What are Woodlander Gatherings?
Woodlander Gatherings create an atmosphere where people can relax and find the time for hands-on exploration and knowing of the natural world, and develop artful thinking. There is talking, visiting, wandering and organized workshops and activities. Everything is designed to foster freedom of exploration, insight, creativity, skill building, earth stewardship, and solid group experiences. The goal is to help people discover what is most wonderful about themselves and to foster awareness and appreciation of others, and the world around them.
written by environmental artist, Laurie Seeman, about the workshops she offers. It's true about the Gatherings, where she also shares.
Woodlander Gatherings create a protected time to discover important marginal interests and sleeping passions in your life with natural materials.
Woodlander Gatherings are about exploring and pioneering in the Creative Unconscious; in states of hypnagogia and hypnopompia
Woodlander Gatherings provoke Wonder.
Woodlander Gatherings are NOT about job training, or even hobby work.
Woodlander Gatherings are an alternative learning opportunity for people who need it.
is about the interplay of Nature and Human Nature.
is shared DreamTime: Just enough activity to energize, not so much as to distract
How Many People Come?
30- 40 people usually show up for some or all the three days. About half camp on site in their own tents or in the platform tents available.
Comments Dr Jung, anything to add?
"We are so captivated by and entangled in our subjective consciousness
that we have forgotten the age-old fact that God speaks chiefly through dreams and visions"
What isn't the NY Woodlanders Gathering?
It is NOT a school or workshops approach. I do those classes at The Omega Institute, Mt St Mary College and the Hudson River Maritime Museum.
At NY Woodlanders, yes, lots of making and some instruction happens, but the whole event began as a form of community-building. Pot Luck, Fellowship and Sharing are key elements of the Gatherings.
Rob Gorrell started the tradition of bringing things, supplies, materials for a Big, Free Swap. There's also a For Sale area. which sometimes leaks into the Swap. There are 2 tents and 24 tables for a two-day series of never-ending workshops... which means the materials and tools are available all the time... and instruction and encouragement happens every once and a while.
ACTIVITIES:
MAKING THINGS
In 2013, we made paper, stone vessels and cards
Other years we've made:
Rustic Cedar Stools, Bull Roarers, Rustic Plant Hangers
Bamboo Flutes, Masks, small rustic chairs
Bench Hooks: a portable work area,
Dyeing with Natural Materials, Rita Schwab
Woodland Garments: imaginal tribal clothing
Working with Barks: Birch, Mulberry and Palm barks
Mark-Making with Mud, Clay or Charcoal
FaerieWork and Garden Design
HEALING: Tissue Paper Collage, Arlene Geiger
HEALING: Mattering Spirit: Imaginal Cards, Dan Mack
HEALING: Making a Rope Labyrinth, Jim Caulfield++
HEALING: Mattering Spirit: Imaginal Tool Workshop
WELLNESS What's Illness?
Yoga Nidra--Yogic Sleep, a meditation technique, Victoria Mowrer
Early Morning Dream Workshop, Kim, Andrea and all
Gyrokinesis, Hannah Maxwell
EXPERIENCES: EXPLORING NATURE & HUMAN NATURE
Edible, invasive and medicinal herb walk, Jessica Lawlor/Adam Hamer
The lives of animals: Tracking and Bird Songs
Woods, Water and Road Tyme: field trips to natural locations with Laurie Seeman
COMMUNITY BUILDING Play in Nature: 
PICNICS, POT LUCKS, BONFIRES
Build and Burn a Rustic Willow Man,
Kinetic Art: the well-balanced flying dragon
Fire-Dance, Jessica Lawlor
Small Boat Building and Launching
Meditation: Tibetan Singing Bowls, Craig Cowling
Community Loom: everybody weaves something in
DISCUSSIONS: WOODLANDERS back in the WORLD
Using Media and Social Media: tweets, Facebook, LinkedIn, Plaxo, blogging?
Applying Woodlander skills and sensibilities: Working in healthcare?
Should Woodlanders form chapters of the Children and Nature Network?
HEALING: long distance entanglements/mediatations, David Weiner.
OFF-SITE TRIPS
Those before us: Visiting a Lenape Rock Shelter 2 miles away
Visiting a Lenape churt quarry
Pacem in Terris: a spiritual center and nature/art center built on a stream behind a junkyard. A MUST VISIT 2 miles away
AREAS for email your interests
Display of Work: bring your work to show
Interesting Objects: bring interesting things to show like:
to Swap: anything you want to return to the stream of making
to Sell: stuff you don't feel quite right about swapping, yet
Recently linguists have figured out a collection of words that date back 15,000 years to the very start of languaging: here're sentences where they are all used:
You, hear me! Give this fire to that old man.
Pull the black worm off the bark and give it to the mother.
And no spitting in the ashes!
