Of the 20 North Carolina sites in the new report, six are in Western North Carolina — including the nonprofit’s No. 1 site, Interstate 40’s path through the Pigeon River Gorge.
Tag: Firefly Gathering
Showing 1-11 of 11 results
Q&A: Marissa Percoco discusses earth skills and the perks of nonprofit status
Xpress speaks with Marissa Percoco, executive director of Firefly Gathering, to learn more about the organization’s new nonprofit status, the inspiration to attain it and some of the pitfalls aspiring nonprofits should aim to avoid.
Green in brief: Chestnut Mountain Nature Park opens to public
About 35 acres of the nearly 450-acre tract — purchased by the nonprofit Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy in 2020 and recently transferred to the town of Canton — are now open, including the Berm Park mountain bike skills course and a mixed-use hiking/biking trail.
Marissa Percoco sees a ‘new hunger’ for permaculture knowledge
“I feel like right now this COVID virus is forcing people to slow down and, hopefully, look internally and not just at their phones,” says Percoco, the Firefly Gathering’s new executive director. “It’s interesting how something like this can come in and show us how vulnerable we are.”
Natalie Bogwalker develops natural skills at Wild Abundance
Classes take place on a hilly, wooded eco-homestead campus featuring Bogwalker’s self-constructed cabin, gardens and fruit trees, and students can choose to camp on the property for a full immersion into a more sustainable way of life. “We are permaculture in action, a living example of the beauty and abundance of the land,” she says.
New in nonprofits: Notable happenings in local organizations
For our nonprofit special issue, Mountain Xpress took a look at a spectrum of local nonprofits that have recently experienced significant changes or are in the midst of transformative shifts in management or focus. We also checked in on some of the largest grant funding awards our region has seen this year.
2017 year in review
Looking back on 2017, Xpress highlights some of the hundreds of stories we covered in our print editions and online over the year.
Firefly Gathering teaches primitive skills as a culturally transformative experience
This year’s Firefly Gathering, being held June 25-28 in Barnardsville, aims to take its transformation potential a step further, putting cultural transformation at the forefront. The gathering, now in its eighth year, has always been geared toward changing participants’ lives through a variety of classes based on radical ideas and concepts, but this summer, directors are working to make that goal explicit instead of implicit.
The modern primitive: Firefly Gathering blends traditions
If you’re looking to learn how to make your own bow and arrow, weave a belt or carve a wooden spoon, the Firefly Gathering is the place to be. But organizers say this festival isn’t just for getting barefoot and singing by the campfire — it’s also a response to problems in our society and environment.
Thrive in the wild
The Firefly Gathering teaches novices and experienced outdoors people alike how make bows, track animals, construct shelters and more.
Photos from the third annual Firefly Gathering
