Writing For The Wild

WRITING FOR THE WILD
Sundays, September 7 & 14, 12:00 – 4:00 pm 

Nature writing is not just a genre, it’s an ongoing conversation with Earth. A way of listening, remembering, and belonging. This immersive two-part workshop with Vanessa Chakour invites writers of all levels into deeper conversation with the wild within and around us. We’ll explore the many facets of nature writing while cultivating intimacy with the more-than-human world and expanding ecological literacy.

Together, we’ll reflect on what compels us to write on behalf of the wild, who we’re writing for, and how to shape poetry and prose that honor our interdependence. We’ll explore memoir, poetry, and research-driven science writing, as well as imaginative approaches like writing to and from the perspective of other species.

Whether sitting with a white pine on the Mount grounds during our outdoor writing sessions, or drawing on a memory that lives in your body, this workshop invites you to slow down and write from a place of deep attention. Through readings, writing prompts, intimate discussion, and outdoor activities, we’ll explore how nature writing can foster healing and amplify the voices of our more-than-human kin.

Between sessions, writers will be encouraged to continue our practices, to keep a nature journal, and bring writing to share the following week. We’ll also discuss pathways to publication and how to become an advocate for Earth in a time of ecological crisis — when wild neighbors desperately need our voices.

ABOUT VANESSA: 
Vanessa Chakour is a naturalist, author, and land steward who builds emotional and ecological bridges between humans and nature. Through writing, immersive retreats, and collaborative storytelling, she invites deeper connection with plants, animals, and land. Her books, Awakening Artemis and Earthly Bodies, blend memoir with calls to kinship, exploring the interdependent paths of personal and ecological healing. Vanessa has collaborated with organizations like the Wolf Conservation Center and Jaguar Rescue Center, and as a Project Coyote ambassador, facilitates conversations that inspire reverence for our multispecies family. A devoted student of nature, Vanessa continually seeks creative and regenerative pathways toward coexistence.

DISCOUNT CODE IN HONOR OF MONARCH MIGRATION:

Our time together coincides with the peak monarch butterfly migration through Massachusetts — an incredible phenomenon that unfolds across thousands of miles and multiple generations. Monarchs travel 50–100 miles a day, guided not by maps, but by genetic memory. It takes up to three generations to complete their journey to Mexico, each butterfly continuing on a path they have never flown before.

To honor their extraordinary migration, we’re offering a special discount through September 1. Type MONARCH60 into the registration link to receive $60 off and join an intimate circle of voices writing on behalf of the wild.