process them, and how to preserve them for future use. Participants will gain hands-on experience with both food and utilitarian materials, learning not only what can be used, but why and how.
A range of technologies will be explored, from stone-age methods through to steel tools, offering insight into how different cultures and periods solved the same fundamental challenges with varying resources.
Rather than focusing on finished projects, the emphasis is on process, understanding, and transferable skills—giving participants the knowledge needed to continue working independently after the course.
Skills and Topics Covered
While the exact balance of activities will remain flexible—responding to time, weather, and group interests—the course typically explores the following areas:
Organs
Safe removal, sorting, and cleaning of edible organs
Identification and preparation of utilitarian organs such as:
Brains for tanning
Bladder for water containers
Intestines for thread and cordage
Skin and Hide
Skinning techniques
De-fleshing and preservation for later tanning
Introduction to hide glue production
Meat
Breaking down the carcass into usable cuts
Understanding which cuts suit different cooking and preservation methods
De-boning, making roasts, jerky, soup meat, and basic meat preservation
Fat
Rendering animal fat for storage and later use
Bones
Separating joints correctly
Using bones for food
Crafting bone tools such as:
Skin-processing tools
Awls and needles
Fishhooks
Harpoon and arrow points
Jewellery and decorative items
Sinew
Removing backstrap and leg sinew
Cleaning, drying, and preserving sinew
Processing sinew for use in sewing, bowstrings, hafting, bow backing, and binding
Hooves
Processing hooves for decorative purposes or for hoof glue
Antler (if present on the animal)
Removal techniques
Discussion of working properties and best practices when crafting with antler
Flexible, Exploratory Learning
Due to the breadth and depth of material, the weekend is structured to allow wide exploration rather than completion of finished items. The content will naturally evolve in response to participant curiosity, environmental conditions, and the pace of learning.
This approach mirrors how such skills were traditionally learned—through exposure, repetition, and relationship with material—rather than through rigid outcomes.
Food and Logistics
The weekend is fully catered, with main meals prepared using meat from the animals processed during the course. This creates a powerful connection between learning, responsibility, and nourishment.
Participants are welcome to arrive from 17:00 on Thursday, where you will be settled into the woodland and briefed on essential safety information. Accommodation is provided in bell tents, shared between two to three people per tent, though you are welcome to bring your own camping setup if preferred.
If you are unable to arrive until Friday morning, this is not a problem—formal teaching will begin at 10:00 on Friday.
Airport and train station transfers are available by prior arrangement and charged separately.
About Dr. Theresa Emmerich Kamper
Dr. Theresa Emmerich Kamper is an internationally respected practitioner and teacher of traditional living skills and primitive technologies, with over three decades of hands-on experience.
Originally from Wyoming, USA, Theresa grew up immersed in hunting, fishing, and trapping in vast wilderness landscapes. Learning to tan hides became a natural extension of a family ethic centred on using as much of the animal as possible. Between the ages of 11 and 13, she was already brain tanning skins—developing skills that would later form the foundation of her academic and professional life.
Theresa holds:
An MA in Experimental Archaeology
A PhD from the University of Exeter, specialising in Microscopic Analysis of Prehistoric Tanning Technologies
She has been teaching traditional tanning methods for over 15 years, working with audiences ranging from bushcraft practitioners to university students.
Her teaching style blends deep academic knowledge with extensive personal experience, covering everything from skin morphology to practical problem-solving and troubleshooting—the often overlooked realities of learning these demanding skills.
In addition to tanning technologies, Theresa has taught and demonstrated a wide range of traditional skills, including:
Traditional weapon construction and use
Plant and animal fibre processing
Patterning and clothing construction
Basketry
Clay processing, pottery manufacture, and firing
Shelter construction
Friction fire lighting
Flint knapping and stone tool use
In Summary
The Using the Whole Animal Weekend Course with Dr. Theresa Emmerich Kamper offers a rare opportunity to learn from one of the leading authorities in the field, developing a deeper, more responsible relationship with animals, materials, and land. Participants leave with expanded understanding, practical experience, and a renewed sense of respect for the complexity and value contained within a single life.
This course is suitable for intermediate to advanced bushcraft practitioners, hunters, outdoor educators, experimental archaeologists, and anyone seeking a deeper, more responsible relationship with animals and materials. It is particularly valuable for those who already have some experience with bushcraft, game processing, or traditional skills and wish to broaden their understanding beyond food alone. While the course is open to motivated beginners, participants should be prepared for challenging, hands-on work and for engaging thoughtfully with the ethical realities of using an animal in its entirety.
Advertisement
Where is it happening?
Blinkbonny Wood, Haddington, United KingdomEvent Location & Nearby Stays:
Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.