Join us for 2 full days of regional Mushroom Cultivation training at the Hostel in the Forest with Ja Schindler of Fungi For the People. We will spend the weekend exploring many exciting approaches to home and small business scale edible and medicinal mushroom growing, with a strong focus on growing regionally appropriate varieties on easily accessible recycled materials. The entire process is worked through in a hands-on format and everyone will leave with the materials and know-how to start growing their own.

Mushroom identification and ecology are taught in daily field trips into the forest, and we will bring wild mushrooms into cultivation during the course, a very valuable skill as some of the best mushrooms to grow are the ones already out your back door. A variety of accessible laboratory skills as well as a plethora of outdoor mushroom cultivation practices will be covered.

MycoRemediation is also highlighted in this course and we will dive into the growing practices of working with Fungi to heal damaged land and degrade toxins.

Main Themes of the Weekend:
Mushroom Gardening
Identification and Ecology
MycoRemediation
Medicinal Mushroom Preparations and Use
Growing Mushrooms using Appropriate Technologies
Basic Lab Set-Up and skills

About the Instructor: Ja Schindler has been studying fungi in both the natural world and in the laboratory for over a decade, as well as working with mushroom cultivation farms in the US and Canada. Ja hails from Eugene, Oregon and is visiting for the purpose of passing along vital skills for growing native food and potent medicine from local waste products, and to heighten our societies ecological relationships. A native of Detroit, Michigan, Ja’s appreciation of food security and environmental justice began at a young age. A severe interest in Fungi took him to the NorthWest nine years ago on a journey of field learning. After a number of mushroom farming experiences left him with the feeling that the practice needed to become much more accessible and commonplace. In 2011 he founded Fungi For the People, a mushroom cultivation research and education organization. Over the past 2 years many people from the Eastern states and throughout the world have traveled to Oregon to learn with him, which has prompted the Resilient Mycology Road Show to bring these skills to a broader community. This course is an excellent primer for those thinking of growing mushrooms for food and medicine, business, soil development, or personal pursuit.

This Course Also Includes:

50 Page Workbook: Details on a variety of cultivation techniques, material choices, glossary of terms, and technical references.
Mushroom Spawn: You will get to choose 2 species of edible and medicinal mushrooms to leave with!
Wholesome Meals: A healthy lunch and refreshments will be provided both days. There is also the recommended option of enjoying all of your meals at our host site The Hostel in the Forest, dinner is provided by The Hostel staff every night, and you will have access to the shared kitchen.
Lodging:The recommended option of staying at The Hostel for the weekend is likely the most rewarding and inexpensive lodging choice available.

Class Time: 10am to 7pm both days | Lunch 1-2pm Cost: $175 PLUS /Lodging

Ethnobotanical Intensive with Mycol Stevens & Marc Williams June 14-16 2013

Come prepared to have your brains explode with great practical ecological and fermentation knowledge where Marc and Mycol come back to their favorite classroom at the Hostel!

Mycol Stevens has a (pun) masters in aquatic ecology and has worked as a restoration ecologist/botanist for the Florida Fish and Game across the state of FL since 2004. He has traveled much of Central and South America and Africa, and has learned from some of the best teachers including Frank Cook and Robert Hunsicker. Mycol has been teaching ethnobotany and edible mushrooms since 2005. He also lives off-the-grid on an “ecocentric” permaculture homestead where he eats from the wild almost daily and propagates and cultivates his own organic foods. Mycol’s philosophy is to ween off the “system” and to eat your food as medicine. Mycol has been inspired by the Hostel since the mid 90’s and much of its philosophy is reflected in his way of life. Knowing the living world around you, connects you to the living world. Mycol hosts (Willing Workers On Oraganic Farms, (WWOOFers) at his finca. Contact him if you are interested in visiting. He also is the host of the Florida Earthskills Gathering in February and annual mushroom teaching in July on the Finca. Many a poor pun is often interjected to inject fun in his teachings…be forewarned!

Marc Williams is an ethnobotanist. He has studied plants intensively while learning to use them for food, medicine, biological conservation, and beauty. His training includes a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies concentrating in Sustainable Agriculture from Warren Wilson College and a Master’s degree in Appalachian Studies concentrating in Sustainable Development with a minor in Geography and Planning from Appalachian State University. Marc’s major research in graduate school focused on the most useful plants of Appalachia. However it is clear that a holistic appreciation of nature irrespective of utility will be necessary to create the new paradigm that are current global situation calls for. He has since spent significant time learning the plants of the Western U.S. and tropical regions as well. Marc has spent over a decade working at a multitude of restaurants, various farms, and travels throughout 23 countries in North/Central America and Europe and 49 of the United States of America. In those travels he has visited over 70 of the best botanical gardens in the world. He has taught hundreds of people about the marvelous lives of plants and their respective uses. Marc first came to the Hostel in the Forest in March of 1998 and was immediately transformed through a first time sweat lodge experience with Tom Dennard the hostel founder. Like Mycol many of the principles that make the Hostel in the Forest such a special place have informed his expression of life in this world ever since. Further info can be found at www.botanyeveryday.com where an online botany class in the tradition of Frank Cook is conducted by donation.

Teachings will start Friday evening and end Sunday afternoon.
Workshops will include:
Botany 101 presentation, Wild Foods/Medicines walk, Super Food preparation presentation, Botanical Beach/estuary Walk, Fermentation Overview with Honey Mead Making and a Permaculture Ecological restoration talk. Botanical slide shows of various parts of the world including Latin America, Africa and Europe are also possible.
The cost will be $100 per person, which includes accommodations at the Hostel for the Friday and Saturday night as well as a beautiful vegetarian dinner on both nights. Make sure to call ahead to reserve your spot!!! Sundays beach venture ride shares to the beach which is 5$ a car load.
Bring your notebook, any relevant books you have, a camera, a loupe if you have one, water bottle, rain coat etc. Handouts will be provided.
“Teach a man to fish, ya got food for life. Let your food be your medicine.”
“The forests and fields are a table always spread” Henry Thoureau

In this educational and inspiring weekend we will focus on one of the most important elements of any efficient permaculture system: nutrient upcycling. We will show you invaluable ways to not only keep nutrients from exiting a system but additionally how to create specific ways of bringing the nutrients back to the top of the system. The primary permaculture principles and ethics will be discussed throughout the weekend. Whether you are new to permaculture or have your design certificate and are looking for more experience, this intensive will supply you with the tools you need to help make any food system you create more efficient and abundant! Additionally, both Richard and Marcus are Yoga instructors so there will certainly be a class thrown in there somewhere!

Sessions begin Friday evening and run through Sunday afternoon

Sessions will encourage discussion and interaction and include: the installation and explanation of two permaculture systems which encourage the cycling of nutrients at the Hostel, class room time with thorough explanation of permaculture, Q & A, and more!

Cost: $100 for the weekend which includes all workshop fees and the stay at the gorgeous Hostel in the Forest and dinner on Friday and Saturday nights. You will need to bring food for breakfast and lunch.

Bring note taking material to get the most out of the weekend!

BE SURE TO REGISTER IN ADVANCE Contact the Hostel 912-264-9738

Richard G. Powell is a life-long naturalist, certified Permaculturalist, activist and a yoga instructor. Born and raised in Amish country and then in Central Florida, Richard has worked both domestically and internationally on sustainable agriculture and Permaculture projects. His personal passion is the radical activism of daily life when lived boldly in line with our highest principles and in harmony with the natural world. Richard is the founder of the Orlando Center for Urban Permaculture (www.orlandopermaculture.org) and currently lives in Orlando, FL. He assists in teaching Permaculture Design Courses and workshops throughout Florida, gives permaculture consultations, and aides others in becoming as self-sufficient and independent as possible.

Marcus Thomson (Deva) is the founder and lead teacher (specializing in adult learning) with Permaculture Miami – generating sustainable designs and new designers since 2008 throughout south Florida and the world. He has produced many permaculture design projects and has lead countless workshops, events, courses and retreats in India, Thailand and Australia to Colombia, Puerto Rico, Costa Rica and throughout the US. He has written over 30 blogs on his experience (in preparation for a book release) and has several articles written about him in the New Times, Natural Awakenings as well as TV interviews about his accomplishments in Miami. With hundreds of his students now expanding permaculture in our world, Marcus aims to integrate more centers for sustainable living branding Permaculture as a significant solution in today’s Re-generation!

Ethnobotanical Intensive with Mycol Stevens & Marc Williams June 14-16 2013

Come prepared to have your brains explode with great practical ecological and fermentation knowledge where Marc and Mycol come back to their favorite classroom at the Hostel!

Mycol Stevens has a (pun) masters in aquatic ecology and has worked as a restoration ecologist/botanist for the Florida Fish and Game across the state of FL since 2004. He has traveled much of Central and South America and Africa, and has learned from some of the best teachers including Frank Cook and Robert Hunsicker. Mycol has been teaching ethnobotany and edible mushrooms since 2005. He also lives off-the-grid on an “ecocentric” permaculture homestead where he eats from the wild almost daily and propagates and cultivates his own organic foods. Mycol’s philosophy is to ween off the “system” and to eat your food as medicine. Mycol has been inspired by the Hostel since the mid 90’s and much of its philosophy is reflected in his way of life. Knowing the living world around you, connects you to the living world. Mycol hosts (Willing Workers On Oraganic Farms, (WWOOFers) at his finca. Contact him if you are interested in visiting. He also is the host of the Florida Earthskills Gathering in February and annual mushroom teaching in July on the Finca. Many a poor pun is often interjected to inject fun in his teachings…be forewarned!

Marc Williams is an ethnobotanist. He has studied plants intensively while learning to use them for food, medicine, biological conservation, and beauty. His training includes a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies concentrating in Sustainable Agriculture from Warren Wilson College and a Master’s degree in Appalachian Studies concentrating in Sustainable Development with a minor in Geography and Planning from Appalachian State University. Marc’s major research in graduate school focused on the most useful plants of Appalachia. However it is clear that a holistic appreciation of nature irrespective of utility will be necessary to create the new paradigm that are current global situation calls for. He has since spent significant time learning the plants of the Western U.S. and tropical regions as well. Marc has spent over a decade working at a multitude of restaurants, various farms, and travels throughout 23 countries in North/Central America and Europe and 49 of the United States of America. In those travels he has visited over 70 of the best botanical gardens in the world. He has taught hundreds of people about the marvelous lives of plants and their respective uses. Marc first came to the Hostel in the Forest in March of 1998 and was immediately transformed through a first time sweat lodge experience with Tom Dennard the hostel founder. Like Mycol many of the principles that make the Hostel in the Forest such a special place have informed his expression of life in this world ever since. Further info can be found at www.botanyeveryday.com where an online botany class in the tradition of Frank Cook is conducted by donation.

Teachings will start Friday evening and end Sunday afternoon.
Workshops will include:
Botany 101 presentation, Wild Foods/Medicines walk, Super Food preparation presentation, Botanical Beach/estuary Walk, Fermentation Overview with Honey Mead Making and a Permaculture Ecological restoration talk. Botanical slide shows of various parts of the world including Latin America, Africa and Europe are also possible.
The cost will be $100 per person, which includes accommodations at the Hostel for the Friday and Saturday night as well as a beautiful vegetarian dinner on both nights. Make sure to call ahead to reserve your spot!!! Sundays beach venture ride shares to the beach which is 5$ a car load.
Bring your notebook, any relevant books you have, a camera, a loupe if you have one, water bottle, rain coat etc. Handouts will be provided.
“Teach a man to fish, ya got food for life. Let your food be your medicine.”
“The forests and fields are a table always spread” Henry Thoureau

We are currently planning new events to take place at the Hostel over the coming weeks. Details of these will be published very soon.

A weekend tribal revival – A comprehensive retreat, a safe container, a once in a lifetime opportunity. Come to the Hostel in the Forest to learn and be the human “soft” technologies of liberation. 11 hours of co-counseling immersion, training, and catharsis; sweatlodge; sound healing; yoga greif and renewal ceremony, and ecstatic dance. Come away with tight community connections, and skills to empower yourself, your relationships, your community, and the world.

Arrive on thursday evening before 6pm to begin our immersion, depart liberated 6pm sunday afternoon!

_{SweatLodge poured and called in by: Sue Ellen Camden Lee
~Yoga Grief and Renewal Ceremony offered by: Brian Winslett, Intuitive Integrative Yoga Teacher
~Sound Healing offered by : Peter Levitov
~Co-counseling immersion facilitated by: Eric Hawes & Luke Tsuga Learningdeer
~Ecstatic Dance Mix provided by: Nat Allister}

$156 includes 3 nights at the Hostel, organic gluten free meals, and liberation celebration!

make your deposit and ensure your spot here, attendance caps at 30:

rsvp on facebook and coordinate rides with your community: http://on.fb.me/SpblXV

Learn more about co-counseling here: http://rc.org/

BRIAN WINSLETT – Brian has been practicing Yoga since 2001 and earned his 230 hour teacher training certification at the Asheville Yoga Center in 2008. He is now working on his RYT500 hour certification. His first and most influential teacher was in the Kripalu tradition but he has specifically made Yoga is own path and continues to study with a wide variety of teachers from differing traditions. He follows the path of integration of diverse styles of yoga and believes in personal innovation, as that was the path of the great Yogis of the past century. As an activist, entrepreneur, community organizer, and teacher of permaculture and sustainability issues, Brian learned first hand how life passions, stress, caffeine induced adrenal fatigue, family duties, modern life, and one’s own shadow self can leave us depleted and virtually crippled in various ways as we age if we do not show up to a practice of union with self. At age 23, Brian began to have extreme back pain due to scoliosis combined with the above elements of an overly ambitious life. It was through an intuitive journey of personal Yoga practice and healing arts that he was able to heal his condition to live a pain free life. At several points in his 10 years of practicing yoga, Brian dropped his Yoga and meditation practice for other passionate pursuits, succumbing to the illusion of “not enough time to practice”. Each time the pain in his back and the associated depression and lethargic shadow self returned. In 2007, he began realized how to change his relationship to his back condition by to holding compassionate gratitude for his back pain and what he calls his “Conscious Life Practices Barometer”. “My back tells me when I am not living my life consciously. That is, I am not doing my Yoga consistently enough.” Brian began teaching Yoga as a way to “show up” to his practice as a vehicle of service, hoping to give the gift of intuitive self healing that he has discovered for himself. He has experimented intuitively and successfully with methods of self administered myofascial and muscular massage, as well as being a life long enthusiasts of nutrition, especially foods and herbal medicines from local and wild harvested sources. His Yoga philosophy is blended with spirituality of this gritty earth gift.

PETER LEVITOV – ARTIST STATEMENT I am moved by all things Lovely, Beautiful, and Harmonious. My heart is most deeply touched by sound, healing, family, community, travel, learning and teaching. As a musician, I experience sound as an awakening force. Authentic sound awakens a sense of Unity, Unity with the Earth and all Life everywhere- all people, traditions, and beliefs. Within this Unity resides our highest truth, the deepest Healer. Music returns me to my body, restores my relationship with my senses, and reminds me I am connected and whole. I view all of Life as a symphony, every aspect of form and energy playing a part in Divine composition. I believe that the physical, emotional, and spiritual dis-ease we experience personally and globally, is rooted in our ideas of separateness. As such, my intention is to create sounds which invite the listener’s true place in the symphony to emerge, sounds which invite the soul’s return to wholeness and awaken the body’s innate ability to heal itself. As an educator, the process of honoring Unity with the earth and all Life everywhere has naturally led me to place the highest value on learning how to learn. Listening and open inquiry quicken intelligence and create an environment which is inspiring and fun. To re-discover and re-define the way music is experienced; expand our ideas about how music is felt and heard; consciously include all faculties of perception in the making process; explore the places where light, color, movement, sound and silence meet– these are inquiries I am excited to lead. I hope for my students to surpass me in understanding, wisdom, and skill and discover that they themselves are inspired to educate others. BIO: Peter Alexander Levitov is an experimental multi-instrumentalist and improvisational composer. His soundscapes explore a broad range of instrumentation, from ancient to contemporary, creating restorative environments that support personal growth and healing. Peter’s music has been inspired by Tibetan, Sufi, and Indigenous healing sound traditions for nearly a decade. He has played for children with autism and pervasive developmental disorders, and created sound-space for 5-Rhythms and Ecstatic Dance events. He also teaches didgeridoo, intuitive rhythm, and facilitates his own ‘Restorative Sound’ concerts and interactive workshops. A sincerely devoted healing sound artist, Peter practices and continues to study not only music, but also a wide range of healing modalities, ever-deepening his awareness of healing process. He is a licensed massage therapist specializing in Thai Massage, a Reiki instructor, and a student of Ayurvedic healing and Yoga. His first CD, “Dark Water”, (a collaboration with Marc Hennessy, John David Erickson, Corwin Klein and Drew Doer) is due to be released in late 2012.

SUE ELLEN CAMDEN LEE – The Sweat Lodge Ceremony is a purification ceremony to pray for cleansing, healing and direction. It is sacred and serious.

ERIC HAWES – Loving attention is everywhere in the universe. it is the energy of nourishment and love:: loving attention sustains all life, heals all wounds, and removes all blockages. We access it through being receptive, and allowing it into our hearts. By beginning to accept loving attention we approach to a state of sacred embodiment. our bodies are infused with a feeling of presence and belonging in the world. Sinking into the feeling of living in this present: the moment of now, we are able to fully feel loving attention. In this state we no longer worry about the past or future. We are imbued with a sense of life’s precious gift in tension with our closeness to death. With this, our most human need met, we are able to begin to transform, heal, co-create, and share this healing feeling with others.

Eric Hawes – Spiritual Director, (through training w/ Gaia University International. thanks to rc.org and harvey jackins for the inspiration and teachings)

LUKE TSUGA LEARNINGDEER – Herbalist, storyteller, earth love extraordinaire

Learn to install a garden that once installs provides food season after season with very little work! No watering, No Fertilizing, No weeding, No pesticides, No herbicides, Yeah, I said No WATERING! Learn how to plant, harvest, propagate and utilize the perennial-based system once you’ve installed it. Learn about some great plants to include in your garden to give yourself food, establish an insect balance and bring natural fertility to your system. Be prepared to get your hands dirty. Bring breakfast, lunch and drinks. Wear rough clothes and gloves, (a hat would be good too). Bring shovels.

Instructor Bio:

Alex Ojeda has done many live speaking engagements on the subjects of Permaculture and regenerative and resilient living (some would call this Sustainable living) throughout North Florida. He has experience in conventional gardening techniques for over a decade now, however, as of two years ago, he’s switched to exclusively using permaculture techniques. Alex has been an adjunct professor at Florida State College at Jacksonville and produced seminars for many different subjects. Alex is very interested in sharing the experiences that he’s had while moving his life toward a lower-impact system. His main goal is to move to a completely full-circle, natural, regenerative and resilient life and hopes that he can make it easy for others to do so too.

Saturday evening check-in $50 – includes Hostel stay Saturday night with dinner and all materials and instructions for the workshop.

Sunday: 9AM, presentation. Receive handouts. 10:30AM Break, 11AM meet back at Dome and begin walk to the garden area 2pm, finish installation

When you’re not installing a garden, enjoy hiking through 133 acres of forested land, swimming in a fresh water lake, kayaking and canoeing, camping in a tree house, walking through the labyrinth, sitting next to the camp fire, and cooking in a cob kitchen!!! And much much more!!!

Mycol Stevens has a masters in aquatic ecology and has worked as a restoration ecologist/botanist for the Florida Fish and Game across the state of FL since 2004. He has traveled much of Central and South America and Africa, and has learned from some of the best teachers including Frank Cook. Mycol has been teaching ethnobotany and edible mushrooms on the side since 2005. He also lives off-the-grid on an “ecocentric” permaculture homestead where he eats from the wild almost daily and propagates and cultivates his own organic foods. Mycol’s philosophy is to ween off the “system” and to eat your food as medicine. Mycol has been inspired by the Hostel since the mid 90’s and much of its philosophy is reflected in his way of life. Knowing the living world around you, connects you to the living world. Mycol hosts (Willing Workers On Oraganic Farms, (WWOOFers) at his finca. Contact him if you are interested in visiting. He also hosts an Earthskills gathering near the beginning of February every year.

Marc Williams is an ethnobotanist. He has studied plants intensively while learning to use them for food, medicine, biological conservation, and beauty. His training includes a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies concentrating in Sustainable Agriculture from Warren Wilson College and a Master’s degree in Appalachian Studies concentrating in Sustainable Development with a minor in Geography and Planning from Appalachian State University. Marc’s major research in graduate school focused on the most useful plants of Appalachia. However it is clear that a holistic appreciation of nature irrespective of utility will be necessary to create the new paradigm that are current global situation calls for. He has since spent significant time learning the plants of the Western U.S. and tropical regions as well. Marc has spent over a decade working at a multitude of restaurants, various farms, and travels throughout 23 countries in North/Central America and Europe and 49 of the United States of America. In those travels he has visited over 70 of the best botanical gardens in the world. He has taught hundreds of people about the marvelous lives of plants and their respective uses. Marc first came to the Hostel in the Forest in March of 1998 and was immediately transformed through a first time sweat lodge experience with Tom Dennard the hostel founder. Like Mycol many of the principles that make the Hostel in the Forest such a special place have informed his expression of life in this world ever since. Further info can be found at www.botanyeveryday.com where an online botany class in the tradition of Frank Cook is conducted by donation.

Teachings will start Friday evening and end Sunday afternoon.

Workshops will include:

Botany 101 presentation, Wild Foods/Medicines walk, Super Food preparation presentation, Botanical Beach Walk, Fermentation Overview with Honey Mead Making and a Permaculture Ecological restoration talk

Botanical slide shows of various parts of the world including Latin America, Africa and Europe are also possible.

The cost will be $100 per person, which includes accommodations at the Hostel for the Friday and Saturday night as well as a beautiful vegetarian dinner on both nights. Make sure to call ahead to reserve your spot!!!

Bring your notebook, any relevant books you have, a camera, a loupe if you have one, water bottle, rain coat etc. Handouts will be provided.

“Teach a man to fish, ya got food for life. Let your food be your medicine.”

“The forests and fields are a table always spread” Henry Thoureau

Special Natural Basket Weaving Workshop

Nancy Gildersleeve is a north Florida basket maker working mostly with natural materials. She teaches at Florida State Parks, the John C.Campbell Folk School and at basket and gourd gatherings in the southeast. Her work can be seen at the Gainesville Artisan’s Guild, Gainesville, FL where she is a member. Nancy has been a core teacher at the FLorida EarthSkills Gathering the past two years but won’t be able to teach this year because of a conflict…so this would be agreat time to learn from her mastery skills at the Hostel. Pine needle baskets were made wherever long leaf pine trees grow, all over the Southeast. They are coiled baskets, held together by sewing with a needle and thread. In the Florida tradition the baskets were made with raffia, often embellished with fancy stitches. In her Friday day class you will learn to start the basket, shape its sides and finish the top. You’ll learn a variety of stitches and have a chance to look at a wide variety of basket styles and stitching materials. Arrive on Thursday and pay an additional $50 for one extra night accommodation and Nancy’s class.

April Magill, founder of Root Down Desgns, will be leading the group as we work to complete the massage studio started during the MUDDY WEEKEND RETREAT in July (view photos here). In the July workshop we built with Cob, Wattle-n-Daub, Wine Bottle work, and several other methods. Come and join us on September 15th as we finish out the Earth work, transform, and beautify this structure through various Natural Building methods; learn how to:

~ sculpt with cob
~ Bas Relief work
~ prep and prepare earthen walls for finish plasters
~ Earthen Plaster (clay plaster)
~ Earthen Paints (clay paint)
~ Mosaic Work
~ Lime Wash

Participants will learn how to turn local soil and sand into building materials! We will sculpt, design, and create together! All participants will gain the knowledge and confidence to return home and begin their own Natural Building projects!

Schedule:
Saturday 8:45 am – meet in the library dome for a quick introduction & presentation
MUD WORK! – 9:30am – 6pm (bring a lunch and enjoy it while sitting next to the pool or lake)
Dinner & a tree house (lodging)

Cost:

$75/person for Workshop which includes accommodation and dinner for Saturday night, all materials and instructions for the workshop.

What else???
When you’re not building with mud, enjoy hiking through 133 acres of forested land, swimming in a fresh water lake, kayaking and canoeing, camping in a tree house, walking through the labyrinth, sitting next to the camp fire, and cooking in a cob kitchen!!! And much much more!!!

Over 400 years ago on Brazilian Soil Africans developed the martial art of Capoeira as a means of resisting oppression. The singing, clapping and traditional musical instruments that accompany Capoeira lead many to believe it is a dance, but concealed within the fluid movements and the playfulness lay strategic attacks. Capoeira is for all people, all genders and all ages! Whether you are seeking movement, dance, martial arts, music, culture or just a good workout in a positive environment – you will find it through Capoeira!

This retreat will be an introduction to Capoeira geared towards beginners, however all are welcome! This retreat hopes to share with you several aspects of this art form in the fun, positive and supportive environment of the forest.

Workshops: We will guide you through Capoeira basics and movements. Capoeira is a holistic practice and dedicated students are expected to learn traditional instruments, songs in Brazilian Portuguese and Afro-Brazilian dances associated with Capoeira. We will sample each of these areas over the weekend.

Instructors: This retreat will be led by Professor Tectoy Capoeira. Professor Tectoy, from the group Capoeira Esporao, visiting us from Connecticut during the last week in August. He is originally from Bahia, Brazil and has more than 20 years in Capoeira under Mestre Marinaldo. We wish to share our dedication, passion and love of Capoeira during the retreat and hope that you will return home to find an academy in your city!

What to wear:

Please bring clothing that you can move in but that are not too loose. We recommend fitted workout attire such as yoga clothing, sports bras, fitted tank tops or t-shirts, etc. If you wear running shorts, please make sure you have fitted shorts underneath. In Capoeira, we do go upside down (cartwheels, handstands) and do a lot of kicks. We don’t want you sharing your sacred sunshine with everyone! Also, clothing that is too loose may cause you trip, etc.

Capoeira Retreat Tentative Schedule:

Friday: Introduction to Capoeira and the instruments. Basic songs, clapping and a demonstration roda to get people excited

Saturday:

9 to 10:30 Basic Capoeira movements and escapes, 10:45 to 12:00 Music Workshop: Traditional Instruments and Songs Lunch 1:00 to 2:00 Inversions: Handstands and Balancing (work with partners) 2:15 – 3:30 Maculele Dance Workshop (Afro-Brazilian dancing with sticks) 4:00 to … More Movements and Intro to Roda Play After Dinner, songs and discussion around the fire

Sunday Morning:

9:00 – 10:00 Warm Ups and Intro Strength Training Exercises 10:15 to 11: 15 Chat on lifestyle of Capoeista (diet, cross training, philosophy etc) Play more Capoeira until everyone wants to go home!

The weekend retreat is $75 per person which includes accommodations, dinner each night, workshops, dances, and access to our beautiful 133 acres of forest complete with a pool, a lake with canoes, hiking trails, outdoor showers, a labyrinth, and much more!

We are currently planning new events to take place at the Hostel over the coming weeks. Details of these will be published very soon.

Living in a society which is facing major issues such as overpopulation, pollution, and diminishing natural resources, it’s time to find creative, efficient, and ‘out-of-the-box’ building solutions.

Natural Building often referred to as Alternative Building Methods, is a growing movement of building practices and principles.

“I strongly believe that architectural solutions lie within the natural materials surrounding us, and within the building methods from a time past when society was well connected with the workings of the Earth. Finding ways to integrate these primal ideas with modern day building science; creating structures which are truely customized to the environment which they live; a low embodied energy; from the Earth, and to return to the Earth one day.” April Magill

Come and join us for a fun (and muddy!) weekend as April Magill founder of Root Down Desgns leads us through an exploration of how we can build using local & natural materials! April will teach a hand’s on building practice using several different Natural Building methods. Techniques such as Cob, Wattle-n-Daub, Bamboo Wall/Cob Infill, Mosaic and Bottle Work, Earthen Plaster, and more will be taught and discussed. Participants will learn how to turn local soil and sand into building materials and how to harvest and use resources from the site such as Bamboo! We will sculpt, design, and create together! All participants will gain the knowledge and confidence to return home and begin their own Natural Building projects!

Schedule:

Arrive Friday afternoon/evening

Dinner followed by a Presentation by April on Natural Building; Question & Answer session; Discussions about Building Codes and other Issues

Saturday work day 9am – 6pm* (with lunch break)

Sunday partial work day 9am – 2pm (mid-morning snack)

Cost $100/person for Workshop which includes accommodation, brunch and dinner during your stay, and all materials for the workshop

Who is April? – April is a licensed Architect & Natural Builder living in Charleston, SC. “My passions lie not only within the world of design and architecture, but also in the world of building….creating….and working with my hands. I believe that in order to become a good Architect, I also must become a Builder as well. A need and a want to explore materials and to build with my hands has not only allowed me to participate in many traditional construction projects, but also led me down my newest path,Natural Building. I worked for 3 of Downtown Charleston’s Architecture firms, became a Licensed Architect in 2010, and served as Project Manager/Lead Architect on multiple projects before embarking on my own. Always itching to get out from behind the desk and into the fields, with a strong foundation of experience under me, I created Root Down Designs in 2011. Since embarking on my own, I’ve attended a 3 week Natural Building training in Asheville, NC, participated in a Natural Building project in Nicaragua, built/taught 4 Cob Oven Workshops, an Earthen Bench, and Earthen Plaster on my 1950’s home. I also stay busy with design work; always always ‘pushing the envelope’ on what I can do; working to pass Alternative Building Methods through the codes.

I hope to see you there!!!

Our culture is moving in the wrong direction. Our current paradigm is simply not working. What does one do in the midst of so much that seems to be wrong? Certainly not sink into despair: Permaculture has many answers! In this exciting introduction to Permaculture join Richard G. Powell of Orlando to learn how to empower yourself by learning how to work with nature rather than against nature. Every aspect of our collective and individual lives could be positively and strongly impacted by this amazing and comprehensive manner of viewing the world. Holding true to the teachings of Permaculture this weekend of exploration will feature in depth explanation, inspiring conversation and also hands on learning. The well-forested setting of the Hostel in the Forest is the perfect place to learn, practice and observe Permaculture in action! The weekend will be broken down into 5 classes as follows:

Friday: arriving by 3pm
4 – 5:30pm: Introduction to core Permaculture principles (and one another!)
Saturday morning: 9 – 10:30am – Group project/walk of Hostel grounds
Saturday afternoon: 1:00 – 3:00pm – Group project/installation of a Permaculture system
Saturday evening: 4:30- 6:00pm – All Levels Yoga Class: Inner Peace and Permaculture
Sunday morning: 9:00am – 10:30am – Soil, Vermiculture and Soil life followed by a discussion: Where to from here?

Inspiring conversation, group interaction and mutual learning will all be highly emphasized throughout the entire weekend while we learn practical skills to help turn the world in and around us into an oasis on Earth. We are looking forward to seeing you!

Cost: $100 for the entire weekend What to bring: material for taking notes, clothes for yoga, yoga mat (optional) Food: Brunch and dinner will be supplied by the Hostel.
You need to bring/prepare your own lunch and breakfast

Richard G. Powell is a life-long naturalist, certified Permaculturalist, activist and a yoga instructor. Born and raised in Amish country and then in Central Florida, Richard has worked both domestically and internationally on sustainable agricultural and Permaculture projects. His personal passion is the radical activism of daily life when lived boldly in line with our highest principles and in harmony with the natural world. Richard currently lives in Orlando where he assists in teaching the yearly Permaculture Design Course (facilitated by the Simple Living Institute), teaches Permaculture workshops and works on making his yard a functional example of Urban Permaculture.

May the Forest Be With You

The Hostel Staff

Didgeridoo Sound Healing Retreat – featuring Matthew Cooper and Friends

1. A full didgeridoo virtuoso performance by Matthew (1st night – 1hour) followed by Nadam chanting and group healing (1 hour)

2. Guided auditory mediation with restorative yoga (1-2hrs Morning of 2nd day).

3. Mayan astrological readings and Individualized sound healings using didgeridoo and Tibetan textures (2nd day – 30minutes to 1 hour for each person).

4. Learn to play the didgeridoo (instruments provided), focusing on dynamic listening, Kundalini-type circular breathing, singing, and self healing (afternoon 2nd day).

Final performance by Matthew featuring full audio-visual arrangements.

The cost of two nights at the Hostel is $50 per person (plus a $5 membership fee if you are not already a member), and for the workshop there is a sliding scale of suggested donations: $10 – $100

“Matthew Allen Dale Cooper (or Machu Matthew) is artist, sculptor, designer, musician, shamanic healer, and visionary. With the emanation of unconditional love, the gateway for physical and spiritual healing, Matthew sculpts sound, visceral presence, woods, metals, and spacial environments. A graduate of Industrial Design from Savannah College of Art and Design, he values professionalism and diligence, and counterbalances with radical spontaneity and style. Breathing in vibration, whether through hollow trees to excavate aboriginal consciousness, or through the lightning-emitting tip of a steel welder, Matthew is an architect of the cosmic essence of art, and is open and available to share love, light, and joy.

Matthew also pairs with Chelsea DeMercado to create DREAMTIME SYNASTRY, a powerful collaborative performance at the forefront of their creative affairs”

Join Chuck and Wren in a weekend of dynamic experiences that will teach practical skills and deepen meaningful connections with nature, each other and ourselves. By doing it yourself, you will learn to make rope from local plants, ferment vegetables, make honey wine, and build a successful fire. Participate in culture regeneration as we sing, tell stories, drum and dance around a fire. Transmute any fear of the woods into confidence by learning how to meet your needs for shelter, water, fire and food. All this and three delicious communal meals each day!

The previous workshop weekend we co-created at the Hostel in the Forest was a huge success! We learned a lot, got a lot of great feedback and made some amazing connections. We’re looking forward to integrating some things we’ve learned since then to cocreate an experience that will be truly stellar. Come join in the fun!

This is on Mother’s Day weekend, so we encourage you to bring the one who brought you into this world, or bring the ones that you’ve brought into this world!

The cost of two nights at the Hostel is $50 per person, and for the workshop there is a sliding scale of suggested donations: $10 – $100

Terisa “Wren” Shoumate was introduced to primitive/survival skills while she attended New College of Florida in Sarasota, pursuing a degree in liberal arts which she received in 2005. Two of her friends had just completed Tom Brown Jr’s Standard course and they were on fire to share their newly acquired skills. Wren and about 10 others were their Guinea pigs as they taught for the first time skills such as building a survival debris shelter and crafting a bow drill kit to make fire by friction. They also shared numerous other skills, games and activities to create a sense of belonging and confidence in wilderness environments. Wren was hooked. From that moment on she has made primitive skills and earth-based skills her focus. Wren was Program Coordinator at Historic Spanish Point in Osprey, Fla., in 2006 and 2007, where she crafted earth skills Summer camps for the children there and helped with ongoing primitive skills demonstrations for the visitors at the museum. Then, she began attending Earthskills rendezvouses in the Appalachian region and has since work-traded, organized youth programs and taught youth and adult classes at these gatherings for the last four years. Since 2008, Wren has worked as a camp counselor and program coordinator/camp support at the Living Earth School in Charlottesville, where she relocated in order to be nearer the wealth of earth knowledge found in the Appalachia region. She has constructed a wigwam in which she lived during several winter months in Nelson County Virginia during the heavy winter of 2010. Wren continues to delight in the learning and sharing of these precious skills, the birthright of all people.

About five years ago, Chuck’s experiences at the Hostel in the Forest inspired him to leave his career as an insurance broker to pursue a more meaningful life on the road. After almost three years on the road (about 10 months of that at the Hostel), he contributes almost nothing to the consumer cycle and most of his meals are cooked over a fire. He’s passionate about making use of what others discard and helping individuals and communities thrive by doing whatever they want with whatever they have. He has been in the woods and around fires since he was a little boy, and he was introduced to “primitive skills” at the Earthskills Rendezvous in October, 2010. Since then he has work-traded, facilitated and/or taught at 10 primitive skills gatherings, and even created a ten-day skillshare in Floyd, Va. He continues to travel through communities and to gatherings, cross-pollinating best methods and watering the seeds of a new culture.

May the Forest Be With You

The Hostel Staff

Join Chuck and Wren in a weekend of dynamic experiences that will teach practical skills and deepen meaningful connections with nature, each other and ourselves. By doing it yourself, you will learn to make rope from local plants, ferment vegetables, make honey wine, and build a successful fire. Participate in culture regeneration as we sing, tell stories, drum and dance around a fire. Transmute any fear of the woods into confidence by learning how to meet your needs for shelter, water, fire and food. All this and three delicious communal meals each day!

The cost of two nights at the Hostel is $50 per person, and for the workshop there is a sliding scale of suggested donations: $10 – $100

Ethnobotanical Intensive with Mycol Stevens & Marc Williams May 4-6 2012

Mycol Stevens has a masters in aquatic ecology and has worked as a restoration ecologist/botanist for the Florida Fish and Game across the state of FL since 2004. He has traveled much of Central and South America and Africa, and has learned from some of the best teachers including Frank Cook. Mycol has been teaching ethnobotany and edible mushrooms on the side since 2005. He also lives off-the-grid on an “ecocentric” permaculture homestead where he eats from the wild almost daily and propagates and cultivates his own organic foods. Mycol’s philosophy is to ween off the “system” and to eat your food as medicine. Mycol has been inspired by the Hostel since the mid 90’s and much of its philosophy is reflected in his way of life. Knowing the living world around you, connects you to the living world. Mycol hosts (Willing Workers On Oraganic Farms, (WWOOFers) at his finca. Contact him if you are interested in visiting. He also hosts an Earthskills gathering near the beginning of February every year. here and here.

Marc Williams is an ethnobotanist. He has studied plants intensively while learning to use them for food, medicine, biological conservation, and beauty. His training includes a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies concentrating in Sustainable Agriculture from Warren Wilson College and a Master’s degree in Appalachian Studies concentrating in Sustainable Development with a minor in Geography and Planning from Appalachian State University. Marc’s major research in graduate school focused on the most useful plants of Appalachia. However it is clear that a holistic appreciation of nature irrespective of utility will be necessary to create the new paradigm that are current global situation calls for. He has since spent significant time learning the plants of the Western U.S. and tropical regions as well. Marc has spent over a decade working at a multitude of restaurants, various farms, and travels throughout 23 countries in North/Central America and Europe and 49 of the United States of America. In those travels he has visited over 70 of the best botanical gardens in the world. He has taught hundreds of people about the marvelous lives of plants and their respective uses. Marc first came to the Hostel in the Forest in March of 1998 and was immediately transformed through a first time sweat lodge experience with Tom Dennard the hostel founder. Like Mycol many of the principles that make the Hostel in the Forest such a special place have informed his expression of life in this world ever since. Further info can be found at www.botanyeveryday.com where an online botany class in the tradition of Frank Cook is conducted by donation.

Teachings will start Friday evening and end Sunday afternoon.

Workshops will include:

Botany 101 presentation Wild Foods/Medicines walk Super Food preparation presentation Botanical Beach Walk Fermentation Overview with Honey Mead Making and sharing Potential Sweat Lodge Ceremony

Botanical slide shows of various parts of the world including Latin America, Africa and Europe are also possible.

The cost will be $100 per person, which includes accommodations at the Hostel for the Friday and Saturday night as well as a beautiful vegetarian dinner on both nights. Make sure to call ahead to reserve your spot!!!

Bring your notebook, any relevant books you have, a camera, a loupe if you have one, water bottle, rain coat etc. Handouts will be provided.

“Teach a man to fish, ya got food for life. Let your food be your medicine.”

“The forests and fields are a table always spread” Henry Thoureau