As the week flew by, we made much progress. The time for action is now and our team has embraced the opportunity to live in harmony with the Forest. All of the new energy that arrived two weeks ago is becoming grounded. Egg production is now being recorded and has doubled. The Secret Garden is still in transformation, but with the generosity of a local horse farm, much composted manure has made its way to the beds. Seeds are beginning to sprout and more have been laid to ensure a good succession of harvest throughout the coming months. We are currently searching for seedlings to add to the mix.

This past weekend brought the ever-inspiring knowledge of our favorite ethnobotanists: Marc Williams and Mycol Stevens. Beginning on Friday night with a slide show of several interesting species, the group geared up for a full slate of activities. Saturday morning began with an introduction to ethnobotany and a short plant walk to the glass house. After lunch everyone met at the lake for a much-needed swim that led directly into an extensive plant swim/walk around the property. With a current list of edible/medicinal plants in hand, many species were identified and discussed. We then took a break to dine on the fine vegan cuisine that comes out of our Soul Kitchen. Always delicious and always made with hefty doses of love.

Saturday night consisted of another mead-making workshop and the basics of fermentation. Samples were had by all and ingredients gathered from the day’s activities were used in the new batch. The joyous atmosphere of the workshop and mead-tasting carried well into the night as laughter echoed all through Forest.

Sunday brought another full day of learning as we took the time to walk through the Secret Garden to identify the abundance of volunteer plant life growing amongst our food crops. Some invasives were discussed along with methods for eradication. After the morning walk the whole crew jumped into Bethany the RV for a trip to Jekyll Island and Driftwood Beach. The estuary was explored for edibles and we scoured the beach for interesting specimens. Some “chicken of the woods” fungi were harvested and turned out to be quite delicious. As the day moved on, the rains came and we all decided to take a spontaneous swim in the ocean. With the feeling of love and joy very high, we were all blessed with the site of dolphins, fish and several rainbows that came and went. It was the most amazing end to an educationally immersive weekend.

We would like to thank everyone that participated and brought their loving spirits and positive attitudes. We would especially like to thank Phil who brought us some homemade mulberry and mayhaw jams from the panhandle of Florida, Marianna who brought a basket full of fresh organic vegetables from a farm in Gainesville and Amanda who traded us a very exquisite hammock made by weavers in the village of Peguche, Ecuador. More information about this fairtrade cottage industry can be found here.

I am making a call out to all you hostelers for involvement and inspiration. Please let us know if you have a skill, knowledge or idea and would like to share them with us. We are always looking for ways to promote the path of consciousness and sustainability.

The old-timers at The Hostel will remember that today, September 13th, is a special day… so raise your glass of Miller High-Life.. and celebrate on Louise’s day of remembrance.

Peace to all and may the Forest Be With You