Wild Wanderings Blog

Hello everyone!

I’m excited to be a part of this new site and vision for the future of our Children and our Planet. I feel honored to be an official blogger on Farm Dreams. Networking with like-minded people is very powerful indeed and I believe this venture was created to bring us all together…(Kudos Dusty:) We like to believe we live in Communities, but honestly most of us don’t really know our neighbors, or want to…for that matter:) In true Communities, all people know each other, look after each others children, share resources, gather for the collective good, celebrate and share prosperity. People talk about uniting the World!... but seriously…if we can’t unite our own neighborhoods, who are we kidding?

With that said…what’s my goal and purpose for this blog? For me it’s all about roots! When we’re raised close to Nature, are roots are firmly planted in the soil. As a result, we naturally realize that we have to respect and protect the very thing that sustains us all…of course, I’m talking about Nature here:) When we build and create from this grounded foundation, things naturally thrive, but if we aren’t grounded in this connection with the Earth our foundation is weak and these will be short lived and will eventually collapse. I believe that’s exactly what we’re experiencing now. My goal is to re-introduce and re-connect you to “The Wild Within” us all! Trust me…it’s an awesome ride that lasts a lifetime!!!

I’ve taught “Nature Based” Wilderness Survival Skills for nearly 20 years now. So much of that knowledge revolves around plants! Whether they’re edible, medicinal, or utilitarian, if you’re walking past food and medicine…you’re missing out!!! Most of us, sadly, can’t name five plants in our own front yard. Honestly, I don’t know much about gardening. And though I’m much more drawn to wildcrafting, I realize the real power is balancing both worlds. Many nutritious wild edibles grow among our crops, and should wind up on our dinner plates instead of our compost piles. It’s truly a win win here:) “If you can’t beat them…eat them!!”

Each week I’ll blog about various topics dealing with all aspects of Nature Awareness & Self-Reliance skills. The basics of… “Shelter, Water, Fire and Food will all be covered as well as including Nature Awareness info and exercises designed to inspire, enrich and empower your life. It’s all up to you what you choose to do with it!!  I invite you to join the Traditional/Primitive Living Skills group I created, to share your knowledge, network and learn from other members of the FD community…

In Wildness,

--Richard

Richard Cleveland lives in Asheville, NC. He is the founder and director of Earth School. A self-trained Naturalist, fishing and nature guide, he has taught traditional native skills to thousands of people, of all ages. For info about his programs visit www.LoveTheEarth.com