June 19-21 2026

Location:

White Memorial Conservation Center’s Mott Van Whinkle area with camping across the street at Windmill Hill Campground.

Directions:

80 White Hall Rd Litchfield CT

Look for the signs leading you to the Mott Van Whinkle area just up the road from the museum building.

Camping is across the road and back toward the main street from the Mott Van Whinkle area. Please check in at the Mott Van Whinkle area before picking a campsite.

Please call 860 997-3480 for assistance if needed.

Entrance Fee:

The fee for the Gathering is on a sliding scale of $75 to $150 for the weekend   Children under 7 come for free with paying adult. 

Those over 60 years old, people of color and indigenous folks are invited to attend free of charge.  (This is my imperfect attempt to acknowledge the historic and current barriers to access natural areas and programs for BIPOC people).

I have given much consideration to the pricing and its effect on everyone. I would not want anyone to not attend because of cost. Please reach out to me if cost is an issue or consider volunteering your time either teaching a workshop or helping with set up, clean up or others tasks. Volunteers come for free and i rely on the generous souls that help me out every year.

Meals:

You are required to bring your own meals.  Fire pits are located at each campsite and the main area and can be used for cooking (the main fire can only be used to cook when not in use for workshops ie. mealtimes).

Camping:

This years location will include a primitive camping area without designated spots with fire pits or picnic tables. Because of this there will be no fee for camping this year. The rugged nature of the site will create more work for staff and volunteers (setting up and maintaining composting toilets and hauling water etc). Please keep this in mind when considering the sliding scale fee system.

Facilities:

Classes will be held outdoors with optional indoor classroom space.  Out-houses and drinking water are available as well as tent camping at adjacent campground.  Meals will NOT be provided.

Guidelines:

Respect of the land is very important to the Gathering.  Please clean up after yourselves, do not damage any structures, or make fires outside of designated fire pits. Digging holes, and harvesting plants should be done only with permission of Andy the organizer or one of his staff.

Respect for each other is also very important to us.  There may be people attending with very different views on how to live with Nature.  Please respect these differences and keep in mind that we are here for a common love of the land even if that is expressed very differently.

This is a drug, alcohol and firearms free event! 

Edible Plants For Sale: Let’s Forest-Garden!

Grant C. Norton will be selling a variety of permaculture and forest gardening friendly plants, with a focus on species native to Northern America. All species are low-maintenance and grow in zones 5-7 (allowing them to grow anywhere in CT).

Available plants include:

Ramp Plants (Allium tricoccum): Known as wild leeks or wild garlic, ramps are a native allium that thrives in the understory of deciduous forests in zone 3 to 8. Priced for their mild and slightly sweet flavor, mature ramps divide annually to form a dense patch. You can harvest 10% of an established ramp patch each year without reducing the population. Plants will be sold for $5 each.

Second-year Pawpaw Saplings (Asimina triloba): A native fruit tree that thrives in USDA Hardiness Zones 5 to 8. In full sun with sufficient moisture, the saplings should fruit within 5-6 years. The saplings are seed grown, so their fruit will be unique to the individual. Pawpaws are not self-fertile, requiring multiple individuals to make fruit. Saplings will be sold in sets of 3 for $20.

Second-year Trifoliate Orange Saplings (Citrus trifoliata): Well known for the Flying Dragon Orange cultivar, trifoliate orange is the most cold hardy species of citrus and the only true citrus that can be grown down to USDA Hardiness Zones 5, although it does best in zones 6 to 10. It is a deciduous fruit tree prized for its golfball sized edible fruit and fragrant white flowers. It has been used historically as a hedge, but can reach 15 ft. in height. Trifoliate Oranges are not native to the Americas. Saplings will be sold for $20 each.

Stampede Sunchoke Plants (Helianthus tuberosus): One of the most popular cultivars of sunchoke (aka. Jerusalem artichoke), Stampede forms numerous large white tubers with a nutty flavor and attractive yellow flowers. This native plant can be placed in recently disturbed soil, requires full sun and can grow in USDA Hardiness Zones 3 to 9. The tubers can be dug up once the stocks die back for winter, or left in the ground and harvested when needed. Plants will be sold for $1 each.

Mayapple Seedlings (Podophyllum peltatum): A native groundcover that spreads through both seeds and runners, mayapples will establish patches in the understory. Also known as American mandrake, the fruit ripens in late Summer, and is not edible until fully ripe. Mayapples grow best in USDA Hardiness Zones 3 to 8. Seedlings will be sold for $5 each.

Woodland Strawberry Plants (Fragaria vesca): A groundcover that grows best in USDA Hardiness Zones 5 to 9, woodland strawberries produce a small sweet fruit in late Spring. It thrives in both partial shade and sunlight, but can survive in the understory. Plants will be sold for $5 each.