Deep Ecology for Families

The Institute for Deep Ecology presents

DEEP ECOLOGY for FAMILIES

with Sally Novak and Miss Cherry Bomb

Details

• At Narara Ecovillage https://nararaecovillage.com/

• Tickets are sliding scale from $60-$200 per human ($60 for low income families or $200 if you've got a great job or wealthy, or something in between) 

• Vegetarian lunch will be provided, gluten-free and vegan options by request after booking. BYO snacks

• 25% of the proceeds will be donated to the Institute for Deep Ecology

We live in unprecedented times coupled with a constant barrage of stories about ecological collapse. Our society doesn't encourage nor make space for emotional expression. Together these factors are having a profound impact on the mental health of many Australians, particularly young people who are aware that it is them that will face the impacts of climate change and environmental destruction for the longest.

Deep Ecology workshops typically cater for adults of all ages, and we would like to make this event more intergenerationally inclusive by welcoming the kids in. This will be an opportunity for them to express themselves, connect to nature and value their ecological identity.

This workshop aims to model and encourage safe sharing of anxiety and other emotions while reminding all participants of their ecological identity. It will engage all family members with a series of both serious and fun activities that will be therapeutic and enlivening for all.

We will follow the spiral of The Work That Reconnects beginning and ending with gratitude.

The second process- Honouring Our Pain for the World will be carefully guided to ensure adults don't overshare and it is a safe container for young people to express their feelings. When we talk about our feelings we release the anxiety, fear and/or grief and then walk lighter in the world. This process will also hopefully improve the culture of sharing within each family when they return home.

The third part of the spiral is Seeing with New Eyes which involves mask making and attending a Council of All Beings.

We will then move to Going Forth which is an opportunity to consider positive possibilities for the future through dramatic play.

This workshop is recommended for humans aged between five and 105 years.

FACILTATORS

Sally Novak is an educator, activist, performer and Kundalini yoga teacher with a deep connection to and passion for protecting Mother Earth. She has always aligned with the thinking and sustainable practices of First Nations people, and their ways of connecting to Country.

As a school teacher, Sally designs lessons to cultivate children’s awareness of the environment and how their interaction with it impacts it. She currently teaches mindfulness and drama in schools and has written a program called Sunshine Toolbox to assist children to transmute anxiety, regulate emotions, develop empathy and connection, so that they can feel confident to engage more deeply with the world around them.

Sally coordinates Community Care within Rising Tide, a climate defence activist group, through which she first became aware of the work of John Seed and Deep Ecology. After experiencing Deep Ecology firsthand, Sally has continued to develop her facilitation skills by sharing these powerful processes to strengthen, grow and support the activist community.

Cerrie Beech aka Miss Cherry Bomb

is the creative heart behind Roving MAD Entertainment. With over 20 years of experience lighting up stages and hearts across Australia through circus, clowning, dance, storytelling and playful adventures, Cerrie brings creativity, connection and a little bit of magic wherever she goes.

As an artist, adventurer, educator and regenerative cultures practitioner, Cerrie is passionate about helping children discover their connection with the natural world. Her work weaves together Deep Ecology, permaculture, nature play, movement, puppetry, storytelling and creative expression.

Her mission is to spark joy, hope and imagination — inspiring us to care deeply for the Earth, for one another and for our own wild, empowered hearts.

Through playful exploration and embodied experiences, Cerrie invites young people to wonder, connect and discover that they are not separate from nature, but part of the beautiful web of life.

If you have any questions relating to this event, please reach out to sallynovak@hotmail.com