This Fall’s 14 participants come from many walks of life, with the common goal of being part of healing the human-earth relationship.
They gathered here on September 25 and will be here until November 14. They are currently in week seven of their ten week semester.
Their weeks together include classes on permaculture, soul-centric human development, growing food organically, deep nature connection, and reconnection with the earth-honoring cultures of their ancestors. There is a deep sense of each participant reclaiming themselves as part of a wider community of solidarity that draws from ancestral knowing as they forge their future paths.
Participants rotate meal preparation responsibilities, utilizing the garden harvest, considering everyone’s dietary preferences and locating themselves within the cycle that is from living earth to table.
They gather in circle and share from the heart what is alive within themselves, and ask for what they need in terms of peer support, gaining the skills of integral communication and self-regulation.
The three program facilitators, Sarai, Malik, and Russell (pictured here) are skilled in deep listening, and guiding young adults to find their unique soul purpose.
A few glimpses of their time together:
A few folks learning Fire by Friction with Russell and his hand-drill. Others learning safe wood chopping (in the background) with Sarai during the second week. CB, in the blue scarf, is our Kitchen Coordinator, and doing a masterful job at keeping the community kitchen stocked, organized, and the meal teams rocking!
On the Autumnal Equinox, we considered the ancestral traditions of various cultures who honored this turning point, from more light to more dark… from warmth to cold.
This group enjoys meaningful conversations and simple rituals, especially together as a circle.
Once we get the spark and the flame going, Community Fires are a space for song, stories, and heart-sharing.
Students and facilitators spoke what was out of balance in our lives and what we chose to release into the fire, and then made prayers for what we would like to bring into balance.
Mealtimes are such fun when your friends are excited to cook for you!
And when you have fresh vegetables and herbs (like this goldenrod) from the garden, the flavors are delightful.
As a natural teacher and trained herbalist, Sarai loves to share her botanical knowledge, and the students enjoy learning the health benefits of teas from plants like goldenrod, which is blooming in abundance!
Healing the Human-Earth relationship through deep nature connection sometimes means lots of time in the natural world, exploring through play.
This swimming hole on the Eno River is a local favorite spot on hot afternoons! A personal relationship with water (in various forms) lays the soul-level foundation for water activism, conservation, protection, and justice.
During Week 4 of the Rising Earth Immersion, 16 additional community members joined for 5 days of Permaculture Foundations Certification with Meg and Ojibwe Elder Dan Wahpepah. In the spirit of Decolonization, the curriculum is mostly experiential learning (instead of didactic lecture-style).
Our partners at the Mud Dauber School of Natural Building host us for a field trip and let us get our hands dirty! We learn that the oldest buildings in the world are made of clay, sand, and straw, and that various combinations of these three substances are used all over the world as natural and nontoxic building materials.
At the end of the week, each of the 32 students presented their own set of Ecological Design Principles!
The Fall 2022 Rising Earth Immersion Cohort is one of the most brilliant and diverse groups we’ve hosted here at The Eco-Institute. The knowledge and wisdom they bring supports their grappling with the social and ecological challenges their generation is facing. It is our great honor to hold this space for such inspiring future leaders. Thank you for your support of this work.