Dear all–
I am new and just discovered the principles of rewilding, but have developed my own commitment and a similar approach based on my intuition (and my academic training which involved biophilia and living with indigenous people. I am a mother with a baby whom I have raised in many aligned ways, except that we have lived in normal rental houses (on many acres); he’s never been around artificial lights, cell phones, etc. But he is now a toddler, and is wanting to explore things I consider to be unfulfilling and toxic that are in our rental houses, like the fridge. It is time for me to find land to own somehow, and build our own house-shelter from mud-straw-rocks (I’m planning on building cob). I would like to live close to other families who are raising their children in close connection to nature, and who are aware to not program them. Thus I would like to create or join some kind of community, but what I envision would be totally defined separate domains all next to each other. So every family (or single person pr group of friends) has their own land of many acres, in perpetuity, and has independent finances Etc. A large common land area would be nice in addition. But mostly I envision families and others living next to each other, and agreeing on certain overall principles, but otherwise living however they want to live on their own piece of land–sharing and interacting with others in other domains only if and when they desire (zero expectation or pressure). I don’t have land but I do have my eye on a piece of land in Northern California with forest springs and rivers. I would love to hear from others with a similar vision! Or maybe this exists somewhere and I can move there?
Hi there.
I have similar thoughts and ideas. I believe there must be already existing communities in Northern California but my experience from Europe is that many of them are leaning towards agriculture and in particular vegetarianism. I have had trouble finding like-minded. I hope this virtual community can help us find real community.
Lynx
I would move to that if in northern California. I would value growing things there for what is needed, for food and material and items. Not depending on animals is not really a problem, is is indeed more a sustainable way of living, but vegetation for all of a variety for food should then be growing for that.
Where exactly do you live? Well not “exactly”, I understand the need for privacy and security, but what part of the country or world do you live in? If the Ozarks of Missouri would be an option, my boyfriend/husband have had a similar idea. Perhaps us and several close friends could all pitch in, buy at least an acre of forested land per family, then divide it up and live as low-impact as possible. If we could all agree on certain principles. 
And that would be the tricky part, because we’re pretty radical in some of our beliefs.
This is really the big question and hopefully the end point of a lot of this online discussion about rewilding and the importance of community. The reality gets more complicated, particularly with kids in the equation in terms of what the legal repercussions and limitations might look like. For most of us, that means some middle ground of how we want to live and being stuck in the path of compromising to find the people we want to be around while dealing with those we don’t.
That said, we’ve got land in the Ozarks. One acre parcels aren’t as easy to come across, but land is definitely cheap out here. It’s wild as fuck, but it’s far from pristine. Isolation? We have plenty. Public land? Our 20 acres adjoins 13,500 acres of a state land and hundreds of thousands of national forest acres. The people are sketchy, the summers are brutal, the foraging isn’t great, but the hunting is good.
Consider me interested in the discussion and outcomes here.
Haha I said AT LEAST 1 acre per family. That’s all we need for our cabin, infirmary, and gardens. One acre walled in as a safe-haven for my family. But we would indeed want more land, just to let the wildlife live in peace under the false security of our legal ownership. The sketchy people are the badges and suits who say you can trust them.
This discussion seems very on par with what I’m interested in learning about. I’m really looking for a starting point. I have a small house by the beach in SW Florida that I’ve been considering selling to move along into my first stint of rewilding. Unfortunately, I was raised in a very western community and have hardly any knowledge of living off the land. I’m a budding herbalist with a green thumb and a killer work ethic. I’d love to get connected with a community of people that would accept my ability and desire to help as a fair exchange for teaching and mentorship. I really have no agenda but to learn and to become. I’ve considered WWOOFING and attempting to join intentional living communities that I’ve found on the internet. I guess a lot of what I see is easily understood as more simplistic forms of western comfort. That isn’t what I want. Ultimately, I prefer the idea of pure survival through an ongoing relationship with our great Mother. I’ll be interested to see what comes of this discussion and I’m very open or any advice from all of you.
TriggerWarning, I am living in the southern parts of California. There isn’t anything really that I think should be sought for transitioning as I see is needed from civilization and dependence on it around here, unless the deserts are thought of for it. I considered it but that would be so simple a living, that would not support many people, and unless a site for it is near a spring there cannot be enough water unless there is dependence on it being transported. So I am favorably disposed to joining with others for this kind of pursuit, if in northern California. But if there is promising pursuit with others for it in the Ozark areas or other out of state places, I would be up for that.