Offered in partnership with the Maine Local Living School.Penobscot Expedition is a journey to understand the past and present of the Penobscot Nation. Our expedition is informed by these questions: What does it mean to live in the same place for 10,000 years? What can the ‘dominant culture’ learn from indigenous people? What is our role in the ongoing struggle for tribal sovereignty? We begin the journey at the Maine Local Living School where we carve poles for upstream canoe travel, paying our respect to indigenous ingenuity. While on the homestead we will harvest and preserve food, use the solar dehydrator, and process acorns into flour. Departing the homestead, we begin our expedition with rocky, shallow, technical upstream paddling and poling. We follow an ancient canoe route used by Wabanaki tribes to connect the Penobscot and Kennebec River watersheds. We face challenging navigation through the thin headwaters of two rivers, and encounter abundant wild foods, giant turtles, friction fire, and the same difficult portages that have been done for thousands of years. Our destination is the Penobscot River where we will meet Penobscot tribal members on Sugar Island. Here we will learn about tribal history and world views, contemporary issues facing the Penobscot Nation, and what it means to be Penobscot in 2025.
Join us on an adventure in fishing, crafting, and exploring the hidden secrets of the streams, lakes, and rivers that surround us. We begin the week at Kroka Village where we will carve our own fishing poles, learn to tie flies, and rig our lines. In the afternoons we will try our luck from shore, testing our patience and our wit while exploring the magical forests that surround us. Then with barrels packed and lines reeled tight, we will head out on a three-day expedition by canoe through one of Vermont’s most famous fisheries. Each day we’ll paddle further downstream, learning about currents, eddies, and fish habitats. In the heat of the day we’ll stop to swim and to test the many rope swings and jumping rocks along the shore! We will camp in the forest and cook delicious dinners over the fire. We eat what we catch: eager fisherfolk should be excited to gut, clean, and cook their fish. If you’ve fallen hook line and sinker for the adventure of fishing, this expedition is not to be missed!
Those who cast know that fishing is not only a sport, it’s a lifestyle: pursuing the clearest mountain streams and deepest pools; rising early to get the first catch and seeing the mist on the pond on a clear morning. This new fishing expedition was designed for those who are looking to take their fishing skills to the next level with patient practice and an adventure into the cold waters of Northern New England. Beginning at Kroka Village we will test our luck in the abundant ponds and streams of southwest New Hampshire, returning each night to cook our catch over the open fire. From here we embark on a journey to the Connecticut River headwaters where the swiftwater riffles are perfect for floating our canoes downstream. Carrying everything we need with us, we will practice whitewater canoeing in class I-II, camp on the wooded shores, and earn our keep by catching dinner as often as we can. If that doesn’t hook you, add to it tying your own flies, a visit to a fish hatchery, and the simple pleasure of sitting around the fire and stargazing at the end of the day.
Male-identified and non-binary participants.A call to all boys who wish to become the best that they can be! Join us in meeting a challenge that could change how you grow into a man. During this two-week expedition we will challenge our minds, bodies, and spirits while immersing ourselves in the beauty of the Vermont wilderness. Like the ancient school of the Samurai, we will wake early in the morning with exercises that build our concentration and dexterity, our strength, and our will. The coming expedition will test us. We will carry everything we need on our backs. The mountains and river valleys will be our guides, the wind and the rain our teachers. We will not follow trails but blaze our own way, relying on maps, compasses, and our intuition. At night, we’ll gather around the fire to share wisdom and tell stories. As boys crossing the threshold into manhood, we will experience ceremony, build a joyful community, speak from our hearts, and have an opportunity to be alone in the wilderness. Will you join us?
Come Take to the Woods and become the wild children of the forest! Experience the pure fun and magic of living in and from the wilderness. The forest will fuel our projects, providing saplings for branch bows, dry wood for friction fire, pine for bowl carving, and wild plants for food. Camping on the banks of the Ashuelot River we will swim, fish, and learn stealth while observing the life of the woodland animals that abound. We will form new friendships with nature and each other. We will become a true community, relying on each other and celebrating the joys of summertime. Yes, let’s take to the woods: we are the wild ones, adventuring and learning the secrets of the earth!