Around the fire we will gather to remember what it means to be human beings. To reclaim the ember of deep connection, re-wilding ourselves into belonging.

Our ancestors for generations sat in circle around the fire, telling stories of all the non-human beings—plants, animals, rocks, stars, and rivers. We all come from Mother Earth, and all things in nature are our brothers and sisters. When we tell these stories, we create and deepen our relationship with our Mother Earth. Our intimacy with place grows as we become more attuned to the rhythms of the natural world around us.

This sacred practice nurtures a profound sense of belonging within nature's family. As our connection deepens, we gain wisdom to navigate life's challenges while a wellspring of vitality awakens within us, inviting us to fully participate in the beautiful dance of existence.

Event Details

Location: Kangaroo Ground
Dates: Saturdays - May 10 & 31, June 14 & 28, July 12 & 26, 2025
Time: 2:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Overnight Option: Camping available (arrival 1:00 PM, departure 9:00 AM next day)

Schedule

2:00 PM - 4:00 PM: Nature Connection Practices and Game

Immerse yourself in nature connection practices and games that reawaken your senses and build relationships with the more-than-human world. Feel your feet on the earth, learn to move silently through the forest, and discover the language of birds and plants.

4:00 PM - 5:00 PM: Ancestral Skills

Experience ancestral skills through hands-on bushcraft activities. Try your hand at friction fire-making, learn to twist rope from natural fibers, practice carving with simple tools, and discover the ancient arts of trap-setting and respectful animal processing. (We will focus on one of these skills.)

5:00 PM - 6:00 PM: Community Feast

Share in our community potluck dinner, bringing dishes that tell a story—perhaps featuring foraged elements, home-grown vegetables, or simply prepared with mindful intention and gratitude.

6:00 PM - 8:00 PM: Fire Circle and Stories

As darkness falls, we'll create a safe container around the fire—our ancestral TV—where all emotions are welcome. Here, we'll sit in a circle for our final hours, sharing stories of the day's experiences, expressing what's alive within us, and witnessing each other with open hearts.

Overnight Camping

Those wishing to extend their immersion are welcome to camp overnight. Arrive by 1:00 PM to set up your dwelling before our journey begins, and depart by 9:00 AM the following day.

What to Bring

A dish to share
Clothing for the elements
A blanket or cushion for the fire circle
Camping gear (if staying overnight)

Join us to rekindle this ember, and may it shine brightly for generations to come.

Facilitator Bio

Rynhardt Smith is a nature connection mentor whose journey bridges worlds both seen and unseen. With roots in nanotechnology, his fascination with how the universe functions at its most fundamental level eventually led him back to earth—literally. After completing his permaculture certification, Rynhardt became captivated by the living complexity of soil, which sparked a deeper journey into ecological relationships and ancestral ways of knowing.

As a dedicated student of The Coyote's Guide to Connecting with Nature, Rynhardt weaves together science and ancestral wisdom in his facilitation work. He currently serves as a nature connection facilitator at LifeRocks, where he guides parents and children in rediscovering the wonders of nature.

Rynhardt's own apprenticeship to nature has involved exploring and practicing ancestral skills including friction fire-making, cordage weaving, and ethical harvesting practices. His facilitation experience ranges from mindfulness play groups to nature connection hikes designed to reawaken our innate curiosity and playfulness as adults.

His approach is informed by deep ecology practices learned from John Seed and his ongoing learning with the Living Connection 1st online village community. For Rynhardt, nature connection is not merely an activity but a life-long practice of returning home to our rightful place within the family of things.

In his words: "Nature has no beginning and no end—it's a treasure trove of amazing beings waiting to be discovered."