Wild Minds - Nature Connection Festival - Castlemaine
Nature play.
Bush time.
Rest.
Family. Friends. Community.
Fireside.
Bushcraft.
Adventures.
Shared food.
Songs.
Stories.
Connection to self.
Connection to land.
Caring for each other.
---
WHAT
Join us for 'Wild Minds' - a spring nature connection gathering at Open Field Co-Living, near Castlemaine on Djaara country.
This gathering is a participatory 'blackboard style' festival.
This means that the facilities and a suggested structure will be provided, but we will all co-create the experience. We want to create a culture where we all take care of each other and the spaces that we are sharing.
If you imagine it's a colouring book, we are providing the pages and the lines - but you (we all) choose the colours and fill out the page together!
If you have activities that you would like to facilitate or offer, skills or knowledge you want to share relating to nature connection, bushcraft, survival skills, ecology, wildlife, or related themes, either let us know beforehand or just jump in and sign up on the day via the whiteboard/blackboard. We ask that each adult with capacity volunteers 2 hours of their time to pitch in and help this gathering run smoothly.
What you offer can be as silly or serious as you like. Perhaps you'd like to lead a log-balancing competition? Or, team up to build a raft to traverse the dam with? Maybe share some skills with eco-printing, spoon carving, or animal tanning? Or, lead a group of children on a curious bush wander? Events aimed towards adults are also very welcome, this may include discussion topics, etc. Don't worry, no-one is going to be too picky or purist about what you'd like to offer as an activity. Something naturey or nature-adjacent is good enough! And you dont have to be an expert, just willing to give it a go. It could be an offering that helps us connect to our own inner nature as well, like yoga, mediation, or dance.
MORE INFO:
WHO
All ages! Everyone welcome, from newborns to elders. There'll be something for everyone! Children under 2 attend for free.
This is a "blackboard style" participatory event. There are no paid facilitators, we all play a part in creating this experience. Please share this event with friends who you know will understand the participatory culture of this event and enjoy it.
WHERE
- Castlemaine / Djaara Country
- This is a private property on an open flat paddock, 5kms from Castlemaine train station, and 1.5 hours from Melbourne.
- Neighbouring the property there is 50 acres of bush reserve to explore with plenty of wildlife, birds and critters
- Camping is recommended in the partially shaded 'sapling grove' on the east side of the property, or along the dam wall at the south end
WHAT TO BRING
- Camping equipment: tent, mat, sleeping bag. You may want to bring additional shelter
- Food for breakfast, lunch and dinner and snacks and an eski to store it in - cook your own breakfast and lunch whenever you wish. We would eat dinner all together at 6pm each night. You can choose to team up with friends to cook communally, or make your own separate food to bring to the gathering place to eat
- Cooking equipment, eg. stoves, pots, cutlery and bowls, table
- Chairs, picnic blankets, cushions
- Your own extension cord and power board if wishing to use your own powered appliances (eg. kettle, toaster, rice cooker)
- Bushcraft & art materials, musical instruments, bushcraft tools, flint & steel, whittling knives, weaving materials, boardgames, paper, paints, etc.
- Acoustic musical instruments, poetry, stories, etc. for evening entertainment
- Clothing for messy, or wet outdoor activities including swimming: hat, sunscreen, drink bottle, rain jacket, waterproof boots, backpack for adventures
- Caravans and campervans are welcome, but the flat parking area is unshaded
FOOD
You are welcome to do your own thing for breakfast, lunch and snacks. But we do love a communal dinner around the fire that brings us all together in the evening.
- You can choose to team up with friends to cook communally, or make your own separate food to bring to the gathering place to eat
WHAT NOT TO BRING
- Please don't bring alcohol, awareness-altering drugs or cigarettes.
- No smoking on the property.
- No amplified music of any kind
FACILITIES PROVIDED
The entire property and house will be available for us to use during the event.
- Large sheltered outdoor area for gathering
- Sheltered outdoor kitchen including washing up tubs, some tables, large camp cooking pots, boards & knives
- Communal fire areas and fire safety equipment
- Open paddock, 'bushcraft zone', woodworking area, swings, trampoline, shed and adjacent forest
- Filtered rainwater - drinkable, suitable for all purposes
- 2 x indoor hot showers - please be aware we are on rainwater which is a limited resource
- 1 x indoor flushing toilet
- 2 x outdoor composting toilets
- Powerpoints for charging devices and appliances
- A dam to swim and play in
- Full indoor kitchen facilities are available in the house including induction stove, 2 x ovens, 2 x sinks, large fridge, freezer, serving bowls. However, please be aware that in a large group these facilities may not be available for your exclusive use at the time that you expect them. So we recommend also bringing your own cooking equipment
- Outdoor cooking is only permitted in the designated fire safe areas
- Bedrooms are available to book in addition to your event ticket, if camping feels like a bit much! The rooms are very warm and cosy. If you book a room, it will be available for your exclusive use during the camp (not shared or bookable by others). It it is a flat fee per room, not per person. So, please select the room that suits your or your group's needs when booking. You may like to team up to share with a friend! When you arrive, please find Nicola to receive your room key. Please strip the sheets on your bed and bring them to the laundry on the day you leave.
NO rubbish service is provided. You MUST take your own rubbish & recycling home.
Compost can be left onsite.
WHEN
Cup Day Weekend
From Fri 30th Oct 3pm to to Tuesday 3rd Nov 2pm.
- You are welcome to arrive and leave at anytime, if you arrive by bike or if you park your car in the designated parking area (unshaded).
- If you park your car in the camping area and intend to sleep in your car, you must stay put until Tues, for traffic management and safety reasons
- If you live locally or are not able to camp, you are still welcome!
Proposed Schedule
8am til 5pm : it's up to us!
- Anyone can write an idea on our large whiteboard and lead an activity at any time.
- You can host your activity in any of the sheltered outdoor spaces, indoor living room, shed, bell tent, garden, paddock or forest nearby. Make sure to put time, location, host & what to bring when you write down your idea
- Suggested ideal timeframe for an activity is between 1-2 hours
3pm- firewood gathering expeditions
4pm - if participating in communal dinner, bring your ingredients to the communal kitchen, ready for dinner prep
4:30pm - Dinner prep - chopping and cooking. Please sign up at least once to be a head chef or kitchen helper
6pm - communal dinner, Either join for the communal cook-up or bring your own food to gather with us and eat together
7pm -10pm - stories, songs, jams around the fire. Maybe an open mic?
10pm onwards - quiet time, talking or slepping, Let's keep good relationships with the neighbours and keep noise to a minimum late at night
CONTRIBUTION
We are offering this as a low-key largely self-organised community event. However we are asking for a small financial contribution to cover the costs involved in providing facilities eg. house facilities, land, shelter, water, electricity, toilet paper, firewood, insurance, and event organisation.
- $100 per person (adult or child >2 years old) + 2 hours of volunteering
- It is the same simple, affordable price for adults, children or concession
- We want to keep this gathering intimate and manageable, so tickets are limited to 120 people. Get in quick!
- Sorry, to keep things simple, no day tickets are available.
Local folks can sleep at home if they wish, but camping is encouraged for an immersive experience.
FIRE SAFETY
- Fires only permitted in the designated stone circle areas on the property
- Cooking on open flame gas stoves is permitted only if safe, away from tents, trees and vegetation
- We are covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance, but please take responsibility for your own safety and those under your care.
SAFETY & FIRST AID
- The dam is unfenced. All children under 16 must be actively supervised by an adult at all times near or in the dam.
- Snakes have been seen on the property, please tread carefully and supervise children.
- A fire management plan is in place. If there is a fire risk we will evacuate as soon as possible to Castlemaine town centre
- A first aid kit and a person with First Aid & CPR training (Nicola and/or others) will be on site at all times, but your safety is your responsibility. Urgent medical care is available at Castlemaine Hospital just a 5 minute drive away.
PETS
- Dogs are welcome if safe, on lead and supervised at all times.
- No cats or other pets.
---
We acknowledge the Dja Dja Wurrung people, the custodians of this Djaara country on which we gather. Sovereignty was never ceded. As settlers, we will try our best to honour and respect the land as we gather, and be awake and aware to this complex and painful history.
Bush time.
Rest.
Family. Friends. Community.
Fireside.
Bushcraft.
Adventures.
Shared food.
Songs.
Stories.
Connection to self.
Connection to land.
Caring for each other.
---
WHAT
Join us for 'Wild Minds' - a spring nature connection gathering at Open Field Co-Living, near Castlemaine on Djaara country.
This gathering is a participatory 'blackboard style' festival.
This means that the facilities and a suggested structure will be provided, but we will all co-create the experience. We want to create a culture where we all take care of each other and the spaces that we are sharing.
If you imagine it's a colouring book, we are providing the pages and the lines - but you (we all) choose the colours and fill out the page together!
If you have activities that you would like to facilitate or offer, skills or knowledge you want to share relating to nature connection, bushcraft, survival skills, ecology, wildlife, or related themes, either let us know beforehand or just jump in and sign up on the day via the whiteboard/blackboard. We ask that each adult with capacity volunteers 2 hours of their time to pitch in and help this gathering run smoothly.
What you offer can be as silly or serious as you like. Perhaps you'd like to lead a log-balancing competition? Or, team up to build a raft to traverse the dam with? Maybe share some skills with eco-printing, spoon carving, or animal tanning? Or, lead a group of children on a curious bush wander? Events aimed towards adults are also very welcome, this may include discussion topics, etc. Don't worry, no-one is going to be too picky or purist about what you'd like to offer as an activity. Something naturey or nature-adjacent is good enough! And you dont have to be an expert, just willing to give it a go. It could be an offering that helps us connect to our own inner nature as well, like yoga, mediation, or dance.
MORE INFO:
WHO
All ages! Everyone welcome, from newborns to elders. There'll be something for everyone! Children under 2 attend for free.
This is a "blackboard style" participatory event. There are no paid facilitators, we all play a part in creating this experience. Please share this event with friends who you know will understand the participatory culture of this event and enjoy it.
WHERE
- Castlemaine / Djaara Country
- This is a private property on an open flat paddock, 5kms from Castlemaine train station, and 1.5 hours from Melbourne.
- Neighbouring the property there is 50 acres of bush reserve to explore with plenty of wildlife, birds and critters
- Camping is recommended in the partially shaded 'sapling grove' on the east side of the property, or along the dam wall at the south end
WHAT TO BRING
- Camping equipment: tent, mat, sleeping bag. You may want to bring additional shelter
- Food for breakfast, lunch and dinner and snacks and an eski to store it in - cook your own breakfast and lunch whenever you wish. We would eat dinner all together at 6pm each night. You can choose to team up with friends to cook communally, or make your own separate food to bring to the gathering place to eat
- Cooking equipment, eg. stoves, pots, cutlery and bowls, table
- Chairs, picnic blankets, cushions
- Your own extension cord and power board if wishing to use your own powered appliances (eg. kettle, toaster, rice cooker)
- Bushcraft & art materials, musical instruments, bushcraft tools, flint & steel, whittling knives, weaving materials, boardgames, paper, paints, etc.
- Acoustic musical instruments, poetry, stories, etc. for evening entertainment
- Clothing for messy, or wet outdoor activities including swimming: hat, sunscreen, drink bottle, rain jacket, waterproof boots, backpack for adventures
- Caravans and campervans are welcome, but the flat parking area is unshaded
FOOD
You are welcome to do your own thing for breakfast, lunch and snacks. But we do love a communal dinner around the fire that brings us all together in the evening.
- You can choose to team up with friends to cook communally, or make your own separate food to bring to the gathering place to eat
WHAT NOT TO BRING
- Please don't bring alcohol, awareness-altering drugs or cigarettes.
- No smoking on the property.
- No amplified music of any kind
FACILITIES PROVIDED
The entire property and house will be available for us to use during the event.
- Large sheltered outdoor area for gathering
- Sheltered outdoor kitchen including washing up tubs, some tables, large camp cooking pots, boards & knives
- Communal fire areas and fire safety equipment
- Open paddock, 'bushcraft zone', woodworking area, swings, trampoline, shed and adjacent forest
- Filtered rainwater - drinkable, suitable for all purposes
- 2 x indoor hot showers - please be aware we are on rainwater which is a limited resource
- 1 x indoor flushing toilet
- 2 x outdoor composting toilets
- Powerpoints for charging devices and appliances
- A dam to swim and play in
- Full indoor kitchen facilities are available in the house including induction stove, 2 x ovens, 2 x sinks, large fridge, freezer, serving bowls. However, please be aware that in a large group these facilities may not be available for your exclusive use at the time that you expect them. So we recommend also bringing your own cooking equipment
- Outdoor cooking is only permitted in the designated fire safe areas
- Bedrooms are available to book in addition to your event ticket, if camping feels like a bit much! The rooms are very warm and cosy. If you book a room, it will be available for your exclusive use during the camp (not shared or bookable by others). It it is a flat fee per room, not per person. So, please select the room that suits your or your group's needs when booking. You may like to team up to share with a friend! When you arrive, please find Nicola to receive your room key. Please strip the sheets on your bed and bring them to the laundry on the day you leave.
NO rubbish service is provided. You MUST take your own rubbish & recycling home.
Compost can be left onsite.
WHEN
Cup Day Weekend
From Fri 30th Oct 3pm to to Tuesday 3rd Nov 2pm.
- You are welcome to arrive and leave at anytime, if you arrive by bike or if you park your car in the designated parking area (unshaded).
- If you park your car in the camping area and intend to sleep in your car, you must stay put until Tues, for traffic management and safety reasons
- If you live locally or are not able to camp, you are still welcome!
Proposed Schedule
8am til 5pm : it's up to us!
- Anyone can write an idea on our large whiteboard and lead an activity at any time.
- You can host your activity in any of the sheltered outdoor spaces, indoor living room, shed, bell tent, garden, paddock or forest nearby. Make sure to put time, location, host & what to bring when you write down your idea
- Suggested ideal timeframe for an activity is between 1-2 hours
3pm- firewood gathering expeditions
4pm - if participating in communal dinner, bring your ingredients to the communal kitchen, ready for dinner prep
4:30pm - Dinner prep - chopping and cooking. Please sign up at least once to be a head chef or kitchen helper
6pm - communal dinner, Either join for the communal cook-up or bring your own food to gather with us and eat together
7pm -10pm - stories, songs, jams around the fire. Maybe an open mic?
10pm onwards - quiet time, talking or slepping, Let's keep good relationships with the neighbours and keep noise to a minimum late at night
CONTRIBUTION
We are offering this as a low-key largely self-organised community event. However we are asking for a small financial contribution to cover the costs involved in providing facilities eg. house facilities, land, shelter, water, electricity, toilet paper, firewood, insurance, and event organisation.
- $100 per person (adult or child >2 years old) + 2 hours of volunteering
- It is the same simple, affordable price for adults, children or concession
- We want to keep this gathering intimate and manageable, so tickets are limited to 120 people. Get in quick!
- Sorry, to keep things simple, no day tickets are available.
Local folks can sleep at home if they wish, but camping is encouraged for an immersive experience.
FIRE SAFETY
- Fires only permitted in the designated stone circle areas on the property
- Cooking on open flame gas stoves is permitted only if safe, away from tents, trees and vegetation
- We are covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance, but please take responsibility for your own safety and those under your care.
SAFETY & FIRST AID
- The dam is unfenced. All children under 16 must be actively supervised by an adult at all times near or in the dam.
- Snakes have been seen on the property, please tread carefully and supervise children.
- A fire management plan is in place. If there is a fire risk we will evacuate as soon as possible to Castlemaine town centre
- A first aid kit and a person with First Aid & CPR training (Nicola and/or others) will be on site at all times, but your safety is your responsibility. Urgent medical care is available at Castlemaine Hospital just a 5 minute drive away.
PETS
- Dogs are welcome if safe, on lead and supervised at all times.
- No cats or other pets.
---
We acknowledge the Dja Dja Wurrung people, the custodians of this Djaara country on which we gather. Sovereignty was never ceded. As settlers, we will try our best to honour and respect the land as we gather, and be awake and aware to this complex and painful history.
Where is it happening?
Open Field Co-Living Homestead, 165 Barker St, Castlemaine VIC 3450, Australia, Castlemaine
Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.
Host or PublisherOpen Field Co-Living Homestead
