Rewilding Summit Recap
Rewilding by Micah Mortali.
This past weekend I attended the inaugural Rewilding Summit at Kripalu. Before I share my experience, I’d like to talk a little bit about rewilding.
There are two kinds of rewilding. The first type is probably the most well known form - reintroducing animal and plant species to their native lands. One of the most famous is the reintroduction of wolves to Yellowstone, by which the successful reintroduction of Yellowstone’s apex predator changed the entire ecosystem of the park. The second type of rewilding is the intentional reconnection of humans with nature – a return to our roots, our essential nature.
Today, most Americans spend 90% of their time indoors. The rise of computers, the internet, and social media has dramatically transformed how we interact with one another and the world. As a result, fewer people feel connected to the sources of their food or the land they inhabit. This growing disconnect from the earth severs our relationship with its life-sustaining forces, potentially alienating future generations and leading to profound consequences for humanity and the planet.
Rewilding invites us to step out of the indoors and reengage with the great outdoors, fostering a deeper connection with the natural world. By grounding ourselves in the rhythms of the earth, we can better adapt to the realities of our planet and the challenges posed by a rapidly changing climate. This reconnection requires awakening our senses, cultivating awareness, and mastering essential skills that help us attune to nature's wisdom and stay aligned with its cycles.
Being outdoors enriches both our reflective nature and our sense of adventure. By embracing mindfulness, we can foster a deeper relationship with nature—one that not only supports our personal healing but also contributes to the healing of the earth.
Micah Mortali, the founder of the Kripalu School of Mindful Outdoor Leadership and director of the Kripalu Schools brought his many-years dream to fruition this past November weekend, launching the inaugural annual Rewilding Summit. More than 100 participants committed to Rewilding attended from all over the country.
Micah and several others presented throughout the weekend, each bringing their own efforts to rewild center stage. I found Shawn Stevens one of the most inspirational speakers and presenters. A member of the Eagle Clan of the Mohican tribe that was relocated from the Berkshires to Wisconsin in the mid-19th century, Shawn shared with us many indigenous practices that I intend to implement in my life. One in particular is the “Practice of Council”. It is a practice of listening and storytelling, where one person speaks at a time, often around a fire. After each person shares, everyone together takes a breath. There are some key agreements to engage in this practice.
Listen from the heart – a place of non judgment
Speak from the heart – do not prepare your words
Be spontaneous
Be of lean expression
Speak only for self; do not reference another’s share
Vegas rules
We opened the Summit with an Opening Council, sharing your name, where you are from, and what brought you to the Summit. In keeping with the agreements, I will not repeat what I or others shard, but will offer that I witnessed a community in pain, suffering from climate anxiety, epically concerned about the state of the planet, feeling hopeless and powerless, seeking guidance for how to begin to heal self and the planet and find a path forward into the light.
This is where our journey began.
Over the course of the next several days we heard from the following speakers:
Mohican historian, musician, and artist, Shawn Stevens (Red Eagle)
Spiritual intuitive, and Mohawk teacher and artist, Zelda Hotaling
Author of Your Guide to Forest Bathing and Founder of ANFT, Amos Clifford
Founder of Soulfire Farm and author of Black Earth Wisdom, Leah Penniman
Author of Beyond Ecophobia and thought leader in placed-based education, David Sobel
Lead Instructor at the legendary Boulder Outdoor Survival School and television personality, Cat Bigney
Seasoned survivalist, and contestant on Season 10 of Alone, Taz Ramos
Environmental hip-hop artist and vegan chef, DJ Cavem
And engaged in the following activities, mostly outdoors:
Land stewardship and caretaking
Forest bathing and Survival Mastery
Ancestral skills and Indigenous wisdom
Archery, basketry, and afro-indigenous listening skills
The practice of council and music
Feather stick made of white cedar.
There were so many activities, I could not do them all – a strategically brilliant move on Micah’s part because it ensured a return next year! On day two, during the “Carry the Fire” Master Class, we birthed fire using flint and steel. Did you know that our neanderthal ancestors practiced fire husbandry? Before humans knew how to spark fire, they had to forage fire, protect, and maintain it to stay warm. Makes sense, right? I can’t rightly explain why this practice called to me so loudly, especially since forest bathing is what I thought I went to the Summit to experience, but I found it exhilarating and empowering. Having been to outdoor survival school in Antarctica, getting to learn new survival skills in the woods was absolutely brilliant and spontaneous and left me feeling, well, fired up! Pun intended. 😊
We foraged in the wet woods to collect fuel for the fire and used knives to create “feather sticks” (fire starter) out of white cedar. Having never done this before, I discovered that I had an artistic knack for whittling and created these rather decorative pieces of fire starter. In the spirit of dual purposing, and as suggested by DJ Cavern, I intend to douse them in essential oils and dye them to make homemade potpourri.
Making offerings at the white cedar tree named Hope.
At the end of the Summit, we gathered for the Closing Council. What I heard and felt was entirely different from the start. People expressed a sense of community and connection, gratitude and joy, and most importantly hope. Most felt inspired, called to action in new, creative ways with a team of support to continue with the work they have already been doing. This includes me.
To close, we gathered around Hope, a white cedar planted on the Kripalu property three years ago on Indigenous Peoples’ Day by children from 16 different indigenous tribes. Each of us made an offering to the tree before saying our goodbyes to each other and giving our thanks to our host for putting together such an incredible, healing event.
I left the Summit with a full heart, nurtured, feeling hopeful and inspired. I have birthed several ideas that I intend to direct my energy toward in the coming days, weeks, and year(s) ahead. Some of these are in the realm of self, others are community based, and finally some are ideas that I’d like to introduce in my professional life.
I am eager for next year’s Rewilding Summit!
Please let me know if you have questions and if you’d like to attend next year.
Namaste -
dani
