PlantCraft
PlantCraft is a 6-month, arts-based immersion into the world of plants where we learn by making and doing.
Community and connection with plants through art, craft, food and medicine.
PlantCraft is a 6-month, arts-based immersion into the world of plants where we learn by making and doing. We’ll explore local plant ecology through an arts-based lens, weaving baskets, carving with local wood, crafting herbal remedies, harvesting plant fibers and much more. Each month, you’ll be introduced to local species of plants and trees and their use in a variety of projects.
Using plants for food, medicine, utility and adornment are practices both ancient and timeless. In this program, you’ll be invited to reconnect with skills that have been woven into our cultures, histories, and bodies for generations. Whether you’re an experienced artist or curious crafter, PlantCraft is designed to help you carve out time each month to nurture your creativity, on the land, in good company.
This program is for those who want to:
Deepen relationship with the plant world through embodied skills
Cultivate hands-on skills and practices to share with your community
Gain direct knowledge of key species that make up our local ecosystem
Learn in a community setting with like-minded folks
PlantCraft is guided by an ethic of care for the land. We’ll be working with plants for their beauty and utility, as well as investigating their role in the landscape. Along the way, we’ll learn responsible harvesting guidelines and practices for stewarding wild plant communities.
Program price: $690 + HST. If cost is a barrier, please see our Economics for a Changing World page for sliding-scale and mutual aid options.
Meet your instructors
PlantCraft is co-created by Miki Tamblyn, Annie Sanassian and Dani Hagel, three artists and educators who believe in craft as gestures of care for ourselves, each other and the lands that sustain us. This year, we're honoured to be joined by guest instructors Cailey Campbell, Jen Britton and Matt Hamilton. We can’t wait to introduce you to some of the plants and skills that inspire us.
Annie Sanassian has fond memories as a kid discovering camel bones in the desert whilst exploring with her family. The bones were gifted to an artist friend and in reciprocity they were gifted back in art form. This process was awe inspiring and since, as an educator, spoon carver, mushroom farmer and owner of Full Moon Farm and Apothecary, Annie aims to integrate meaningful and creative relationships with nature and people. You might find her weaving branches, peeling bark, plucking leaves, chipping wood and experimenting with clay. She specifically loves carving playful and eccentric wooden spoons.
Dani Hagel is a herbalist, naturalist and artist whose work weaves together the art and science of plant medicine, naturalist knowledge, and the traditional folkways of her Black Sea German and Slavic ancestry. Inspired by the everyday magic of botanical colour, interspecies collaborations and wild plant stewardship, Dani believes land-based practices can help us guide us into right relationship with each other and the more-than-human world. She cultivates a diverse landscape of medicinal, edible and dye plants on her permaculture-inspired farm, Eramosa Herbals.
Miki Tamblyn is a mixed-media visual artist, wildlife biologist and student of the more-than-human world. They love to work with their hands to experiment, play, and create in collaboration with the other artists of our ecosystem, especially the plants. For Miki, crafting is a way to calm the minds and connect with life through our animal bodies. They are especially into weaving baskets, playing with natural dyes, and drawing the world around them. Miki believes that the embodied learning that comes through weaving, drawing, carving, touching, holding and feeling the earth can bring us deeper into loving relationship with our planet (Yay!)
Jen Britton’s relationship with plants began as a wee free girl of the 80's, romping through forests and watching her Oma garden. Plant crafting has provided her an opportunity to explore reciprocity, connect with community and deepen her relationship with the land. She is ever so grateful for the mothers and women in her life who gardened, preserved food, shared their knowledge of plant remedies and medicines and for her father’s love/respect of the natural world and all its beings.
Matt Hamilton is a dedicated father and nature lover who specializes in wood carving, using his passion for nature to create beautiful, functional and playful pieces that reflect his deep connection to the land. His work with wood is rooted in a celebration of the beauty and wonder of the world around us, and a commitment to a loving and sustainable relationship with the natural world.
Cailey Campbell is a mama, seedkeeper, culinary artist, and food grower. She has found solace and joy being by water for as long as she can remember and believes that the land and water are one of life's most precious teachers for cultivating our inner worlds.
Through her various roles at Skaronhyase'ko:wa (The Everlasting Tree School) in Six Nations, Cailey has had the honour of experiencing the multitudes of benefits to children in an earth-based education that is culturally-rooted. These experiences continue to inspire her and deepen her commitment to cultivating equitable and liberated relationships with the earth and each other.
2024 Session Dates
PlantCraft runs one Sunday a month, from 9 AM to 2 PM at GOS’ Stone Road site.
Sunday, May 12th: Weaving with Dogwood with Miki and Annie
Sunday, June 23rd: Wild Foods with Cailey, Annie and Dani
Sunday, July 14th: Carving with Annie and Matt
Sunday, August 11th: Medicine Making with Dani, Annie and Jen
Sunday, September 22nd: Natural Dyes with Miki, Dani and Annie
Sunday, October 13th: Plant Fibers and Cordage with Annie, Dani and Miki
Here’s what past participants are saying:
"I absolutely LOVED PlantCraft! It was such a wonderful way to connect with myself, creativity, and the land. I really liked the process of each week - it wasn't just show up and do a craft. We were engaged with the plants we were working with in a really connected way. The carving week stood out to me - harvesting and processing our own tree made the experience real, and was a great reminder of the living beings we're crafting with."
"I really enjoyed being part of PlantCraft! Connecting with the land through the lens of creativity helped deepen my appreciation for all the life forms who share themselves with us in various forms as helpful tools (e.g. spoons, baskets, writing utensils, dyes, etc). Our lives are deeply enriched by plants, and I'm grateful to have had PlantCraft experiences which helped illuminate and deepen these connections. Understanding all the work (both the work humans put into creating art, as well as the work plants put into growing) that goes into creating a craft piece also inspired more care, reverence, and consideration both for the objects as well as the plants and people who make these objects possible."
Learn the Land
Year-long adult program at GOS for anyone who wants to deepen their nature connection and naturalist knowledge in a community setting.
build relationship with yourself, with each other, and with the land.
Learn The Land is a year-long adult program at GOS for anyone who wants to develop and deepen their nature connection and naturalist knowledge in a community setting. One day each month, we’ll gather in a different natural environment around Guelph to learn about wildflowers, trees and shrubs, animal tracking, all the while exploring how we fit into the broader ecological community. A monthly zoom call supports home study and self-directed projects.
IN A NUTSHELL:
Want to learn more about wildflowers, tree identification, animal tracking, birds, and the web of relationships that makes up our local ecology? Do you want to develop relationships with the landbase beyond consumption? Would you like to learn in the fields and forests with friends?
THE BONES:
Learn The Land offers hands-on community based mentorship, with knowledgeable naturalists to help you get to know the wild nature in Guelph’s backyard.
What will we be doing? One Sunday morning each month, we’ll gather in a different location in Guelph to explore and look at local plants, animals and their ecological connections together in a small group setting. Through the art of questioning, open discussion, field guides we’ll come to know many of our wild neighbours.
THE DETAILS:
Deepen your learning journey by joining the group for the monthly Sunday outings in the parklands, forests and along the river's edge throughout Guelph, where we will investigate the flora, fauna, and fungi we find along the way. There we will practice observation, field journals and sharing of knowledge based on what the group knows so far. We will use field guides to learn how to properly identify the species we encounter. This field work will be complimented by in depth at-home study, follow up research, focal species assignments, and self-directed projects supported by mentors through a monthly Zoom call. On the calls we will share stories, presentations, follow-up research on what has captured our imaginations out on the land, and what we have been learning through home study.
We are here to support, guide, and mentor on this learning journey.
THE APPROACH:
Why do a program that asks for a commitment to looking beyond learning the names of the species we encounter?
We believe that a profound relationship requires patience, questions, listening, and understanding. By investigating the ecologies which link the mushroom to the pine, the pine to the bird, the bird to the squirrel, then we really start to know and understand our wild neighbours for who they really are; complex organisms in delicate communities learning how to be in relationship with each other.
“ I am so grateful for the deeper level of awareness, inquisitiveness and knowledge that I have gained since beginning Learn The Land. The instructors have been super knowledgeable and inspiring. Providing supportive, positive guidance, a TON of great resources along the way and even ideas on how to organize your various field findings.”
These are lessons we can learn from for the benefit of our own interconnected relationships, with our communities, our families and ourselves.
Learn The Land is an experiential naturalist training program for adults GOS-style, with a focus on curiosity, questioning, mentorship and self-directed learning at your own pace. It is for adults of all experience levels. Together we'll build our knowledge of plant, tree, animal tracking, and broad ecological connections.
In the field we will be practicing awareness routines of nature connection, playing games that awaken our bodies and minds, and working toward building lasting relationships with the place where we live and with each other. Each Learn The Land session will be a reflection and celebration of what emerges on the landscape through the seasons. We welcome everyone from the nature-curious, to avid naturalists who want to get together with others and keep the wonder alive!
Learn the land is an inclusive, anti-oppressive space.
MEET YOUR MENTORS
byron murray : I grew up walking along the Etobicoke Creek before I set out to spend years exploring the continent making music, writing zines, and learning about the natural world. At the Guelph Outdoor School since 2013, I treasure all-day wildlife tracking missions, and wandering the Eramosa River valley just trying to find out what's on the other side of the hill. I love to sing and make radio. I am inspired by thunderstorms, decolonization, and rivers.
Annie Sanassian : I am an educator, spoon carver, mushroom farmer, and lifelong learner, deeply inspired by the interconnectedness of plants, animals, people, and fungi. With a strong love for the outdoors, I continually seek to deepen my understanding of the natural world through hands-on work in cultivation, art, and tending to land. My travels around the world have enriched my understanding of cultural sensitivity and heightened my awareness of life's richness and diversity. These experiences shape my approach to creating inclusive and positive outdoor learning experiences for all.
We will be getting together throughout the year, rain or shine, every Sunday closest to the New Moon from 9am - 1pm, rotating between three different locations around the city. Some of the locations involve moderate hiking conditions.
DATES :
Apr 27, 2025 (GOS Stone rd)
May 25, 2025 (Arkell Springs)
Jun 29, 2025 (South End Community Park)
Jul 27, 2025 (GOS)
Aug 24, 2025 (AS)
Sep 21, 2025 (SECP)
Oct 19, 2025 (GOS)
Nov 23, 2025 (GOS)
Dec 21, 2025 (AS)
Jan 18, 2026 (SECP)
Feb 15, 2026 (AS)
Mar 15, 2026 (GOS)
For any additional questions please email byron:
byron@theguelphoutdoorschool.com
-
This is entirely up to you. Most folks choose to spend about 2 hours a month, which worked for them. Others chose not to do at home projects, and only came to outings and did the zoom meetings, which is great if that is what you prefer. Our online community (hosted on the Slack platform) is a great place to talk about any follow up research and to connect with others in the group. Some will put in a little more time there, while others don't. This part really is self directed, and up to you.
Annie and byron are available to help with the follow up research along the way. -
The calls typically begin at 7:30 and run until 9pm. We will determine the best night of the week for the majority of participants but it seems to be Wednesdays, the week before our next outing.
The recordings will be uploaded and retrievable on youtube for future reference and review. -
Some suggestions on what you may need to bring with you are :
- Appropriate clothes for the weather
- Binoculars or field lens if you have them
- Notebook and field guides
- Lunch & Snacks
- Camera
- Thermos or water bottle
- Some goals and intentions for the dayWe will also include specific suggestions with the notification email sent out the week before every outing.
For Teachers and Schools
Partner with GOS to bring Nature Immersion to your classroom. Do the GOS Field Trip at our forest classroom or invite the Outdoor Toolbox to your school
Moon School
Outdoor School for Adults.
A year-long exploration of nature connection and skill building through naturalist knowledge, sensory awareness, storytelling and play.
May 2025 - March 2026
Join us for a year-long exploration of nature connection as reverence, resilience and cultural transformation. Rooted in joyful celebration and critical reflection, Moon School takes up the questions: How might we practice nature connection to cultivate webs of care for the land and each other? What does an embodied, reciprocal relationship to the more-than-human world look like in an age of extinction and human-driven climate change?
Each Moon School session is crafted to reflect what is emerging on the landscape in the changing seasons. Together we'll build naturalist skills like plant and tree identification and animal tracking, and practice ancestral skills like sensory awareness, fire-making, natural crafts, medicine-making and storytelling, and explore how these land-based practices can invite us into reciprocal relationship with the land we live on. At Moon School we learn in community through games, skills, conversation, song, and timeless exploration of thickets and riverbanks, forests and fields.
Now in its 8th year, Moon School is hosted by instructors Dani Hagel and byron murray. We are nature nerds, artists, writers, folk ecologists and lovers of the Eramosa River valley and the complex web of floral, faunal and fungal relationships that make their homes here. We intend Moon School to be an inclusive, anti-oppressive space, and are attentive to the challenges inherent in exploring interconnection and right relationship as white settlers on stolen land. We are inspired by thinkers and cultural workers Robin Wall Kimmerer, Baptiste Morizot, Ursula K. LeGuin, Sophie Strand, Wendy Makoons Geniusz, Linda Black Elk, Martin Shaw, and many more.
Moon School runs in the late afternoon and early evening, intentionally inhabiting the liminal space between day and dusk (and night in the darkest times of the year), creating a unique opportunity for firelit conversation and sensory awareness. No other program at GOS is like it.
“Moon School was always a highlight of my month and helped me refocus my busy life around what matters most; connection with people and the natural world.” - Past participant
A typical Moon School session might include…
Exploring riverbanks, meadows, trails and forests, engaging with the land through the changing seasons
Using field guides to identify plants, trees and animal track and signs
Focused naturalist study of topics like bird language, botany, geology and their interconnections
Engaging with local plants by tasting teas and preparing wild foods and medicines
Games and sensory awareness activities to get us in our bodies
Fireside discussion of nature-based writing that moves us
Moon School is for those looking for…
An approach to nature connection that values ancestral (re)connection, decolonization, and reciprocal relationship with the other-than-human world
Hands-on, embodied learning in a small group setting
A place to learn about the land through a lens of ecological and social justice
Fees & Dates At A Glance
Program price: $955 + HST. If cost is a barrier, please see our Economics for a Changing World page for sliding-scale and mutual aid options.
Moon School consists of 12 sessions. We meet one Sunday a month, rain or shine, from 3-7pm.
2025-2026 Program Dates
Sunday May 11, 2025
Sunday Jun 8, 2025
Sunday Jul 13, 2025
Sunday Aug 10, 2025
Sunday Sep 7, 2025
Sunday Oct 5, 2025
Sunday Nov 2, 2025
Sunday Dec 7, 2025
Sunday Jan 4, 2026
Sunday Feb 1, 2026
Sunday Mar 1, 2026
Sunday Mar 29, 2026
Past participants say:
“Moon School got my inner child out and jumping in puddles and chasing cray fish again. I got to wander through the fields with other adults, steeped in awe, looking at flowers and shrubs and pulling apart owl pellets and falling in love with ferns. We got to sit around fires and reach into our ancestry and our dreams for the earth. Moon School is a place I'd been longing for for a long time, but never even knew I could find. Every time I left feeling energized, inspired and refreshed. It was fun, engaging and transformative.”
“Moon School was one of the major highlights of my month all year, but the value it brings goes so much deeper than that. I built skills, gained knowledge and was introduced to new interests every month, and Danielle and byron helped cultivate a new lens for looking at and interacting with the natural world and community around me that I will carry with me forever.”
