Workshops & guided hikes to help you connect with the natural world. All classes take place on our wilderness homestead outside of Dwight. All classes are outdoors and take place rain or shine. Be prepared to come dressed for the weather and biting insects and with drinks and food for the day. Facilities include an outhouse and there will be handwash stations and COVID conscious protocols in place to allow for distancing and limit sharing of tools and materials.

If you are a BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, Person of Colour) person living in Muskoka I am offering classes at 50% off. Reach out directly (wildmuskoka@gmail.com) to claim yours ♥

See below for the full cancellation policy.

2021 Classes

Wild Medicine Program: Four-part foraging and herbal medicine making class. Click here to see full details on the class page.

Eat Your Weeds! Introduction to Spring Foraging ~ May 16th

This afternoon walk will take place in the forests and edge habitats of our homestead property in Dwight. Laura will cover the common and not-so-common wild edibles that are available to harvest in the springtime. She will discuss the concerns and sustainable practices for harvesting popular native species and also share the highly valuable invasive and non-native naturalized plants that are common and easy to pick.

The program will be designed with physical distancing in mind and appropriate sanitation stations available. Space limited to 10 people.

Date: Sunday May 16th

Time: 1pm - 4:30pm

Location: Wild Spirit Permaculture Farm, Dwight (exact directions to be given after registration)

Cost: $55+HST

CANCELLED

Tending the Wild Homestead

Both Laura & her husband Chris will be teaching this deeply informative class in the principles and practices of setting up and running a small homestead. The class will start with an online evening session a few days before class to share important background and permaculture and sustainable design theory. The main part of the class will take place over two days where participants will learn about the different parts of our homestead and how we manage them from organic gardens, forest gardens, weeds as resources, soil tending, compost management, mushroom cultivation, rabbit raising, chickens for eggs & more.

Dates: July 17th & 18th plus online introduction July 14th

Live Class Hours: 9am - 5pm

Online Introduction Class Hours: 7pm - 9pm*

*replay will be available if you cannot attend live

Location: Wild Spirit Permaculture Farm, Dwight (exact directions to be given after registration)

Cost: $300+HST

Wild Forest Wander & Summer Foraging ~ August 15th

This afternoon program will be part foraging hike and part wilderness wander. We will go on a hike among the Oak forests and climb to ridge tops with beautiful views of Lake of Bays while searching for wild edibles and discussing herbal medicines of the land. We'll take the time to slow down and connect with the land in a meaningful way while also learning about foraging and local ecology.

The program will be designed with physical distancing in mind and appropriate sanitation stations available. Space limited to 10 people. This program is not suitable for people with mobility issues as it will include walking off-trail in rugged terrain.

Date: Sunday August 15th

Time: 1pm - 4:30pm

Location: Wild Spirit Permaculture Farm, Dwight (exact directions to be given after registration)

Cost: $55+HST

SOLD OUT

Exploring Fall Mushrooms ~ October 2nd & October 3rd

Come out for an afternoon walk in the woods of our wilderness homestead near Dwight to learn about mushroom foraging & cultivation. Laura will introduce the basics for understanding the role and function of fungi in the forest, safety and sustainability in mushroom foraging, introduce some home cultivation techniques and then the group will explore the woods to see what mushrooms are fruiting at that time. This class will be limited to 10 participants to allow for physical distancing.

Date: Saturday October 2nd  & October 3rd

Location: Wild Spirit Permaculture Farm, Dwight (exact directions to be given after registration)

Cost: $55+HST

SOLD OUT

Many classes have sold out very quickly this year. Please sign up to be the first to be notified for the next round of classes.

Cancellation Policy

You can request a refund for classes up to 7 days from the start time. Refund requests must be submitted by email with your order number. After 7 days there will be no refunds but you will be offered credit for future classes or Wild Muskoka Botanicals product. If the class needs to canceled due to unforeseen circumstances such as lockdown measures that prohibit the outdoor gathering of more than 10 people or a positive COVID test by one of the instructors you will receive a full refund.