As our children learn wilderness skills, they have the potential to make a significant positive influence in our communities. Earthwork Foundation, part of a non-profit 501(c)(3) tax-deductible organization through the Trusteeship Institute, allows Earthwork Programs to receive donations for scholarship funds to have others who do not have the necessary means to participate in this cultural movement and education. Earthwork Foundation raises money for scholarships to assist some families with tuition to our Programs…families with multiple children who have been attending our Programs for years, or those who have been hard hit by the economic situation in our country.
It is time to reflect on all that our children have learned about the arts of survival this year…plant identification and tree recognition and their many uses, bird language and awareness, wildlife tracking, fire by friction, shelter building, stealth and other naturalists skills.
But it’s not just wilderness skills that these children are learning…they are finding out about mentoring, forest ecology and relationships, Earth philosophy, leadership, teamwork and community building. They are discovering their purpose.
Earthwork Programs’ philosophy is to help develop the whole person. This includes emotionally, physically, spiritually and intellectually…key elements in living positive and sustainable lifestyles in harmony with others and the natural world.
This past summer, through Earthwork Programs, we introduced wilderness skills to many new faces…we had over 100 children attend At Home in the Woods–some returning for their 3rd, 4th and even 5th summer with us; most were local Western Mass. children, but some coming from other areas of the U.S. and even from England.
Throughout last winter and this spring and autumn, over 25 children have learned new and practiced old skills, all part of our ancestral heritage. Visit our Curriculum page to see, in detail, what the children learn.
And we brought Living History to several local schools, supported in part by Massachusetts Cultural Council grants.
Families have been attending Wilderness Living Skills Workshops for years, and for adults, Earthwork Programs holds Emergency Survival & Self-Sufficiency Workshops as well as Wilderness Weekends, Wild Edible & Medicinal Workshops.
Our goal for this year is $5,000, which, in part, will provide financial relief for a family with several children who have participated in our Programs and want to continue, as well as potential At Home in the Woods scholarships. Please consider a gift of $20 or $35 or more to ensure that these children, and others like them, can attend our Programs, and gain the confidence to succeed in other areas of life.
Blessings and with deep appreciation,
Frank and the Earthwork Programs Team