While most of us slept in our own beds the night of July 11, a group of seven campers were sleeping out under the stars at North Park.

The group was taking part in a Native American survival course taught by husband-and-wife team Earl and Lee Dingus of Baldwin Township through the Latodami Nature Center in North Park. Mr. Dingus, a Cherokee Indian, and Mrs. Dingus, a Seneca Indian, often combine classes about their culture with classes on survival skills.

"A lot of our survival activities are based on principles from our ancestors," Mrs. Dingus said.

According to North Park naturalist Meg Scanlon, this is the third year the South Hills couple has led the class. Participants have varied from urban dwellers who want to know more about nature, to outdoors enthusiasts who want to learn more about survival and first aid skills, to those interested in Native American cultures.

In addition to Ms. Scanlon and the Dinguses, four others were ready to "rough it" in the park. That number was smaller than in the past, Ms. Scanlon said, but enthusiasm was high as they started the two-day overnight program in an outdoor classroom setting at the nature center.

John Mares, 30, of Troy Hill took the class with his friend, Glenn Purnell. Mr. Purnell, 40, of McCandless, learned of the course and asked Mr. Mares if he wanted to participate.

"I was in the Navy and had learned survival skills then, but that was a few years ago," Mr. Mares said.

While North Park isn't the wilderness as many may know it, the Dinguses showed Mr. Mares, Mr. Purnell and Leatrice and Mike Krivyanski of Hampton basic survival equipment and shared tips and techniques.

In addition to the classes they teach at North Park, Mr. Dingus works with Ms. Scanlon, volunteering at the park and assisting her with other classes. The couple has taught classes at Community College of Allegheny County and the University of Pittsburgh and they have served on search and rescue teams.

A key element in the lessons was working with modern day equipment as well as items found in nature -- while not causing damage to the environment. Mr. Dingus said, "Our spirituality is nature, so we need to know how to survive, but also how to live with nature and respect it."

The couple identified edible plants and discussed hunting techniques but told the group that because they were not in a true survival situation, they would not waste the resources of the land in demonstration.

Campers were supplied with a list of what to bring for the program, including sleeping bags, tarps, food and other basics. The couple offered advice as they went through their own items.

"Other than your brain, your knife is the most important tool you will have in the wilderness," Mr. Dingus said as they showed the group more than a dozen varieties of knives.

Lessons also included map reading, compass reading and fire making before the group headed off to camp in the park.

Ms. Scanlon shared her expertise with the group as well. "I was amazed by Meg's knowledge of native plants. She dug up some wild carrots and showed us plants to use for natural insect repellent," Mr. Krivyanski said.

Once in the woods, the group had projects to work on. Mr. Krivyanski said he made a slingshot while his wife made a wooden spoon. "[The group] also made fire using a bow," he said.

Each camper was responsible for his or her meals and cooked with camping equipment brought from home. The Dinguses had a campfire, and Mr. Dingus played the flute well into the night, Mr. Krivyanski said. "It was mesmerizing and so relaxing. Plus, we had perfect weather."

When it was time to settle down, the campers fanned out in different directions but stayed within sight of each other.

Mr. Mares said he enjoyed the night in the wilds of North Park.. "It was interesting to learn how to make a shelter out of debris. Even though we all slept on and under our own tarps, that is good to know."

He said his only uneasy moment came when he woke up to find a daddy longlegs walking on his face. There were many animal sounds in the night, the campers said, but nothing approached them. All the campers carried cell phones, and the Dinguses had an emergency phone.

"We like having the knowledge that we can survive in the wilderness. If you need to, you can survive -- we have the confidence to do it. And that is what we wanted to learn," Mr. Krivyanski said.

That's also what Ms. Scanlon was hoping for the participants.

"We don't want them to panic if they get lost or need help. We want them to be able to think about their choices and to make wise decisions," she said.

The class will be offered again next year.

Looking for more from the Post-Gazette? Join PG+, our members-only web site. You'll get exclusive sports content, opinion, financial information, discounts from retailers and restaurants, and more. Our introduction to PG+ gives you all the details.