Celebrations from:

Celebrating Those Who Work with Youth - the 2014 Animator Training Canoe Quest

This past July, we concluded the 9-month Play in the Wild! Animator Training with educators from Germany, Japan, Australia, Canada, and the United States. For 7 days, we journeyed in canoes on the pristine lakes of Papineau-Labelle in Quebec, Canada, exploring what it means to be a leader sharing power, empathy, and responsibility in a learning community.

This Canoe Quest became a mirror for each educator's journey towards becoming a leader in their own life. Some were challenged to step through layers of self-doubt into trusting their own power. Others opened to a greater awareness and consideration of the whole community when making decisions that affected everyone. All were profoundly affected.

Here are some of their words:

"There's a beautiful and powerful way of being in community, that I never experienced so clearly and real..."

"[I'm] letting go of the idea that I need permission or approval from someone, understanding projections and letting them go, [and] noticing when my mind tries to separate myself from others"

"[I'm taking with me] strength to shift into a role of 'leader', 'holder of the circle', 'choreographer', however you want to label it."

"It's deeper than I ever imagined on all quadrants!"

"It's an experience that changes one's life forever, touching the knowledge that... all are important and have their place."

Celebrating Camp Communautaire Se Brancher Coeur -

Play in the Wild!'s Community Camp in
Qu�bec

After 4 days with 70 amazing humans between the ages of 6 months and 65 years old, it's hard to limit ourselves to just a few highlights! Favorite moments include a Needs Obstacle course that just kept going and going, an Outdoor Empathy evening at the Theatre, a multi-lingual "Move Your Needs" drumming and dancing circle and our daily Empathy Families.

Many of us worked particularly intimately with Freedom as we moved through how our personal choices impact the lives of those around us.

Words from participants:

"Voir le processus du camp se d�ployer nourrit ma confiance en la bienveillance de la Vie, ma foi dans le pouvoir de la pr�sence, du l�cher prise."

"Watching the process of camp unfold feeds my trust in the benevolence of life and my faith in the power of presence, of letting go."

- Jacinthe, 35 years old

"Je voudrais que ce camp dure au moins un mois!"

"I wish this camp lasted a whole month long!"

- Noa, 8 years old

Celebrations go out to our organizing team Marie-Gabrielle, Colin, Arielle and Melanie and to Caroline, Marie-�laine, Renaud, Joanie, Anne and Chandra for their support feeding all of us and playing and creating with little ones and big ones alike.

Thank you too to all participants for the willingness to play and learn the dance of trust and connection!

Play in the Wild! Organic T-shirts on Sale

We have a limited number of our 2014 t-shirts on sale now, while supplies last. These shirts are 100% organic, sewn and knitted in a Vermont factory powered by 100% renewable energy, and come in attractive mens, ladies, and kids styles.

The front of the shirt comes emblazoned with our seven-pointed star of Nonviolence containing the aspects of life that we strive to uphold (in Ojibwe language), and the Play in the Wild! mission: "To Protect and To Serve All Needs, All Beings, All Life", in English, Spanish, and French. The back of the shirt depicts a heart rock from one of our Quests in Canada, with Empathy written in 6 languages, and our 2014 "Tour" Dates.

All proceeds from t-shirt sales go to support Play in the Wild!'s programs, helping us to make these programs accessible to all people, regardless of their financial resources.

Order t-shirts online here...

For more info about
Play in the Wild! camps for families, youth, educators, visit playinthewild.org

Every year, we take time to celebrate with you, our supporters, the magic that happens on our Wild!'s - the depth of connection and transformation that occurs when human beings of any age meet themselves and each other "out beyond ideas of wrong-doing and right-doing", in the words of the famous Rumi poem.

So, here's our annual celebration issue! Below and to the left is a selection of our favorite quotes and images from this year's Wild!'s. May seeing them inspire your practice of nonviolence as much as it inspires ours. And, if you know someone who might also enjoy this inspiration, by all means, share the wealth!

Blessings and Peace All Ways,

Jesse, Catherine, and the
Play in the Wild! Animator Team

P.S. Like the style of this year's Wild! organic t-shirts? We have a limited number for sale if you too would like to wear your commitment "To Protect and To Serve All Needs, All Beings, All Life" -

See below to find out more.

2014 Youth Backpack Quest - Celebrations from the Vermont Long Trail

This year's Backpack Quest brought together youth from all around the world to explore themes that were close to their hearts, themes like trusting one's inner strength, living life fully, and deepening in the practice of empathy. Hiking the highly technical Vermont Long Trail challenged all of us to find creative ways of supporting one other and staying present to the natural requests of the trail.

As our connection grew to ourselves, each other, and our environment, our creativity grew with it. What began as a sharing of sing-alongs in each of our mother tongues, English, French, Spanish, German, Estonian, and Mandarin Chinese, evolved into a sing-along with the rain itself on our last day, improvising melodies, rhythms, and sounds to accompany the symphony of the forest around us.

Below are some words from the youth about their experience, along with photos from the Quest:

"I'm leaving with more self-confidence and a certainty that I am much stronger physically and emotionally than I ever thought before."

"I'm taking away with me a greater capacity for listening to others and bringing mindfulness to interactions with those around me."

"I was able to express myself without fear of judgment and in one week I made new friends in such a short time"

"Savor with presence every moment, as it is, because you might never relive it again."

"The website doesn't do it justice, there is nothing that can come close to explaining it other than going for it - it's brilliant"

Thank you Wild!er's for the incredible willingness you each brought to this Quest! May you find connection and support wherever your life takes you. We are honored to know you.

Celebrating Our Newest Wild!: Wild! Kids Camp

This year we began a new program, Wild! Kids Camp, for youth from 5 to 11 years old, on our land in Vermont, Wild Heart Refuge. Parents had the opportunity to camp at Wild Heart, in the shadow of Mount Mansfield, and share community while their kids explored Fairy Creek, built earth shelters, made bee frames and placed them in the bee hive, harvested food from the garden, and connected across language (Japanese, Arabic, French, and English!) and culture, all while having a ton of fun! All this led 6-year-old Ryan to spontaneously exclaim, while standing at the top of our Gratitude-Slip-and-Slide, "This is the best day in my whole life!".

Below are words from the parents and photos from Camp:

"Everyday [my son] has taken 15 minutes right after camp to share all the offerings and experiences in camp for that day in detail (everything he created, shelters, notebook, crafts) as well as the lunches (IN DETAIL!), physical activities, songs, hikes, swims. He also shared how much he enjoyed the younger children and the movement through language 'barriers' into greater connection."

"[It's] inclusive, respectful of everyone's needs, flexible, loving, ...goes with my values, and we aren't alone [in it]."

"A general sense of really enjoying the experience and a sense of belonging and feeling welcome and valued. This is the sense I get from hearing [my son] relay stories. And he has loved the activities."

"[It's] an opportunity for children to experience connection to community, the earth, and themselves. A space in which their voices will be encouraged and celebrated. Thank you all. Loved being in the sweet space that you create."

"The community of families was a delight. Communal meals naturally and spontaneously evolved. We felt most welcomed!"

"[It's] a place for children to play, explore in a safe respectful multi-cultural environment with guidance and support that is affirming of their humanity. All my gratitude for your loving presence with our children."

Thank you to all the families who joined us on this adventure, to VRRP for bringing us Ryan and Osama, and to Hannah for the initial inspiration!