About:  Join us for a seasonal, experimental, and transdisciplinary workshop crafted to attune to and creatively engage with the cycles of this living earth. Facilitated by singer and ritualist Ell and community herbalist and botanist Taylore, we will explore the wheel of the year through song, gentle meditative work, medicine making, and herbalism with an ecological focus.  Participants will have the opportunity to learn new and traditional songs, deepen into the season, learn about local ecology, explore herbal remedies for spring, and leave with their own custom herbal formula.  All materials will be provided.  We are providing this one-day workshop as a taster for a full length summer series beginning Saturday, May 24th, hosted through the brand new Sapsucker School of Community Provisioning:  read about the series' framing, philosophy and schedule here.  Learn more about Taylore at silverleafherbs.com, and Ell at ellrieke.com.

When:  10 AM - 5 PM, Sunday April 13th, 2025

Where:  We will meet in a large barn at Withywindle Valley Farm, a woman-owned meat and fiber farm in the traditional territory of the Nisqually people.  We will be near livestock and various other farm projects.

Address:  600 Hartman Rd SE, Olympia WA 98513

Tentative itinerary for the day:

9:30-10 AM - pre-opening:  arrive, settle in, visit altar if you wish // 10 AM - grounding, container setting, opening song, check ins, plan for the day, housekeeping // 10:45 AM - vocal warm ups // 11 AM - learn and practice songs of the day // 12:30 PM - 15 min break for snacks, etc // 12:45 PM - herbal medicine and ecology lecture // 2:30 PM - lunch break // 3 PM - medicine making or other hands-on plant activity, singing while we work  //  4:45 PM - closing:  thanking the land and each other, closing song, goodbyes for the day.

Schedule may shift and will include breaks for snacks, lunch, and rest.  Additional 5 minute breaks will be taken as needed.

Cost:  $40-125 sliding scale, NOTAFLOF.  We offer this workshop on a generous scale to introduce this new project and give you a chance to check it out before choosing whether to invest in the longer series!  If the bottom of the scale is inaccessible for you, you are still more than welcome to join us, just let us know in the form below.  A portion of our proceeds will be redistributed to local Indigenous-led plant medicine and land sovereignty efforts.  Another portion will be paid forward to support the development of the Sapsucker School of Community Provisioning.  

Payment instructions:  Payment will be accepted via Venmo to @Tayloresilverleaf.  If you need an alternate payment method, email ellriekehealingwork@gmail.com.

Accessibility:  Accessible parking will be reserved next to the barn for those with limited mobility.  There is a flat concrete pad from the accessible parking area to the barn entrance, with continuous flat concrete floor in the barn.  The restroom is about 30 steps away from the barn across uneven and possibly muddy ground, and handwashing station in the barn.  There are folding chairs and some lightly upholstered chairs for seating.  The barn is open-air and very well ventilated.  Masks are not required but we will provide KN95 masks for any who want them.  Depending on temperature, we may light a fire in the wood stove and/or run a propane heat lamp.  

Space expectations:  Do your best to... Be respectful of one another's varied experiences, struggles, and perspectives.  Refrain from making assumptions about others.  Be curious and keep an open mind.  Refrain from hateful speech or action of any kind.  Ask for consent before physical touch or closeness.  Know you are in your own authority to opt in or out of any activity at any time.  Speak up if you have a question or need help.  Keep in mind that working with song, energy, and land connection can be tender; take care of yourself and be gentle with others.  Know that we are on a working farm, and stay away from electric fences and livestock areas unless specifically invited by our site host, Carissa Miller.  Leave dogs and other companion animals at home.

What to bring:  Warm layers, rain gear if needed, appropriate footwear for mud and uneven ground, snacks and a packed lunch, a notebook and pen if you like taking notes, anything else you need to be comfortable for several hours in an undercover, unheated space.