A Community Field School
for Applied Ecology & Social Transformation
Rooted in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia
It may be that when we no longer know what to do, we have come to our real work, and that when we no longer know which way to go, we have come to our real journey. The mind that is not baffled is not employed. The impeded stream is the one that sings.
- Wendell Berry
is dedicated to nurturing
social and ecological imagination, resilience, and regeneration
amidst an age of
hostility, despair, and ecocide.
Stone River Institute
Through educational programs,
community partnerships, and land regeneration projects, we're working toward a more just
and livable future by helping people cultivate
connection with the earth, with
one another, and with the magic
and wonder of being alive.
Our Work
We provide consultation, custom training, and ongoing support to organizations, communities, and individuals who wish to steward land in holistic and intersectional ways. With decades of experience across multiple disciplines, we help our clients clarify their goals, develop skill, and sustainably execute projects across time. We specialize in resilience planning, integrative conservation, regenerative food systems, and ecosystem restoration, always driven by our commitment to a just and livable future for all.
We create safe and enlivening opportunities to deepen your ecological literacy and learn practical skills for living a life of care and connection in your community. Echoing Paulo Freire and bell hooks, we believe that transformative education arouses the conscience, enlarges the imagination, and is a practice of liberation. Our workshops provide a place where folks can explore the wisdom of the earth and the deep intelligence of their own animal bodies. As we cultivate the skills and knowledge that make it possible to care for the earth, ourselves, and one another, we build capacity for bioregional resilience and response-ability amidst the unending crises of our time.
We participate in multiple solidarity networks that nurture community, respond to emergencies, and assist in meeting people's fundamental needs, especially when existing systems fail to do so. This work is often improvisational and takes its cues from current events, seasonal needs, and volunteer availability, but we also strive to host regular skill-sharing events free of charge, maintain a growing tools and materials library, and host seasonal gatherings to help folks establish and cultivate the kinds of relationships that are at the heart of every resilient community.
Join Us
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