Retreat II (6-8 September 2024)

View from Stenan Majat. Photo credit: Satu Kalliokuusi (September 2024)

Our second retreat was held the weekend of 6–8 September 2024 at stunning Stenan Majat Ky in Äkäslompolo, Finland. This time, our cohort included 11 artists, writers, and researchers from Finland, Lithuania, and the United States. On Saturday morning, Francis Joy led a highly engaging workshop on accessing forest sentience through dragon meditation and visualization. On Saturday afternoon, Mykyta Peregrym facilitated a very informative session on documenting biodiversity through citizen science and the iNaturalist app. On Sunday morning, Mara Masłowska guided us through interactive exercises on ecosomatics in which we gained a strong sense of the embodied connectivities between humans and trees. Without the thick hoards of spring mosquitoes, we were able to spend a wealth of rejuvenating time in the habitats around Stena, allowing our creative imagination to pulse with the life of the forest.

Sincere thanks to Satu Kalliokuusi for the first four photos as well as the second-to-last photo (September 2024). Thanks to Zoë Koivu for the group photo at the bottom of this page. All others were taken by J.C. Ryan.