Gatherings in a civilized way?

Communities of Rewilding Rewild Camps, Events & Meet-ups
#1

I talk about Urvision, but not trying to criticize it. It is just the only rewilding gathering i have attended.

One day at the Swedish gathering, i was speaking with some guy i had met in the previous Urvision. Speaking about which workshop to attend in the afternoon, he came with some interesting approach: “I would like to learn how to make traps (for example), but, why must i do it right now?” The point is, it is wonderful to get taught by other alike people this kind of skills, instead of learning alone. But it is quite sad that it has to be in the civilized scheduled way. Would be really nice to have a gathering in which people just practice skills at any time and the ones who want to learn just join in; or the ones who want to learn get in contact with the ones who know how to do it. But maybe this kind of gathering would need to be much longer than one week or one month.

Another thing that pisses me off a bit is the way in this kind of gathering everything is separated. Like in a city, there is a place where you eat, a different place where you do your daily activities, and another place where you go to sleep… and so on… For me it was so sad to see so many people sleeping in individual tents, so many different small fires (instead of just a big one)…

Some of this thoughts are quite difficult to explain, but i hope somebody can get the point.

#2

Hey incomplete,

i feel the same way about the civilized way of structuring the way we learn things. In Urvisions case this is the schedule of the workshops. In reality i find the workshops run much looser and fluidly then suggested by the schedule that is made for them. But i still think schedules and workshops arent the way forward. I hope to see a more integrated way of learning rewilding skills/life by just, well you know, actually living together for 2 weeks :slight_smile:

I remember there were many discussions about this last year, so perhaps this year will see some more integrated ways of learning/living/experiencing. That would be great.

Personally when i was at Urvision i tended to try and sleep at the communal tarp. It feels safe and natural to me. Last year though i got sick (yeah go figure) and had to retreat to a private space to find rest. There are always communal living spaces at Urvision though and i always found people to be gravitating around these areas.

Still. I feel very much that you raise some valid points, and i see how they are difficult to put to words. Me i would just like to see a Urvision that is a bunch of people that live together, possibly around a communal living area very much like the way they do, coming up with things to do on the fly. I find i never really went to many workshops but was spending time and learning things just by hanging out with people. It comes naturally no ?

thanks!

btw. I wont be able to make it this year :frowning:

#3

I was going to too many workshops and not hanging around enough, even some years trying to hold a workshop and overwhelmed by bad planning. :-[ … yeah, the workshops were extending for much longer than the scheduled… may be this year i say in the first welcome circle: “I have some knowledge about this and that, anyone interested, just ask me at any time”
I think it would be much more interesting if instead of making a schedule, this board were used for just writing down names of people and the skills they are willing to share.
Anyway, the last Urvisions I was quite a bit obsessed with the practical workshops, and even a bit of pissed off that year after year the gathering was becoming less and less practical. Luckily i become more aware lately.
I can come this year and try to just hang around. lets see how it works…

#4

What you want to build sounds a lot like the Open Space Technology.

I’m no expert on it, but there is one law and five principles.
The one Law is the “Law of Two Feet” If at any time during our time together you find yourself in any situation where you are neither learning nor contributing, use your two feet, go someplace else.

The fiveprinciples are
1.Whoever comes is the right people
2.Whenever it starts is the right time
3.Wherever it happens is the right place.
4.Whatever happens is the only thing that could have .
5.When it’s over, it’s over

I think Urban Scout has been trying use this method at his rewild gatherings on Saturday in Portland. I have’t attending any of them due to the commute. (8 hours each way is a bit rough to do right now) But I wonder if he or someone else who has been to them can confirm this.

#5

Thanks for the info. I was having a look on the article on Wikipedia and it seems a good way of not organizing. But it will take me a bit to fully understand it ;D