Welcome bikerdruid and windtooth!
windtooth: pacnw, eh? hmmm…
Yep, I had a lot to learn and not much to say 8)
Bill here, and thanks for welcoming me to the fire.
Greetings!
Liberty McGeo here for The Garden Earth Project @ http://GardenEarth.Be.
Just found the site through researching the topic “rewilding”. I am writing an article for the site about “Rewilding Suburbia”. Guess you guys beat me to the term 
Glad to find such kindred spirits, and looking forward to our acquaintance.
Hi, I am Earthmother and found this site by accident at 4a.m. in the morning. Guess I am an internet junkie too, ( the first step is admitting you have a problem). Anyway, I live in a rural community surrounded by orchard, vinyard, veg. and berry gardens, and chickens, dogs and other wild animals. Trying to be self-sustaining, and succeeding somewhat. I am a landscape designer and I also teach nutrition, natural healing, food storage and food preserving and emergency preparedness, as well as organic and biodynamic gardening techniques and a few other things that I can’t think of at this early hour.
I live in Northern Utah up against the mountains, where winters are long and summers are pure delight. I am a avid skier and lover of the outdoors.
I am older than almost all of you :-[ but young at heart. Hope to be able to learn here as well as share what I know.
Welcome Earthmother. Sounds like your lifestyle is about where I would like to be in the next few years. I would like to learn more about the biodynamic method (and gardening in general, for that matter). I know Helen & Scott Nearing employed some biodynamic techniques, but not much beyond the outline presented on Wikipedia.
Greetings. My name is Joey. I’m currently in New England. In my 30 years thus far on the planet I’ve experienced a fairly full range of civilization, and I’ve grown more and more disillusioned, particularly in the past few years. Though I’ve been quite “successful” according to our society’s understanding of “success”, I can’t help but feel that it is empty and accompanied by a sense of shame for the amount of unconsciousness required to continually dominate and exterminate all for the building up of one’s false sense of accomplishment and supposed progress.
For years I lived in big cities, and I longed for the ability to see the night sky as it was meant to be seen, as I recalled having seen it when on vacations in the middle of nowhere as a child. That was the start of my conscious awakening to the real world as well as the plastic and isolating nature of civilization. I was never like everyone else anyway, but I was good enough at pretending that I was able to deceive myself. But with this realization that we humans had cut ourselves off from such a primal and basic thing as witnessing the stars was the beginning of the end of that deception. I slowly stopped caring to fit in. I slowly stopped believing anything that I had been taught.
Like many people (though not nearly enough) the constant wars that the United States engages in prompted me to learn more about modern as well as historical imperialism. But I began to see that the roots of imperialism weren’t just about oil or gold. I started to see how imperialism can’t be stopped just by signing treaties or through “free trade” or any of that nonsense. I started to see that imperialism was necessary to prop up my lifestyle. And I started to see clearly that driving hybrids and supporting “fair trade” wouldn’t be enough. I started to see clearly how any manufacturing, and institutionalized division of labor, any mining of “resources”, etc. was inherently unsustainable and would always lead to imperialism. And I started to see the many ways in which the rights of those at home in the imperial nation are severely limited through coercion and violence. I saw that imperialism doesn’t just oppress those in far away lands. It oppresses those at home too. But it most people just don’t know they’re oppressed.
I grew up in the Midwest among cornfields. I thought that was natural as a child. Now, to visit makes me feel depressed. The fields are lined with signs stating that the corn or fertilizer or myriad of chemicals used are provided by some division or another of Syngenta or Dow or Dupont or Monsanto. The air is hazy and brown. There are no trees. The rivers are dammed. The rivers are dirty. This is not the world I want to live in. This is not the world I want to leave to future generations.
I want more than just the stars and an end to imperialism. I want clean water. I want clean air. I want top soil. I want forests. I want majestic rivers to overflow their banks when they need to, without human interference. I want the fish back. I want the wolves back. I want the frogs back. And I want to have a place in it as a participant, not as an outsider. I want to have meaningful relationships with other people based on love and mutual respect and community. I want to have meaningful relationships with trees and herbs and mushrooms and raccoons and deer because we all acknowledge our interdependence.
At first I thought I would just go move to a homestead, grow my own food, etc. My friends and family thought I was extreme when I even implied that I’d consider no electricity. I didn’t bother telling them I wasn’t planning on running water either (other than a stream or brook, perhaps, but you know what I mean.) My research has shown me more and more that agriculture is key to the whole puzzle. I see how imperialism started with agriculture. As a long-time vegetarian this bummed me out. But I now see how much more destruction is brought about through agriculture (particularly grain monocrops) than through factory farms alone (though I still absolutely condemn factory farming as a horrific extension of modern agricultural practices.)
Now a true hunter-gatherer lifestyle appeals more to me than a homesteading lifestyle. This way of life also causes me to confront some moral issues for myself. To begin with, as I mentioned, at this point I’m still vegetarian because I’m not sure how ready I am to face the direct reality of having to kill for food. Though the truth is clear to me that killing is always necessary, whether direct or indirect. Habitats are cleared for agriculture, which kills animals and plants. And to support egg and milk production long-term you’ve got to kill off some of the roosters and the bulls. It’s just the way it goes. This whole issue is one I will need to work through for myself, though I know that logically the hunter-gatherer way of life is the most balanced, honest, and sustainable, and it is the only way of life I know of that truly place humans back in their place as part of the circle of life and death. Anything else still places humans in a role of destroyer as far as I can see. And I see the spiritual dimension of taking one’s place in the circle as being just as important as the sustainability issue.
With that said, at this point I’m willing to make a few compromises initially. In my view the only truly sustainable lifestyle, the hunter-gatherer lifestyle, is nomadic by nature. I think it would be difficult to achieve this lifestyle while living in one place for a long time. However, from my experience the nomadic lifestyle is not tolerated in this country where private property is sacrosanct. Therefore, I think a tolerable compromise would be to purchase land and practice horticulture in the most primitive manner along with perhaps keeping some small animals such as chickens. I know this may well seem an insult to post such a thing on a site specifically about rewilding. However, I view this compromise as a transition step. In many ways this transition step keeps true to some of the basic ideas of rewilding since it is a subsistence lifestyle (no long-term food storage) and my preference would be to keep it as primitive as possible, possibly with no permanent buildings. And I envision hand-crafting all tools and shelter and clothing by hand and with hand-gathered materials. Hopefully, in the long term we humans will all return to the sanity of the hunter-gather way of life, and then private property will longer be an issue. Until then, as much as I hate to admit it, I think this transition step compromise is necessary.
At this point I’m feeling actually quite alone and isolated here in New England living with all the modern conveniences doing work that props up capitalism and imperialism and all the rest of civilization. I don’t relate to many people’s ambitions. I’ve been there and done that. I found the ambitions of civilization to deliver empty fruit. I’d really like to meet like-minded good people who are ready to make a go of it.
Thanks for reading.
Wow, quite an intro feralphilosopher!
What you’re proposing isn’t so far off from what we tend to discuss here, so don’t feel discouraged. No group is going to end up living the same as another, and we all have to find our strategies that work for us.
Oh, and if you feel like it might be helpful to you, feel free to join the Rewild New England email group (linked in my signature). We’ve so far managed to get together a few events and meet-ups, and I’m working on putting together a couple more soon.
Hey welcome feralphilospher, i think i understand most of what you told us. Its really a mess isnt it? I guess we are all confused and life ahead is often a direction im afraid of looking at. Things have gone wrong. I dont know my neighbours, my collegues, my housemates, my family. I have no tribe no land and only little dreams left. Politicians talk left and right, the show must go on…
Its really really difficult for us to deal with this thing, and i see many people (myself included) develop strange habits .Sadness and unbelief shows in loved one’s eyes.
Still, we both look at the same moon in the skies. Its good to know you are out there…
take care!
great intro joey. i’m a crappy typist so i rarely expound like that. cool.
i live in a rural setting in northern alberta. harsh winters, but rich area for growing and hunting.
we grow a huge garden, harvest a plethora of local berries and herbs, and live on venison and moose. we also raise chickens for meat and eggs.
i live a compromise lifestyle. i hunt and gather, but grow and raise as well. when it’s -50 in the winter, i’m pleased to have a cozy cabin and a crackling woodstove.
i’m new here too, and hope that the forum picks up. there is a lot to discuss. i look forward to sharing ideas with you and others.
peace, patrick
Heya Bikerdruid! Wellmet !
Sounds like there’s alot you can tell us. Looking forward.
Take care!
Thanks to everyone for the warm welcome. I look forward to getting to know you and learn from one another.
Hey everyone:
I haven’t read all of the introductions (I’ve read a fair sample), but I’m guessing I have a little bit of a different story. I’m a 40+ year-old lawyer. I’ve been practicing for more than ten years here in New England. I’m guessing that most people in our culture would consider me to be successful. I don’t expect that most of you would be impressed with my accomplishments though.
Anyway, I’m sorry to say that I saw this economic meltdown coming. Specifically, in 2005-2006 I was closing loans by the boat-load with terms that were absolutely crazy. I knew then that we were in trouble. I began thinking about what I would do when the crash happened, but I didn’t really prepare myself, personally, or financially speaking. I didn’t really trust my instincts, I guess.
When AIG began to implode last September, I began to see things much clearer. I knew in right then, and I know now, that we are in deep, deep trouble. I know that you all probably saw these things before me. I know that I’m a little late to the party.
So, last fall I began to develop all kinds of contingency plans. I have 3-day survival plan. I have a three-month survival plan. I’ve been buying supplies. I’ve been learning survival skills. I’ve been preparing for the potential breakdown of law and order. I have a plan just in case I’m wrong and law and order continues. I also read George Ure’s blog urbansurvival.com every morning over copious amount of coffee.
On the other hand, I’ve been trying to re-focus my law practice on the emerging area of renewable energy. I’ve been amercing myself in technologies like solar, geothermal and wind turbines. I’m hoping to develop a renewable energy installation company here in my community. In other words, I’m not all doom and gloom. I think that human beings have a tremendous ability to overcome adversity. I also know that we enjoy a tremendous abundance of wealth in this country, and we have tremendous resources–both natural and intellectual. We have a lot more infrastructure and human ingenuity than most people imagine. I think that an economic collapse, alone, may just bring out the best in us all.
On a day to day basis, I’m usually pretty cynical. I’m not proud of that. Perhaps I’ve just seen a lot more of the darker side of human nature than most. But, in order to survive, and build a sustainable future, I think that we need to rely more on our better nature and stop the politics of fear and scarcity. We need to cultivate a new spirit of cooperation somehow. I think personal human connections are absolutely key.
From a philosophical standpoint, I think that our very existence does violence to every other living thing on this planet. We are all in competition for resources on an individual level. This is our base nature and instinct, but we do not have to succumb that. We can choose to live sustainably. That choice may be forced upon us.
I don’t know if any of that makes sense. I just thought I’d share.
Wow, fellow New Englanders seem to be coming out of the woodwork! About time!
Welcome, Veritas!
Please check out the link to Rewild New England in my signature if you’re interested in meeting others in the area, or just chatting via email.
Thanks for sharing your story, Veritas. When I read your comment about how philosophically you believe that our very existence renders violence on all living things I was reminded of something Derrick Jensen wrote in Endgame that really struck me. To paraphrase, he says that when people make a claim that humans are inherently destructive and unsustainable they are forgetting about wild (uncivilized) humans who have lived sustainably (as near as we can figure) for thousands upon thousands of years. Whether or not you agree with the premise that wild humans have lived sustainably, it is at least a valid point that we tend to equate humanity with civilized humanity exclusively, forgetting about non-civilized humanity almost entirely.
It reminds me that the world IS NOT a zero sum game, we’ve only completely made them up. I.E. utter competition only lies in the realm of human creation.
I don't expect that most of you would be impressed with my accomplishments though.
Heck, I am! I think it is a real accomplishment that you -survived- the law world enough to be cognizant that something fishy was going on. That is impressive.
I hope you find what you need here.
Greetings to all! I’m Dan, currently residing in the quaint town of Wenatchee Washington. Born into a financially challenged southern family, I grew up with a connection to primitive living due mostly to the need to produce what we needed rather than purchase. It was a life I despised until I struck out on my own and learned the true nature of civilization as most know it. now I find myself drawn back to a simple life.
I, like many youth, enlisted in the armed forces (Air Force) right out of high school, traveled the world, and experienced many interesting ways of life. After too much travel for someone that never traveled much as a child, I decided to settle. Since I am here it should be obvious that I’m still not content.
“Civilized” existence usually translates to sacrificing my life and labor for the profit of others. While life offers some minor comforts in exchange, the growing desire to disengage from civilization is building up within.
Unless you are currently disengaged from civilization(in which case you wouldn’t be reading this), then you are aware of the growing economic meltdown that is occurring. I am all too aware of it since I am one of it’s many (VERY MANY) victims. Unemployed since October 1st of 2008, I have depleted my savings, downsized my life to the minimal point acceptable by civilized society, yet still cannot continue. I currently face a decision… do I attempt to remain within civilized society in a state of complete destitution, living wherever and however I can? Or do I invest my very few hundred remaining dollars to equipping myself, and step out of civilization?
I have the skills to survive quite well on my own, and definitly the desire to. However I also feel that human beings are social creatures by nature, so my greatest fear is the weight of lonlyness.
If I remain in society, whatever public assistance I receive (if any) will simply be assistance that will be denied to another, due to limited availability, and most likely someone who cannot exist outside of society.
I would appreciate you advice and thoughts, but do please hurry. I must make my decision within the next 5 days… No thats not a joke… for to go beyond that 5 days would require me to spend the few hundred dollars I have left…
Hey Dan!
First of all, id advise against rewilding on your own. Like you said we are social animals and do well in tribes. Finding a “real” tribe seems to be the greatest issue for many of us. I personally don’t believe i can just hook up with any group of strangers, having the entire weight of the tribe hanging on a few threads of abstract ideas.
If its at all possible, hook up with people. Craft some deep friendships, invest some in this. Go deep with them. You know don’t say “forget it” come first signs of trouble. This is where to me it all starts.
Friends and family. These are the people that im attuned to. People i could be in a fight with and still do well on a hunt. if you get my drift. Then get ready with them…
take care…
Dan, its great to meet you,
I’m crazed at how outspoken you are on your beliefs, I hope it will lead to some great conversation and information sharings in future 
Dylan