What we’re about
The main purpose of this group is to share traditional “back to the land” skills and develop a greater connection to and appreciation for our Earth, while having fun and making connections with others in the general eastern MN and western WI area.
In addition to "skills", this site is also a format for posting earth connecting events....like solstice celebrations, raptor center bird releases, earth day happenings, and farm/earth based festivals and gatherings.
Please post any classes, workshops, or gatherings, that you would like to offer or know about that fit this group's theme. there is really a shortage of people willing to teach. so if you have something to offer, please consider sharing.
“Back to the land” skills are referred to by various names, such as Folk-Green-Traditional-Nature-Wilderness-Earth-Primitive-Survival-Native-Homesteading Skills. If you are interested in being more connected to nature, sustainability, self sufficiency, and have ever wanted to learn about: edible wild plants, tanning hides, wool spinning/felting, flintknapping, mushrooms, making fire without matches, maple syruping, cheese making, basket making, bee keeping, hunting/fishing, gardening + seed saving, canning+food preservation, homemade soap, raising animals, natural building, knitting/sewing, wood working, herbal medicine, etc and too many others to list. then please join and lead or attend a class/workshop.
This group is intended to have an emphasis on honoring and connecting to Earth (the plants, animals, water, air, and soil) by raising awareness of our relationship with nature, and how the Earth provides so abundantly for us, nourishing our body, mind, and spirit.
In addition to learning skills, may we have gratitude and honor for all the earth gifts that provide life.
If you RSVP for a class, but later decide not to attend, please un-RSVP as that is considerate and helpful for whoever is leading the class.
*Any children present at a Meetup event must be supervised by a parent or guardian.
Upcoming events (4+)
See all- OPENING - Track and Sign Practice AssessmentMinneapolis, MN, Minneapolis, MN$125.00
About This Event
Join the Minnesota Wildlife Tracking Project for this two-day long “mock evaluation” of your track and sign interpretation skills! Modeled on the CyberTracker Certification system, this Practice Assessment offers a low-cost, low-pressure opportunity to learn in a supportive environment, receive detailed feedback, and get a sense of how you may perform on a CyberTracker Certification should you choose to take one.Expect an immersive experience; there will be around 50 questions at one or more locations in and around the Twin Cities Metro Area from approximately 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM on Saturday and 8:00 AM to 2:00 PM on Sunday. Like in CyberTracker Certifications, rulers and field guides can be consulted in between rounds of questions, but not while actively working to identify track and sign. The process is not typically physically demanding, but plan to be outside during the entire assessment and possibly walk up to 2 or 3 miles each day. Dress for the weather and pack whatever you need to support your comfort and learning in the field (food and water, an outdoor cushion to sit/kneel on if you wish, pencil and notebook, etc.)
If you have never participated in a CyberTracker Certification, you may wish to read this description and this FAQ on the Tracker Certification North America website. This Practice Assessment is NOT a CyberTracker Certification, and participants will not receive any type of certificate. This is a practice opportunity.
Participants who do exceptionally well on the Practice Assessment will be offered a scholarship for a future CyberTracker Certification.
Registration
Registration is limited to 10 participants. We will select applicants whose participation we believe will advance the club's mission to promote the art and science of wildlife tracking. We are interested in applicants who are new to the CyberTracker teaching and assessment style; as well as those actively involved with the club. We encourage everyone who is interested to apply.Two spots opened up for this event! To register, please fill out this form.
Tuition will be due two weeks after you receive confirmation. This program is offered on a sliding tuition scale of $100 - $150. No one will be turned away for lack of funds.
Facilitator Bios
Jonathan Poppele holds CyberTracker Track & Sign Specialist certificates in two regions: Southern California and Central Minnesota. He is the founder of the Minnesota Wildlife Tracking Project and author of Animal Tracks of the Midwest and Bird Tracks: A Guide to 55 North American Species. Jon has participated in 24 CyberTracker Track & Sign Certifications with eleven different evaluators on two continents.Maria Wesserle is a forager and wildlife tracker from Minneapolis, Minnesota. She has spent over 15 years organizing and teaching nature programs in the Upper Midwest. Through her business Four Season Foraging, she offers foraging and tracking workshops, creating spaces where people can learn to interact with urban and rural environments in meaningful and sustainable ways. She holds a Professional Track & Sign certification from CyberTracker North America.
Bill Kass holds a CyberTracker Track & Sign Professional certification and Tracker Level II in the US. He also has Tracker Certifications in Kenya and South Africa and has tracked animals in Canada, Poland, and the UK. He also spent time with the Master Trackers of the Kalahari, observing first-hand the incredible skills of San people that led to the development of the CyberTracker evaluation system. Outside of combing the banks of the Mississippi in Mpls, Bill spends a lot of time in Northern Minnesota and Colorado looking for signs of wolf, moose, bear, elk, and mountain lions.
- Summer City ForagingAmerican Swedish Institute, Minneapolis, MN$45.00
About This Event
You don’t need to trek into the wilderness to harvest wild edibles—there are options right here in the city! Join Maria Wesserle of Four Season Foraging to explore the urban environment in search of wild foods.
The class will focus on easy-to-identify seasonal flowers and fruits, starting right on ASI’s campus. Participants will also discuss other wild edibles found along the way and the cultural heritage of foraging in Sweden and other Scandinavian countries. A similar workshop takes place in October with a focus on other seasonal plants.Students should wear clothing appropriate for the weather (rain or shine!) and be prepared to walk up to 10–12 city blocks. Suitable for ages 18+, or 11–17 accompanied by a registered adult.
Registration
This event is being held in partnership with the American Swedish Institute. Please register on their website.Cost is $45 ($40 for ASI members). Scholarship options are available.
- Foraging School with Robin Greenfield at the Organic Compound Faribault MNNeeds location
Food and medicine is growing freely and abundantly all around us and this is your opportunity to learn how to identify, harvest and enjoy this abundance!
Together we will learn foraging, enjoy foraged foods and connect to Earth and community.
Foraging School is accessible to people with all levels of foraging experience.
If you are looking for an entry into foraging or to deepen your practice, this is an ideal opportunity amongst new friends.
We are grateful and excited to be welcomed onto the lands of members of our community to gather together.
Foraging School is offered on a donation basis and nobody will be turned away for lack of funds.
facebook event link
https://www.facebook.com/events/1112077760809742/location:
Organic Compound
18125 Eiler Ave, Faribault, MN
I will be in the prep stage for my year-long immersion of foraging 100% of my food and you’ll get to immerse in this with me!
To join us at Foraging School, register here:robingreenfield.org/foragingschool
Love,
Robin## About Foraging School
My focus is to provide you with an opportunity to immerse yourself in a weekend of foraging and return home informed, inspired, motivated and with a sense of community to make foraging a foundational part of your life. I am running Foraging School on a very grassroots level, so that we can focus on foraging, rather than logistics. At the same time, we hope for this to be a practice of connecting deeply with Earth, existing simply and in gratitude for the basics of life, and in breaking free from consumerism and the conveniences of our industrialized lives.
Weekend Outline. Arrival Friday later afternoon/evening, get settled in, welcome circle Friday evening; classes Saturday morning until Sunday late afternoon; departure Sunday late afternoon/early evening.
Saturday or Sunday attendance is an option as well. See the Welcome Letter for more details on this.
Lodging: Camping on site, with each person being responsible for their own camping gear.
Accessibility for new foragers: I strive for my work to be accessible and open to all. Foraging School will be accommodating even for those who have never foraged a bite of food in their life. In fact, those are the people who stand to gain the most!
Suggested Donation: Sliding scale suggested donation of $150-$300 per adult and $50-$75 per child. No donation is required.other locations and dates:
-Duluth, MN Day School: August 2nd at The Little Barnyard Preschool
-Faribault, MN Weekend Immersion: August 8th-10th at Organic Compound
-Madison, WI area Weekend Immersion: August 15th-17th at Sacred -Rhythms Healing Arts in Waterloo
-Ashland, WI Weekend Immersion: August 22nd-24th at Potter’s Farm - Summer Foraging DayChisago County, North Branch, MN$80.00
About This Event
Join Maria Wesserle and Four Season Foraging for a full day of foraging! Take a trip out to the countryside for an in-depth exploration of wild plants and mushrooms. We will discuss laws and ethics around foraging, as well as identification, harvest, and preparation of edible species. Plants and mushrooms that we may find include sochan, wild cherries, chanterelles, and chicken of the woods! If we’re lucky, we may even get to harvest some mushrooms or fruits. (We won’t be able to collect greens, flowers, or roots, but we can learn about them!)This class will require a lot of walking since things are more spread out in rural areas. Suggested age 14 and up (those under 18 should be accompanied by an adult.)
The exact location for this event will be sent to you in an email. It will be about 1 hour 15 minutes north of Minneapolis.
Accessibility: this event will be held on and off trail and will require bushwhacking, going up and down hills, and walking over logs and other obstacles. Total distance traveled will be about 4 miles.
Sliding scale $70 - $90.
For more details, please email info@fourseasonforaging.com or call 612-440-5958.
Registration
Space is limited to better encourage participatory learning. Please register before Friday, August 8th, 1pm.
