The Wild Turning is more than just a foraging course. It's a community, and an ongoing journey into the wild and our place within it. Each seasonal cohort has a limited number of participants. Classes are small, allowing individual attention as well as a collaboration among students. We gather throughout the year to become better foragers and to deepen our sense of the circle of life. By watching the changes in nature year round, we grow our understanding of how and when to look for the plants and fungi that support our health and fill our dinner plates. Expand your awareness and cultivate stillness through tracking and foraging exercises. Find yourself surrounded by nature in the city as well as in the forest. Connect to the wild without as well as within.
The Wild Turning
is about making friends,
harvesting and preparing wild foods and medicines,
tending fires and expanding our awareness skills,
returning to the ancient roots of our humanity.
I'm ready to go Wild!
The Wild Turning is about deepening your connection to presence and fostering a sense of stillness within.
"The Wild Turning, in short, truly is that. I feel like I’ve turned wild! I find myself turning to nature so much more often now than I ever have before! Every class is an opportunity to grow and learn not only from Matt himself but from each other and the Earth herself. I am eternally grateful to Matt, his family, and the beautiful little community that has been cultivated here. To be surrounded by nature and love is one of the highest forms of serenity. 11/10 would highly recommend!"
Meaghan
The Wild Turning is offered in three month quarters. The next round begins this summer on June 1st. We'll meet the first and second Saturdays of each month from 10am-1pm in a diversity of Columbia area locations. The dates for this summer are June 1st and 8th, July 6th and 13th and August 3rd and 10th.
"I came to the Wild Turning to take my foraging skills to the next level, but what I got out of it was so much more. I found a community of like-minded folks and have found enjoyment in slowing down to look at the details all around us. After my year, I’ve come back because I crave the recentering that this group has provided me in such a busy world. The Wild Turning is the community I had been missing."
Teague
The Wild Turning
is about slowing down and tapping into the cadence of wild nature through the seasons and all types of weather.
I'm ready to go Wild!
"The wild turning was a great experience and I would recommend it to anyone interested in foraging. I gained many new friends that are into natural living like myself and got to explore the different nature spots in Columbia with a different set of eyes - getting to see just how much food is freely available all around us. I liked how we got to dive deeper into the history of stories and different uses of each plant and tree. Also, I am a beginner forager compared to others in the group but everyone was always very happy to share their knowledge with each other. So, if you’re new to foraging, you will be in good hands!"
Austin
The Wild Turning
It's about learning to recognize trees that will bear nuts in the coming fall by the patterns on their bark in winter.
Its about finding out where to look for pawpaws in August by the kinds of butterflies you see in June.
I'm ready to go Wild!
When and where do we meet?
What happens in case of extreme weather?
What if I don't know anything about foraging?
What happens if I miss a walk?
Is it all in person?
"Everything we did helped me to move away from obsessing over a really stressful day; I loved the quiet and being able to focus; I loved the sense of peace; the ways in which matt guides us, without a pressure on getting it right is inspiring. We really want to continue to deepen our senses and our sense of belonging in this world. We'd all love to do these walks without shoes!"
Debbie
The Wild Turning
Spring Cohort 2024
- In-person and online
- Meets two Saturdays a month from 10am -1pm
- Small classes
- Two payment options, in full or in two payments
- Includes a virtual community and instructional films
- Not suitable for children under 16
