Do you want to feel more at home in Nature?
As comfortable there as in your own home?
Do you want to feel like more than a tourist in the forest?
Have you listened to other people’s stories about their life changing experiences in the woods with tears in their eyes and had no story of your own to share?
Maybe even thinking “I could never do that?”
Practicing what it takes to feel that level of connection to Nature on one’s own can be daunting. You may not even know what to do in order to get there. Having someone to guide you and a group of compatriots on the same path can make all the difference.
I have had the honor to guide groups of people into deep connection with the land, each other and themselves for many years.
I have seen lifelong friendships and lifelong passions begin and flourish in my groups. I have seen the journey through mentorship in Nature skills lead to personal transformation and growth that goes beyond the student’s time in the forest. I have seen students struggle, give up, try again and succeed at something they thought impossible. I have seen students perceive animals, plants and trees in a way that would have seemed like magic before their journey in Nature connection began. I have seen humbling moments that brought a new and sometimes difficult understanding of one’s effect on the world.
And I have experienced this all myself, helped along by my own mentors, in my own journey of Nature connection.
And now it’s time for you to be part of such a journey.
Once a month Branching Out will meet to have experiences and practice skills deepening our relationship to the natural world. Things like fire by friction, food and medicine from plants, basket making, building our own shelters to sleep in, tracking wildlife, and studying the language of the forest.
While I will introduce practices and projects, there will be no real agenda other than spending time in Nature getting to know it a little better every day. Students will have the opportunity to work at their own pace and toward their own interests. I will have a theme and a skill to work on for those who would like more direct guidance and will be available to support through mentorship anything else that participants wish to work on (including naps under trees or watching the clouds go by, it doesn’t all have to be about getting stuff done).
Logistics
We meet once a month 10am to 3pm. Each season will have an overnight campout (or, in the case of winter a two day trip to Central Massachusetts for snow tracking where participants will make their own accommodations for the night).
Registration will be seasonal with a 10% discount for a full year registration (that includes 10% off all my other classes held that same year) .
Summer 2023 9am to 4pm June 17th- July 15th- August 26-27th campout
Fall 2023 10 to 4 September 24th, October 21 -22 campout, November 18th
Winter 2023/24 10am to 4pm December 2nd, January 13-14 two days of snow tracking, NO campout, February 10th
Spring 2024 10am to 4pm March 9th, April 20th-21st campout, May 18th