Join a creative "rewilding" community trial in far north CA

Putting out feelers here for an opportunity that is shaping up and wants your input or participation! This is a draft invitation to see what appeals and could work here with the right recipe and ingredients. Subject to revision or retraction...but I'll leave the thread up either way as it may inform/inspire others.

The setting and situation is a very nice large secluded private property at about 3000' elevation in lightly wooded white oak savanna, with largely intact native habitat amidst thousands of acres of mostly wild land although not far from nice small towns, a wild and scenic river, and a major transportation corridor. I've been working on/with the property a few years now and know it and surrounding environs pretty well.

My objective is a slowly unfolding place-based regenerative-restorative development that eventually offers seasonal and full time dwellings, plus short term camp and group/event hosting amenities, all nicely melded into a healthy productive fire adapted ecology. Ideally this could be cooperatively managed through a tiered owner-member structure with a core group of long term invested stewards complemented by a larger sphere of regular visitor-members, contributors, and advocates, and a broader base of guests and supporters.

But it's still early stages and evolving through trial and collaboration, which is where this invitation arises!

Currently, I've established simple adaptable infrastructure to support seasonal life/work on site for a few people at a time with occasional larger group campouts, plus lots of ground work and site planning to begin building more permanent low-cost natural structures fairly quickly. What I'm aiming for is to find a couple of people interested in the longer term potentials, and willing to jump in to shorter term trial arrangements to check the fit and cultivate good working relationship with the land and it's life forms including myself. There is space for multiple clustered small living spaces and a few larger residential buildings or functional centers spread around four contiguous parcels.

A couple of tracks this involvement could take, in my view (other ideas negotiable):

1) someone(s) interested in visiting short term to get a feel for the place and have a chance to talk/think things through further in person, would be welcome to camp out (own vehicle or tent) for a few days to a few weeks for a modest nightly fee

2) someone interested in bringing a mobile dwelling (RV, yurt/tent etc, tiny home) to stay for the fall or spring season and live/work primarily on site could explore a space rental agreement (possible partial work trade)

3) someone keen on potential longer term involvement could apply and commit to a one year trial residency including a reversible financial stake via loan, and a compensated role in operations or development

4) someone with ample funding and motivation could either sponsor the next phase of development as a partner/investor or purchase the property outright and take over leadership (with transitional support and steering as needed from me)

Some more key info about the site and setting:  private and secure location on a gated dead end four season gravel road, 65 acres rolling terrain mostly gently sloping, around 20" annual precipitation, pretty rocky clay loam ground (lends well to stone terracing), seasonal creek and spring fed 100' pond, good year round solar gain, zone 7b-ish with usually a cold week or two early winter lows in teens, peak summer heat usually a few low 100 days early July.

What kinds of projects and productivity could fit well here? As I see it, the setting is probably best characterized as a combo nature retreat, learning and demonstration venue, wildcrafting 'silvopasture' (abundant traditional food and craft materials), and landscape art / natural building center. It is not well suited to the usual agricultural homestead pursuits, although some of those may find a niche over time (particularly as water infrastructure evolves). It's in a great location and setting for hosting visitors, events, workshops with camp (and potentially "glamp") accommodations. I've done a lot of work towards a nice trail system to walk or ride around. Well suited to personal retreats, artists, somatic and spiritual practice, and perhaps some nature based therapy work. I've highlighted rewilding in the title here to encompass both the personal aspect of living in and with a mostly wild / low impact habitat, as well as the importance of ongoing restoration work to help repair and retain a resilient native ecology and food web on an important site in one of the most biodiverse regions of the continent. That should give a sense of things, open to more ideas and exploration too!

What else is going on in the area? Permaculture-wise, not a lot real close by, but the nearby Rogue Valley of southern Oregon is pretty active with that and a range of other activities and offerings. I've connected with a couple of other large scale (1000 acre+) restoration oriented land projects each about 20 minutes away that host occasional events and are open to volunteers. There's also a huge and inspiring ongoing restoration effort along the Klamath River minutes away, where four dams were removed last summer. Good potential here to plant seeds of many types and establish locally appropriate patterns and guilds/networks for the future! There's the usual sort of rural conservative-libertarian attitudes and lifestyles prominent, but not overwhelming or oppressively so. It is still california, with space for tactful alternative visions and ventures.

Okay enough for an intro post here, I'll see what sort of interest and questions this sparks and add on as fitting. Cheers!

Hey Ben,
Inspiring and well written intro!

I'm intrigued and have been pondering a trip to explore "up north". On my list so far is Wanosh forest gardens in Mendo and Mt Shasta.  I would love to see what you've got started too. Possibly 3rd/4th week of August for a few day visit.

Let me know if that timing works, we can exchange info by PM.

Thanks!
Austin

You bet, Austin!

I'll message some more details to arrange, and welcome direct outreach from anyone else considering a visit. This is a good base location for lots of enticing outdoor rec in the area, and I can make tailored suggestions.

Wanosh is on my radar too, although I haven't been out for a visit. Love the northern Mendo / SoHum coast range and wish it was a tad closer. At the same time the convoluted mountains and canyons that make driving around the region somewhat arduous/adventurous are a natural buffer to crowds and commerce - my location is a decent compromise given I can be on smooth interstate in minutes, train or plane in an hour. Or a scenic slow boat to the coast in a few moments, and several PCT trailheads in easy reach! Only real missing piece is decent bike/cart infrastructure, but some signs of progress on that too.

Hi Ben,

Thanks for sharing your project — it really appeals to me. I’m recently retired and moved up to Southern Oregon/Northern California looking for a place where I can root myself and be part of something regenerative.

My dream, I call Wormsong Sanctuary — restoring soil's mychorizal network, creating pollinator habitat, keeping bees and chickens, growing clean fish, and showing people how healthy soil supports life. I have a microscope that shows a tardigrade's legs and claws and can display onto a screen so the kids can learn about The Marvelous microbes in the soil. I’ve also got some tools to share and supplies with me (solar panels, batteries, power tools) that could be useful on various projects.

I don’t have an RV or camper — just a regular sedan — so I’d need some kind of simple shelter if I came out to visit. Is there any way that could work for a short stay to see if it’s a good fit?

Best,
Kathleen

Hello Kathleen! Thanks for asking and sharing some of your own offerings. Those sound like nice complementary goals in general.

It certainly could be worth a visit and further discussion, however at first read I suspect that my site and setting are probably more rugged, wild, and removed (not isolated, but definitely set apart) from surrounding community than what you're after. Also given your emphasis on soil health and microbiology, I imagine that a forested setting with more hydrated, fungal based soils would be preferable to what I have, which is an open grassy woodland or savanna landscape, with bacterial dominant drier soils. There is lots of variety and potential in the area though, and perhaps I can help you locate some better suited opportunities!

One such project I know that might appeal and be worth looking into is this:

https://www.cedrestoration.org/guys-gulch-ecological-reserve-ca

Let me know if you have additional questions, you can message me direct as well.