About us
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
- $40.00
Foraging Through the Seasons
Bunker Hills Campground Visitor Center, N45.208316, W93.277894 County Parkway B, Coon Rapids, MN, USAbout This Event
Wild edibles grow all around us, you just have to know what to look for! Bring your basket and join Maria Wesserle of Four Season Foraging as we hike around through forests and fields in search of tasty plants, fruits, and maybe even some mushrooms. We’ll discuss identification, sustainable harvesting methods, and preparation. This class will be held rain or shine, so please dress for the weather.Registration
This class is being held in partnership with Anoka County Parks. Please register on their website. Space is limited to encourage participatory learning.Cost is $40.
1 attendee - $70.00
Plants for Perseverance During Difficult Times
3612 Bloomington Ave, Minneapolis, MN, USAbout This Event
We live in inherently dysregulating times which deeply impact our spirits and nervous systems, individually and collectively. This class offers a space to tap into one our oldest and deepest relationships. Our plant kin offer a space of remembrance, friendship, and support, especially in the aftermath of individual and collective trauma. They also connect with our bodies medicinally, offering calm and comfort in moments of distress. This class will explore how remembering our interconnection to all beings allows us to access our grief and also offers medicine to keep going. We will explore what it means to be in reciprocal relationship with our plant kin, tell stories, hold space, and engage in embodied practice.We will meet at Anam Cara in South Minneapolis.
Accessibility: This event will be held on even and sloped ground with short grass, potentially also sidewalk. We will mostly be sitting; total distance traveled will be less than half a mile. There may be a couple accessible parking spaces available in the parking area off the alley.
Sliding scale $50 - $90. No one turned away for lack of funds. For details or questions, please email Owen at ohmarciano@gmail.com.
About the Facilitators
Maria Wesserle is a forager and certified wildlife tracker. Her business, Four Season Foraging, is devoted to creating a space where people can learn to interact with urban and rural wild places in meaningful and sustainable ways.Owen Marciano of Nonna Terra is a queer & trans artist and Tarot reader of Sicilian descent/dissent, working to reclaim his relationship to land and to his ancestry through traditional crafts like embroidery and sculpture. He has made a lifelong commitment to work toward the end of oppression and violence, and is perpetually curious about the impact of colonization on our bodies and our planet.
Registration
Space is limited to better encourage participatory learning. Please register before Wednesday, September 9th, 3pm.1 attendee - $100.00
Fall Plant & Mushroom Foray
Avon Hills Folk School, 31335 Kalla Lake Rd, Avon, MN, USAbout This Event
Join Ariel and Maria for a day of foraging fun at the Avon Hills Folk School! The workshop will start with two slideshow presentations: one covering introductory information about wild mushroom foraging, and the other about wild edible plants we may find in the area.Afterwards, we will hit the trails to apply our newfound knowledge to the surrounding landscape. Mushrooms and plants we may encounter include hen of the woods, chanterelles, turkey tails, stinging nettle, black nightshade, and sumac! Bring your own bags or baskets, as we can sustainably pick any edible mushrooms or plants we come across!
Expect to walk about 2 miles across maintained trails as well as off-trail into forests and fields. The terrain may require bushwhacking, walking over uneven ground, logs and other obstacles. This foray portion of the class will take around 2.5 hours. This event will take place rain or shine, so please arrive prepared for the weather! In case of extreme weather, the class will be canceled and a refund will be issued.
Registration
This event is being held in partnership with Avon Hills Folk School. Please visit their website to register.Cost is $100.
This course is for students 18+, or 14+ with accompanying adult.
1 attendee - $45.00
Introduction to Foraging: Discovering Wild Foods
Edina Community Center, 5701 Normandale Rd RM 351, Edina, mn, USAbout This Event
Fall offers many tasty opportunities for the growing forager! Join Maria Wesserle of Four Season Foraging in this introductory class about common wild edibles. We will start inside for a slideshow presentation, then move outdoors to explore wild edible plants of the autumn landscape. Together we will learn about laws and ethics around foraging, as well as identification, harvest, and preparation of edible species. Please dress for the weather (rain or shine!) and be prepared to walk around a mile. Plants we will probably encounter include nettle, cut-leaf coneflower, wild carrot, and many others! You will leave with a newfound appreciation for the wild plants that grow all around us plus a greater sense of confidence in foraging your own food!This class is intergenerational. Ages 14 and up are permitted to attend with an adult.
We will start inside the Edina Community Center in room 166 for a slideshow presentation, then move outdoors to explore wild edible plants of the early summer landscape.
(Make sure to drive or carpool to the Community Center so you have transportation to the park.)
Registration
This class is being held in partnership with Edina Community Education. Please register on their website.Cost is $45.
1 attendee
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