About Wild Abundance
We believe that humans have a beautiful potential to feel interwoven with the web of life, and to align our actions and our values. Sadly, we see modern life pushing people further and further away from the living world, from each other, and from the skills for empowered engagrement. Our school is a place of hopeful resistance to this trend. We’ve shared skills and knowledge with thousands of students since we began in 2009.
Wild Abundance is a permaculture and carpentry school nestled in the mountains of Western North Carolina, just outside Asheville. It’s also a chance to manifest the dream of a more interconnected and sustainable world.
Wild Abundance is here to help you nurture a lifestyle that’s aligned with your values and your hopes for the future.
We strive to do this in alignment with the living world and our fellow stewards. See more on our Land Acknowledgement.
Our Core Values
In our classes, free offerings, and how we work together internally, we’re guided by these core values:
- Nurture competence and capability through hands on skills and knowledge
- Embody authenticity as we lead and inspire with courage and humility
- Care for and interconnection with the earth and our many communities: human; plant; animal; elemental
- Achieve resilience through sustainable actions
Who We Are
We’re a passionate group of people who care deeply about education and community building. Many of us have dedicated our lives to land-based living and practical skills. Our instructors all live what they teach, from permaculture to herbalism to carpentry.
Yes, our instructors are badasses (i.e., incredibly skilled). But don’t worry, they’re humble, super-approachable and not intimidating once you get to know them. Their job is to help you to cultivate your own inner badass!
Wild Abundance staff is made up of a core admin team of six women, a site crew of 4 folks who build and maintain infrastructure and take care of the physical needs of the campuses, and more than 20 instructors of various genders, ages, backgrounds, and passions who are leaders in their fields. We all work collaboratively to help the school thrive and to provide an excellent, welcoming experience for our community of students.
“I love being at Wild Abundance! The open-air classroom is nestled into the trees, making it an excellent setting to learn about homesteading and permaculture. Natalie and her team bring a vibrancy to all that they do and have created a very welcoming wilderness retreat for their guests.” -(Mel Shapcott, Natural Building and Tiny House Workshop)
Join our Community
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You’ll also get our newsletter, which is full of how-to’s, seasonal tips, specials on classes and more! Don’t worry, we won’t share your info with anyone. We care about your privacy!
How We Began: Natalie’s Story
Growing up in rural Washington State, Natalie went to public school, picked wild berries, rode her horse…and felt the pressure of the suburbs encroaching. Trepidation at the ominous expansion of cookie-cutter culture urged her to explore alternatives. This – plus a deep desire for meaning and connection and an innate love of all that is wild and natural – has motivated her life’s work…(click to read more)
A Growing Community
Now, we’ve expanded to two campuses here in Barnardsville, NC, and work with partners like Ivy Creek Timber Frames, The School of Integrated Living, Blood and Spicebush, and Rhythm and Ritual Crafts to offer a wider range of class subjects and locations. We’ve served over 1000 alumni in our in-person classes, over 10,000 through online learning, and have hosted dozens of apprentices who’ve learned here over entire seasons. Thousands more read our blog, newsletter, and social media posts, where we share inspiration and education with the wider world.
“The abundance of knowledge from the instructors, who will now undoubtedly remain my lifelong mentors and friends, is matched only by the beauty of the land.” -(Iz Parshaw, Apprentice)
Instructors
“I had a really memorable time at the timber frame class. It’s in a fantastic setting with beautiful mountain views. Brian and his crew were fantastic teachers. They were so patient and willing to answer all our questions. I also really enjoyed the company of all twenty other students. I would take such a class again in a heartbeat and would definitely recommend this class for anyone who has ever dreamed of building something timber framed.” –(Kyle Hager, Timber Framing)
“In spending time with the students and teachers, I feel like I inherited this group of genius friends all working on the same big questions I am. With the support of teachers and peers and with these experiences in my bones, I finally feel ready to set out and step courageously into our present and start designing the world I would want to give to the future.” –(Anonymous, Permaculture Design Course)
Core Staff
The Wild Abundance admin team is composed of six passionate folks who make sure things run smoothly. We organize classes, answer your questions, write for the website and blog, curate social media, coordinate with teachers, and handle all the nitty-gritty details of running the school.
Our grounds team works hard to build and maintain infrastructure and get everything in order for our numerous classes.
Each of our lives are, in various ways, inspired by and connected with the skills that the school teaches. Plus, we’ve all been teachers or students of Wild Abundance classes. It’s pretty awesome that we get to work for an organization that we feel so aligned with!
We believe that what we offer can inspire personal empowerment and connection to greatly benefit our students and the world.
A little inside scoop: We love to bring very fancy snacks and tasty teas to share at our seasonal staff meetings (read: goat cheese with wild greens pesto and perfectly ripe pears with gruyere, plus freshly-harvested aromatic herbal infusions). When we get together to strategize and reflect on our successes and failures, we enjoy doing go-arounds of appreciation for one another. We’re constantly scheming about how to make Wild Abundance better and better, and how to share what we’re doing with everyone who’s interested. To learn more about our staff members, click here
You: Our Students and Supporters
Whew, that was a lot about us, when really, Wild Abundance is way more about YOU. The foundation of why we’re here is to build connections and personal empowerment through teaching skills. So, clearly, you’re a major player in what we do. Here, we’ll answer a few of the big questions that many of our prospective students want answered. Additionally, check out our FAQ for more info.
All are welcome here. Connecting with the world through hands-on, practical skills is a human birthright.
No matter your age, race, gender, spiritual beliefs, sexual orientation, socioeconomic position, or any other unique characteristics, we’ll strive to make you feel welcome and to share our knowledge in an accessible way. If you let us know that you have special needs or particular barriers, and we don’t have the resources or capacity to support you, we’ll be honest about that. We realize that creating real welcome, safety and accessibility takes a lot more than good intentions. This is an emergent and imperfect process, and we welcome feedback on how we can do it better and better.
If you’ve gotten this far, clearly you’re interested in skill-building and Earth-based living. You know that your personal choices can make a difference in the state of the world, and you feel inspired to learn how to live in a way that’s aligned with your values. Things like carpentry, gardening, permaculture, homesteading, herbalism,and earthskills appeal to you. They speak to something deep inside that yearns for a relationship with the natural world and with your own confident, competent self.
But you may be asking yourself, am I too much of a beginner? Am I too much of a “city slicker”?
The answer to those questions is a definitive no. Skills are what we teach, and all skill levels are welcome here. There are no prerequisites for our classes (with one exception: the advanced women’s carpentry class). In fact, total beginners can be some of our best students because they arrive especially open and excited to learn. Here are some examples:
Wanda, a 64 year old financial consultant from New York City took our Women’s Basic Carpentry Class. She had never used a drill, hammer or saw but had wanted to learn woodworking since the age of 14. At that time, in high school, she was told she couldn’t take woodshop (being a girl) and that she’d have to be satisfied with Home Ec. Wanda left our 4-day carpentry course with a full tool belt, a lovely cedar bench, and the confidence to build whatever she might need or want.
Tom, a student from Raleigh, took our Tiny House Workshop without ever having built anything. He had some special design constraints for tiny houses because he is 6 feet, 6 inches tall. After the class, he was able to build his very own tiny house, specifically made to accommodate his exceptional height.
Andy, a documentary film producer from Asheville took our Online Gardening School. He had some experience gardening, but didn’t feel confident or super satisfied with his harvests. With the support of the program, his next garden year was the best ever, with loads of vegetables to eat and share. He claims that one year of gardening with our guidance was equal to ten figuring things out by trial and error.
If you want to live a more connected, empowered and sustainable life, and you’ve got the DIY spirit, you’re more than ready.
“What I love about Wild Abundance; and why I keep coming back, is that it provides the necessary knowledge and instruction that enables me to continuously learn and upgrade crucial skills that I have wanted to develop for some time. I can’t count how many times I have had “AHA” moments during courses and the humor included in a number of the clips in the Online Tiny House Academy is a welcome bonus.” (Dan Hancock, Raleigh, NC)
On the other hand, maybe you have some experience in Earth-based living: You already have a small garden, you know how to do basic carpentry, you make and use herbal teas as remedies.
In this case, perhaps you’re asking yourself, will I learn anything in these classes?
The answer to this is yes, there will be plenty for you to learn. Several of our classes go way beyond the basics, and all of our instructors can dive deeper and answer more complicated questions if that’s what students are up for. Here are some examples of students who came with a wealth of knowledge and skills and who deepened and broadened those skills through our classes:
Jesse was a handyman who wanted to learn more about tiny houses and natural building. He wanted to add those skills to his repertoire, so he took our Tiny House Workshop. He soaked up everything that the class had to offer and asked some especially insightful questions. In particular, he was totally blown away by the natural building tours and especially with the practice of building with clay. After taking the class, Jesse has become integrated into the Wild Abundance community. Through this connection and his broadened skill set, he’s been hooked up with a slew of jobs that take advantage of his new skills.
Josh, from Jacksonville, Florida, was a real estate agent with a strong interest in permaculture. After taking our Permaculture Design Certification Course, he’s integrated what he learned to become a “Permaculture Realtor.” Josh is a truly unique resource for clients who are excited about land-based living; he helps them find land that truly suits their needs. After the sale, he also offers permaculture design and installation services. His holistic approach to real estate has supported many people who feel passionate about integrating food systems into their landscapes.
What’s it like to take a class at Wild Abundance?
Classes here have been described as “summer camp, but for grownups.” We host students at our beautiful homestead campuses, where some camp on the grounds and others commute. Upon arrival, everyone is oriented to the space and the format of our time together. Then we introduce ourselves to one another. Throughout each class, students forge bonds with one another and with instructors.
“The community that formed amongst those in the class was incredible, as was learning from the stellar lineup of outstanding teachers. Each of these teachers had their own unique perspective of the natural world, which was great to see and understand for ourselves. It was a pleasure to be in such a rich, diverse, and powerful place with these incredible people.” (Owen Doll, Wildcrafting and Medicine Making Intensive)
Many classes are held here exclusively, while others include site visits and tours of other locations in the region. Every class day has several breaks, including about an hour for lunch.
Community expectations during classes
We’re all about building community, but that doesn’t mean that you have to be super social or extroverted to participate in our classes. In fact, we believe that resilient communities need all kinds of people in order to thrive, and there’s not just one way to show up in a group.
If you’re more introverted, you’ll have a chance to take space during breaks and after class, and won’t be pressured to participate in group activities. During our programs we host opening and closing circles, along with Q&A sessions where everyone is invited to speak up, share about their experience, and bring their voice to the group. All of this is optional! We also have a question board where folks can simply write what’s on their mind if they don’t feel drawn to speaking in groups.
In order to keep our spaces orderly, and help students feel grounded and connected, we invite folks to sign up for small chores around campus during classes. These usually take about 5 minutes to complete, so there is still plenty of time to prepare food, take a walk, etc. outside of class time.
For those who are more outgoing, there are ample opportunities to chat and connect with fellow students who are also wanting that.
“When I arrived, the campus was lush and bursting with greenery. I felt so lucky to be camping there for the weekend. Everywhere I looked I was overwhelmed–there were so many plants to look at, so many unique buildings, and a huge pile of power tools on a table at the front of the large open-air structure where the first class took place…Within 24 hours I went from someone who had never used a chop saw, an auger bit, or an impact driver, to someone who was helping build an actual building. It was one of the most empowering experiences of my life. I loved the whole process.” (Jennifer DeMoss, Women’s Basic Carpentry)
Have more questions?
If you’re interested in taking a class here, but you’re still not sure if it’ll be a good fit, please reach out to us! We’d love to help you get clear and answer any remaining questions you’ve got. The best way to reach us is by email at admin@wildabundance.net. We look forward to connecting with you.
Our Friends and Allies
The movement toward a more sustainable, connected, and resilient future is, by nature, a community endeavor.
Click here to learn about individuals and organizations that we support and collaborate with.
Ready to join us?
Sign up below and get $50 off your first class with us!
You’ll also get our newsletter, which is full of how-to’s, seasonal tips, wild foods recipes, and more, plus specials on classes. Don’t worry, we won’t share your info with anyone. We care about your privacy.
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