A Visit to the 10th Annual Acorn Gathering

During the last week of March, we hit the road, taking a few of our favorite activities to share with families at the 10th annual Acorn Gathering, an ancestral skills event located about an hour north of Santa Barbara, California.

The Acorn Gathering was founded by a husband-and-wife team, Gabriel Kelly and Luna Suniga Kelly, in order to provide a place in time for people of all ages to come together, learn earth-based and ancestral skills, and to connect more deeply to Nature. Over sixty instructors and craftspeople travel to the gathering each year. Some people journey at their own expense from other countries in order to share their knowledge with students of all ages. Classes include fire-by-friction, flint knapping, hide tanning, basketry, weaving, food processing, and much more. Classes may last from one day to more in-depth offerings that last the entire week.

I brought my two daughters, Heron and Serene, who were curious to help Mom teach for their first time. We led morning stories and activities for preschool age families - which includes us. Under great mother oak trees, our little pod of families made a rainbow of paints from rocks, foraged among the mossy oak leaf litter to make clay gnomes and their homes, and wove egg-shaped cardboard looms with naturally-dyed yarn to celebrate Spring and the upcoming Easter holiday. Thank you to the awesome families who joined us with smiles and warm vibes each morning including: Nina and Tara, Kristin and Shiloh, Juna and Lucía, Regina, Sonny, and Ari, Carlee and Heath, Connie and and those other mamas, papas, grandparents, and babies!