Girls In the Woods
This outdoor adventure-education program takes girls ages 9 through 12 into the wild where they reconnect to the natural world, learn primitive survival skills, practice self-awareness, and discover the power of sisterhood surrounded and held by nature.
Together we learn the art of making fire, build shelters, discover wild edibles, practice techniques of camouflage and stalking, explore natural mysteries, tune into bird language, and investigate animal tracks and signs. We play games that strengthen our awareness and ability to be present. We explore wetlands, rivers, open fields, and forested woodlands, learning how wildlife thrive in these settings and why certain plants and animals prefer different landscapes. We share stories and laughter, all the while becoming more and more comfortable on the land and in our own skin.
Tes Reed has been taking kids out on the land and into her woods in New Marlborough for more than 18 years. She has worked for the past 13 years with Flying Deer Nature Center codirecting the girl’s rites of passage program—Moon Tribe/Luna Moth—with Michelle Apland, and was an active member on the board of directors www.flyingdeernaturecenter.org for nine years. Tes also runs a popular women in the woods program (Wild Earth Sisters) on her land. From 2013-2015 she worked with The Multicultural BRIDGE Program directing the nature portion of their vacation and summer camps (www.multiculturalbridge.org), and from 2012- 2014, through the Project Connection grant at Berkshire Hills Regional School District, Tes led a weekly afterschool program in the woods for middle school students. Tes can also be found teaching aqua aerobics at Berkshire South Regional Community Center. Her latest endeavors include a seat on the board of directors for the New Marlborough Land Trust and studying the problem of plastic in our world with Beyond Plastics at Bennington College. Tes is passionate about the work she does, enjoys every second she spends with kids (and women!) in the woods, and is well known for her infectious fire.
Girls in the Woods Sweet Ferns Schedule 2022-2023
Saturday, November 19, 2022, 10am-4pm
Saturday, December 17, 2022, 10am-4pm
Saturday, February 11, 2023, 10am-4pm: Father/Daughter Day
Saturday, March 11, 2023, 10am-4pm
Saturday, April 29, 2023, 10am-4pm: Mother/Daughter Day
Overnight: Saturday, May 13, 2023, 1pm – Sunday, May 14, 2023, 11am
Overnight: Saturday, June 10, 2023, 1pm – Sunday June 11, 2023, 11am
Overnight: Saturday, August 26, 2023, 1pm – Sunday August 27, 2023, 11am
Overnight: Saturday, September 30, 2023, 1pm – Sunday, October 1, 2023, 11am
Program Tuition: $1,000 Due by Monday, November 14, 2022, via Venmo, check or cash.
TESTIMONIALS
“Tes makes going into the woods fun and exciting! Her program is one of a kind, because each group she creates becomes a cohesive supportive team that feels comfortable living in nature for the day doing things in a way that they have never done before - lighting a fire, getting dirty, eating weeds, taking a mud bath, blindfold log walks, cooking yummy food over the fire, stalking through the woods in the dark and on and on. It stretches their boundaries, they gain confidence and they are experiencing being part of the woods while having loads of fun in the process. It's magical! Tes is magical!”
“I think my favorite time of being in the woods with Tes and the girls is Village Time. When we have all settled down after a flurry of activity, building our fire and shelter, our chores done, and we feel reconnected after a month of being apart. And then it is time to gather around the central fire and we might share stories or whittle our walking sticks, or make a spoon from a coal from the fire, or take turns chopping foraged plants for our soup for dinner. I am grateful every time to be part of this special moment, grateful for Tes for creating this most special program.”