Local educators share approaches to connect audiences with the living systems that sustain us
The Rhode Island Environmental Education Association (RIEEA) is pleased to announce a series of workshops, each building off of the theme of Education Through Cultivation: Rooting Teaching, Farming, & Healing in Relationship to the Land. These workshops will be facilitated by Rhode Island educators and community members who will share different ways agricultural practices and land stewardship intersect and how they can be powerful tools for engaging learners of all ages in hands-on, place-based environmental education.
Learn more about each of the five workshops and the facilitators at rieea.org/programs/workshop-series/
WORKSHOPS
- Tide to the Land – July 21 (Ocean Hour Farm, Newport) Ocean Hour Farm is a living center for education, research, and demonstration of regenerative agriculture, showcasing the vital connection between healthy land and a thriving ocean. Beth Alaimo, OHF’s Program Director, will give a tour of the active farm to discover how regenerative practices can restore ecosystems while producing nourishing food and fiber. Participants will learn about OHF’s educational programs and see firsthand how their integrated landscape works to build healthy soil, sequester carbon, filter stormwater, and support resilient communities.
- Centering the “Culture” in Agriculture – August 12 (Ashawaug Farm, Ashaway) Spend an evening at Ashawaug Farm, Rhode Island’s only Indigenous owned and operated farm. Narragansett Tribal members, Dawn and Cassius Spears, will show how they utilize contemporary methods and traditional practices to balance cultural preservation with future generations’ importance. In this workshop, participants will explore how the Farm integrates art and agriculture to expand knowledge of Narragansett foodways, supports community health and cultural revitalization, and promotes food sovereignty.
- Nature Liberation – September 19 (Open fArms Retreat, Cumberland) This is an immersive experience designed for educators, healers, and seekers ready to deepen their relationship with the natural world. Through guided meditation practices drawn from earth-based and contemplative traditions, Sienna Viette, Andraly Horn, and Rachel French will show how to use the farm as a teaching tool in both alternative and traditional learning spaces. Hands-on activities in herbal medicine introduce participants to the identification, cultivation, and preparation of medicinal herbs grounded in both traditional knowledge and regenerative land stewardship.
- Adult Farm Camp: Cultivating Connection, Community & Learning – October 4 (Pat’s Pastured, East Greenwich) Camp is back, and this time it’s for grown-ups! Join Kelly McNiff and Stacy Gale, founders of The Farm and Forest Education Center, along with Rachel Briggs, creator of Dream Through STEAM, for an afternoon designed especially for educators who want to reconnect with nature, community, and the joy of learning. Participants will feed cows and make butter, collect eggs and hold baby chicks, visit the pigs for a scratch, and harvest from the garden. Together, the group will use what they gather to create a seasonal batch of fire cider while exploring the connections between food, land, and learning.
- Shuck & Learn – October 15 (Location TBD in Westerly area) European green crab is an invasive species that impacts valuable fisheries and vulnerable ecosystems in the Ocean State. Join green crabber Captain Jason Jarvis and Mary Parks of GreenCrab.org for a conversation on its ecological impact, rich culinary history, and an interactive shucking demonstration and tasting. This workshop will also highlight in-classroom activities developed through GreenCrab.org’s Crab Class program and pathways for classrooms to engage in community science data-collection efforts.
Formal and nonformal educators as well as advocates and community members are invited to attend as many or few workshops as they would like. Please note space is limited so register today!