Embodied Ecology
4th-8th November 2026 | A hands-on Food Forest Spring Immersion | Northern Rivers
An exploration of land-based reconnection and renewal
Join us for five immersive days of hands-on learning, reflection, and land-based practice in the Byron Hinterland. Embodied Ecology is a regenerative agroforestry immersion designed to reconnect people to land, lineage, and living systems - bridging inner ecology with outer stewardship.
This course weaves together advancements in agroforestry, biodynamic land management, and traditional ecological knowledge through a combination of inspiring lectures, storytelling, and immersive hands-on activities, while also creating stillness through Tea Ceremony, observation, sit-spots, creative writing, and somatic practices. Together, we explore how tending land can also be a practice of tending self, community, and future generations.
What if tending the soil was also a way of tending the soul?
What you’ll learn
Participants will learn advanced principles of agroforestry design, including innovative techniques for soil health, planting, propagation, and forest management, while actively implementing a living agroforestry system and community medicine garden. Guest teachers will guide immersive hands-on sessions, grounding ecological regeneration in both science and ritual.
The immersion also creates space for practices to allow learning to be integrated through the body as much as the mind.
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Core principles of regenerative agroforestry and food forest design
How forest systems function: layers, succession, relationships, and resilience
Designing perennial polycultures that support both people and ecosystems
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Developing observational awareness and “reading the land”
Applying biomimicry and nature-based design to real landscapes
Learning how to work with natural patterns rather than against them
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Foundational soil preparation and regeneration techniques
Hands-on experience with biodynamic preparations and compost teas
Understanding soil as a living ecosystem and relational partner
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Reviving ancestral land-tending practices and ethics
Honouring Indigenous wisdom, including Bundjalung and Quechua perspectives
Exploring how traditional knowledge informs modern regenerative design
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Basics of propagating perennial and medicinal plants
Establishing and caring for a community medicine garden
Long-term stewardship and maintenance of regenerative systems
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Understanding abundance, seasonality, and sharing harvests
Experiencing land-based nourishment through local and ancestral foodways
Exploring food sovereignty and community resilience through design
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Sit-spot practice and journaling to attune to inner and outer landscapes
Creative writing as a tool for ecological reflection and visioning
Somatic practices to integrate learning through the body
Tea Ceremony
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Seeing land stewardship as a lifelong practice
Understanding how agroforestry supports biodiversity, water cycles, and climate resilience
Co-creating a living blueprint for beauty, justice, abundance, and regeneration
The Guides
Where | Beloved Forest
Federal, New South Wales
For the first time, you’re invited to sleep on the land itself, inaugurating the newly named Beloved Forest - 41 acres of biodiverse country in the beautiful Federal.
Rest in our stunning Lotus Belle tents, where canvas and open air bring you into intimate communion with the land and its wild creatures. Wake to a chorus of birdsong. Step from your tent to the clear, crisp swimming holes of the Northern Rivers. And when the day folds into dusk, lie back beneath a full blanket of stars — held in complete privacy, enveloped by the beauty of Bundjalung Country .
Composting toilets and outdoor showers will be available as well as indoor facilities for guests.
Designing a resilient future.
Thought-provoking TEDx presentation by Timo Granzotti, that offers a profound way to understand adaptation in the natural world, and how we too can adapt.
Immersion Details
Location: Beloved Forest, Federal
Date: 4-8th November 2026
Investment: Secure your spot with a $500 deposit
You’ll receive:
Extensive hands-on knowledge in Agroforestry, whole-food meals for the duration of the immersion, take-home course guide and seeds, certificate of completion, access to wellness activities: Tea Ceremony, Movement, Nature Walks, journalling and creative writing.
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This immersion is for anyone interested in learning how to tend land and grow food, whether you are already doing this, or feel you may one day. It is open to all levels of experience and welcomes those curious about agroforestry, regenerative living, and deepening their relationship with the natural world. Whether you are a landholder, gardener, grower, student, facilitator, creative, or simply feeling a pull toward more grounded, earth-connected living - you are welcome.
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No prior experience is necessary, only an openness to learn, participate, and engage respectfully with the land and the group.
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Yes. This immersion is a welcoming space for people of all cultures, ethnicities, and backgrounds. We honour diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive, respectful environment for everyone.
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Registrations close on 28th October so we can prepare for the immersion.
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Yes, for more information about structuring a payment plan, please contact us at theembodiedecology@gmail.com and include “Payment Plan” in the subject line.
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Yes. Three organic, catered meals per day are included for the duration of the immersion. We will contact all registered participants in advance to accommodate dietary needs.
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We will send a detailed packing list to all registered guests prior to the immersion.
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Ballina (Byron Gateway) or Gold Coast (Coolangatta) airports for domestic travel. Brisbane Airport if travelling internationally.
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You will need motor transport to travel from the airport to The Beloved Forest.
• Ballina Airport: approx. 40 minutes by car
• Coolangatta Airport: approx. 1 hour 15 minutes
• Brisbane Airport: approx. 2 hours
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All prices are listed in Australian Dollars (AUD). If you are booking from overseas, your bank or payment provider will automatically convert the amount to your local currency.