Tuition: $10/Adults, FREE/Children – Proceeds go to Forest Restoration

Earth Day Celebration! Enjoy three forest based presentations, live music, slack-lining, Appalachian Medicine Chai Chat, face-painting, Qi Gong, Chair Massage, rock painting, Prayer Rock Circle Ceremony, AppalaChai!, Raffle prizes and more!

Earth Day Celebration-Schedule

9:00- Free Audubon Society Student Chapter Bird Walk
12:00- Registration and outdoor activities
12:30-1:15- Forest Bathing Introduction with Mary Liske
1:30-2:15- Appalachian Medicine Chai Chat with Warren Wilson students Hannah Gibbons and Dakota Wagner
2:40-3:40- Mindful Forestry with Dr. Dave Ellum
3:50-4:45- Guided Mindful Forestry on the Tranquility Trail
3:30-5:30-Live music outdoors by Madelyn Ilana
4:30-5:30-Qi Gong in the Garden with Brian Relph
4:45-5:30- Prayer Rock Circle Ceremony
5:30-6:00- Closing Gratitude and Raffle Basket Drawing

Earth Day Celebration-full schedule

9:00a– Tranquility Trail bird-watching walk
Join UNC Asheville’s Audubon Student Chapter on a bird-watching walk through the Tranquility Trail in the OM Sanctuary’s conservation forest.

12:00p– Registration and outdoor activities
Slack-lining with Jesse Goldman, Chai Tea from AppalaChai, Chair Massage, Music by Madelyn Ilana, Face painting and more!

12:30p-1:15p– Forest Bathing Introduction with Mary Liske
Learn the history and health benefits of disconnecting from daily distractions while connecting with nature. Mindfully experiencing nature through the senses is wonderful in reducing stress and connecting on a cellular and spiritual level with the environment. Benefits include lowering the stress hormone cortisol, strengthening the immune system and improving mood and cognition. Immerse and explore the interconnected web of life in the OM Sanctuary’s 42-acre conservation forest and allow creativity, wonder and healing to take place in the beautiful mountains of Western North Carolina.

1:30p-2:15p– Appalachian Medicine Chai Chat with Warren Wilson students Hannah Gibbons and Dakota Wagner
The Appalachian region is well known for its’ history and abundance of medicinal plants. During this session Warren Wilson students Dakota Wagner, native plant enthusiast, and Hannah Gibbons, self-taught herbalist, will discuss how to incorporate native medicine into your daily routine.

2:40p-3:40p– Mindful Forestry with Dr. Dave Ellum
Dr. Dave Ellum, Dean of Land Resources and Professor of Ecological Forestry will present on Mindful Forestry. What are the ethical and philosophical underpinnings of responsible forest stewardship? Can nature be imitated through thoughtful management? Dr. Ellum’s presentation will share perspectives on these and other important questions through the lens of Ecological Forestry.

3:30p-5:30p– Live Outdoor Music by Madelyn Ilana
Madelyn is an Asheville based singer/songwriter with a deep connection to the plants and to the body. Madelyn writes music from a place of deep connection to nature. As a contemplative, deeply emotional, and receptive songwriter, Madelyn shares music inspired by states of meditation and daydreaming, sit-spots in nature, and love of the feminine. With a creative range including dreamy vocals and songwriting, eco-feminist hip hop, spoken word poetry, and looped ambient violin tracks, Madelyn hopes to share music as a way of connecting all to the deepest level of self and to others.

3:50p-4:45p– Guided Mindful Forestry on the Tranquility Trail
The talk will be followed by a hike through OM Sanctuary’s 42-acre nature preserve where Dr. Ellum will talk about the natural history of the region and point out species and landscape features that tell the unique story of the land.

.
4:30p-5:30p-Radiance Qi Gong in the Garden with Brian Relph
Radiance Qigong is a moving mediation practice which promotes peace and presence and invites participants to deepen their inner awareness. As the process unfolds, individuals will have the opportunity to gain greater emotional balance, mental clarity, and physical harmony. This practice is slow and easeful, perfect for all levels of ability and experience.

4:45p-5:30p– Prayer Rock Circle Ceremony with Rene Cataño
In the ancient original wisdom of the Mother, the role of each human is to maintain the energetic harmony of the planet, to keep the Earth Mother balanced and serene and therefore healthy. The mighty human spirit has been granted the exquisite gift of this majestic planet and the amazing privilege to care for and keep her with a powerful, pure and loving energy. Join Rene Catano, an ordained caretaker and keeper of the earth in a very special offering to honor and pay tribute to the great Earth Mother, as an act of sacred reciprocity for the blessing of vitality she provides here, in the sacred mountains of Asheville.

5:30p-6:00p– Closing Gratitude & Raffle Basket Drawing

*Schedule subject to change
If you are interested in volunteering at the Earth Day Celebration, please contact Mary Liske at wellnesscoordinator@omsanctuary.org