Robin Greenfield @[email protected]
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The walk has begun!
On Sunday evening I started walking from the Canada/US border in Blaine, Washington and I am now 30 miles in to the 1,700 mile walk down the Pacific Coast to Los Angeles, California.
I walked the first 20 miles barefoot with a 30 pound pack. Yesterday I mailed about 10 pounds ahead to lighten my load. Today I put on my homemade wool booties and walked 10 miles to Bellingham where I am currently sitting at the public library to write to you.
I am very interested in what I can do with my body and with materials that I have sourced through my relationship with the land. After 10 miles today the leather soles that I recently sewed on to my wool booties are almost worn through.
This walk is an experiment in simple and sustainable living. I have numerous challenges I am facing and more ahead. I do not have a support vehicle, but I am also not "self-supported." This is a community supported walk. I will support the communities I pass through and they will support me.
At the border I was met by about 7 others and we all walked the first 3 miles together. I have connected with numerous Dear Friends in the last few days, many of whom have followed me here on social media for years. It's been beautiful to share moments with them.
I am walking to slow down and get into a natural flow of life. I am walking with much intention for inner growth and development. I am walking to deepen my integrity and truth. I have a lot to think about and a lot to share with you.
That's all I'll share for today. I am feeling out this new journey. I am definitely struggling, so I must focus on meeting my basic needs and keeping my body healthy.
Love,
Robin
This photo was taken as I put the pack on to take the first steps.
If I was writing a book about my walk down the Pacific Coast, the first two days would have already made the most enlightening and entertaining first chapter I ever could have imagined.
I'm 10 miles in and will make it to Bellingham, Washington today.
The lake below started for me as a small blue marking on a map surrounded by green.
āI wonder if I could get here!ā
There were no trails leading in and an internet search found nothing on the lake.
āPerhaps this is where I could be alone.ā
But I was afraid. The maps showed a steep climb from 3,000 feet up to 4,000 and back down and these were lands I am unfamiliar with.
I had the support of a friend who knew the region and not only brought me to the trailhead, not only walked the 3 miles up the trail with me, but entered and navigated the uncharted forest that led us to this peak.
Freedom, solitude and silence lied ahead. Daniel returned to his wife and young child and I descended alone into the uncertainty that lay ahead.
As soon as I arrived, I knew that I was at the precipice of entering a twenty year goal.
No other human would enter this space. Nobody would find me here.
7 nights of solitude, not a single sight or sound of another human body or voice.
No computer, no phone, no way to reach the outside world or to be reached.
No electronics, not even a headlamp and not a light in the sky.
I had 6.5 pounds of wild rice and a very modest amount of dried venison, mushrooms and salt.
I did not know what to expect, but Iāve always believed that being truly alone in deep nature would alter my mind. Alter my very beingā¦
I became a human animal out there. I entered into the flow and rhythm of this microcosm of Earth with the interconnected community of plants, animals, insects and elements.
With pencil on paper I wrote,
On evening 5: āI hear the mosquitoes and bees buzzing, the fluttering of wings, trout splashing, a bird with an almost early shrill call and the great owl has started up againā¦ A moment of interconnectedness with it all. Interbeingā¦ A dissolution of the separateness. I am, in this moment, a part of it all.
āItās a bit unnerving being here in this altered state of mind. Dissolving self into this space, with nobody here but me. I see how an untrained mind could lose it out here. And how a trained mind could attain oneness with all life.ā
Night 6: āIf I was mentally blindfolded to my experience and asked if I had eaten some magic berries out here, I would lean towards yes.ā
I wrote extensively of my experience and will be sharing more in the days ahead.
Love,
Robin
Iām going to the forest to rest...
If youāre reading this, then Iām already gone, and it is impossible to reach me. In fact, nobody can reach me, except the one person who brought me to the trail.
I have no phone. No computer. Not a single electronic item.
I have found a small lake on the map that Iām nearly certain no one else will visit during my time there.
My longest stretch without seeing or hearing another human is only 3 days. Iām aiming for 7 days in complete solitude and silence to humanity, not even hearing my own voice.
I have 7 pounds of wild rice, some dehydrated venison and maitake mushroom and sea salt, all of which my friends and I foraged. I will supplement this with berries, greens and herbs that I find. A simple and pure diet from the land...
I will sleep. Oh I will sleep. Long nights and naps throughout the day.
I will rest. Oh I will rest.
I will be. Oh I will be.
I will soak in the healing energy of the land and water, swimming and drinking in the cold mountain lake and sitting in the forest.
I have a small amount of reading material, a small notebook, a pencil and only the most basic of possessions. Very few items to distract myself from simply being...
I will be alone, Oh I will be alone.
Yet, I will be in the company of my many friends of the plant and animal world, many of whom I have not yet met. And I will be with myself, in which I carry all the company that I need in this moment. So deeply alone, yet complete with everything I need. Is it so? I will see and I will share with you when I return.
Iām tired. Iāve been too busy for my own well being and Iāve neglected my body.
And so I return to Earth, as I have made a consistent practice to rejuvenate myself, always with the intention of returning in my most effective form as a servant and messenger for our community of life on Earth.
Love,
Robin
The mountain region that lies behind me is the forest in which I will rest and make home.
Hello from Foraging School!
This weekend ~45 friends from Washington, Oregon and California came to Port Townsend, Washington in the Olympic Peninsula to for a weekend immersion in foraging. It was a joy to share my love of Earth and our plant and animal relatives and to see the wheels turning inside of everyone's minds. Many people shared with me that they learned what they needed to start harvesting and eating the bounty of food and medicines growing freely all around them! And to feel safe and confident doing this!
The gathering was community led and was one of the most connective and cohesive events that I have taken part in. Together we made delicious community meals with majority locally grown and foraged foods. Everyone took on responsibility to manage the gathering in a communal way where all of our basic needs were met. It was a beautiful experience in humanity for me, and for all of us! When we weren't immersed in class, every time I looked around I saw people in such a state of joy and connection with one another. Together we learned, we grew, we healed, we connected, we loved, and we realized another way of living together on this home we call Earth is possible.
Thank you all Dear Friends who came to Foraging School. I am grateful to each of you for choosing to walk in the Plant Path with me, whether it is your first step or hundredth step. I so deeply enjoyed my time with you and am so glad to have gotten to connect with each of you. Come find me on my walk down the coast and learn a few more plants!
This is my sixth Foraging School and after this experience I am contemplating leading many Foraging School's across the US in the years ahead. It is such a beautiful opportunity to share practical knowledge and skills for reconnecting with Earth, with community and with ourselves.
Love,
Robin
Iām going for a walk.
Why?
I just feel like walking.
For as long as I can remember I have been drawn to the idea of taking a long walk. The time has comeā¦
The journey will begin at the Canada/US border in Washington and Iāll make my way down the Pacific coast to Los Angeles, 1,700 miles along the Pacific Coast Highway and other roads.
Iāll live simply... Walk. Breathe. Be with Earth. Sleep outside. Rest and stretch my body. Harvest food and medicine from the land. Drink water. Swim in the Pacific Ocean, lakes and rivers. Read books. Think.
Iāll spend time and talk with people who I meet along the path and who come to walk with me, practicing compassionate communication with each interaction. Iāll share my message through writing, speaking and being.
Unlike my last ten plus years of activism and adventures I have no outward mission. This is for me.
Toā¦ Slow down. Simplify. Be mindfully in the present moment. Deepen my gratitude for life. Fall in love with everything. Foster interconnectedness to all. Gain clarity and focus. Focus on peace within. Further my wholeness and completeness within.
With each day on the road, Iāll shed more of the past and walk into the present.
I am letting go of so much. I am letting go of attachment to outcome, even thought of outcome.
I am surrendering to the natural flow of life.
Although this walk is for me, the journey is part of the big picture. I have inner work to do to bring myself into higher truth and integrity and hone in my service to Earth, Humanity and the plants and animals we share this home with. I believe that this inner work and self-care is inherent to be the public servant I aim to be.
Time with Earth will abound, but so will time with people. Iām not walking on a trail through the wilderness, but rather on the roads and highways through many towns and cities.
I will continuously share updates of my whereabouts and my planned route so that I can be found by those who want to find me. I invite you to walk with me, or come sit with me wherever Iām making home for the evening.
For the details on the route, schedule, how to stay informed and get involved visit:
www.robingreenfield.org/walk/
Love,
Robin
Photo by Greg Sachs in Port Townsend, Washington ā July, 11th 2024
āāHello Dear Friends,
Here is an update on my brother Levi for those of you who have been wondering, as well as a request for community connection and friendship.
Levi is my older brother by 15 months. He just turned 39 on June 8th. We shared a bedroom in our house in Ashland all the way up until he went away to college. Bunk beds in fact (he had the top bunk). Although we grew up in the same little house in the same little town, Levi and I have lived quite different lives.
As many of you know he has had some real struggles for the last few years. He started to experience a serious mental health crisis 5 years ago and in spring of 2022 he left Wisconsin, moving out of my mom's home and going out into the world for the first time on his own. He landed in Austin, Texas, not in a balanced state after leaving a mental health hospital and the mental health struggles have continued since then, going in and out of stability. We have been quite dedicated as a family to supporting Levi to the best of our limited ability. I have visited him in Austin twice, but both times turned out to be when he was in a mental health crisis and connecting with him was basically impossible.
He has been in a group home in Austin for about 10 months which meets many of his basic needs. I'm happy to say that at the moment he is in a relatively stable state and when we speak to him he's cheery. We are supporting him with what we can. So my friends, there is much to be grateful for. At the same time, it's been a big challenge for my mom and the whole family. (I have not gone into detail with how severe the mental health crises has been in this post).
Today, I am reaching out to the community because Levi is seeking connection and friendship! I'm so happy that he is because I've always believed that connection is what he needs most and can provide the most healing. Meaning and purpose are some of the most powerful remedies to depression. Friendship is something we all want, and Levi does not currently have this. I have tried this in the past when Levi wanted me to, but the timing didn't end up aligning with his mental health state. I'm hopeful that this time the connections will be made, as Levi is in the place for them.
For the last month he has been more proactive, doing a lot of walking, wanting to eat healthier food and feeling open to making friends and going out. My brother Joe is taking initiative to coordinate with anyone who would like to support Levi through spending some time together in Austin or virtually. Levi's interests right now are:
-Gaming (Xbox/Online/Development etc.)
-Card games (Magic the Gathering, Pokemon, etc.)
-Coding
-Dungeons and Dragons
-Small Day Trips (trips to the zoo, maybe swimming, etc.)
-Movies and Music
-Talking about philosophy, spirituality and life.
If you would be interested in being supportive to Levi through spending time together or helping him get involved in the community, please reach out to my brother Joe at [email protected]. Joe will respond to your email and connect you with Levi if you find that there is a match! Joe will be able to answer any questions or concerns.
I am hopeful that through my community Levi can make some connections and perhaps even some friendships. I would be so grateful for any of you who feel called to connect and who reach out.
Love,
Robin
āI donāt want to be famous.ā
These words surfaced in my mind shortly after arising in the early morning hours.
For many of you, this thought would be of little importance and would not stimulate much, if any self-reflection. For me however, hearing this thought concretely in my mind was almost a profound moment. I thought to myself, āWell I have never had this thought in the last 13 years since I began the mission I am on today.ā In this moment, after 13 years of the pursuit of fame the thought arose for perhaps the first time in a solid manner. At this moment I no longer want to be āfamous.ā
In this article I share my reflections on the pursuit of fame, my inner development over the last few years, the dissolution of ego, and thoughts on my life of service in the years ahead.
www.robingreenfield.org/fame/
I'd be very interested to hear your thoughts and feelings for those of you who Dear Friends who read it!
Love,
Robin
This is my entire wardrobe.
18 items ā 4 shirts, 2 shorts, 1 pants, long underwear top and bottom, shawl, hat, cowl, wool booties, moccasins, 3 pairs of socks and a bag.
All hand made. All natural fiber. All naturally dyed.
Wool, linen, cotton, deer leather and sinew and wood are the materials.
Black walnut, indigo, weld, turmeric and iron rust are the dyes.
Just as a deer could fall to the forest floor and return to the soil, so could I in these natural clothes. A harmonious return to Earthā¦
Itās been a year since the first item was completed and 3 months since I shedded my last clothing item from my former life.
I canāt say itās all been easy. Both shorts have ripped in the butt area and the soles of the shoes have already worn through. Many of the clothes were made too small and seams are breaking where they are too tight. They arenāt the most comfortable clothes Iāve ever wornā¦
I have been frustrated at times when I had more on my plate than I could deal with, but this is all part of the experiment in reconnecting with Earth. I am elated for the trials and tribulations of it all. To live in harmony with Earth is to repair, to rethink and to reconstruct my possessions, my mind and all of my relations.
My wardrobe is not fully complete, and I am calling out to the community for a few items!
To keep my nose and head from burning I am seeking a sun hat. Felted wool or woven plants are my ideal materials, but Iām exploring the world of covering my head with the gifts of Earth!
For warmth, I am seeking a wool sweater. I have done a bit of knitting, but a sweater would take me 60+ hours and I find my time dedicated elsewhere. Is there anyone with a homemade, natural fiber and naturally dyed sweater I could buy or borrow until this fall? Or someone who could make one this month? I can source and provide the local yarn!
Iāve spoken to a couple professionals but the cost would be ~$500 and that is just too much for me to afford!
For soles for my shoes, I am seeking thick, naturally tanned leather as well as some sinew. I only need small chunks, so scraps could do.
Iād also love to hear any experiences with fully natural soles that are long lasting!
To make padding for my backpack straps I need some wool roving
Iām happy to purchase these items, trade, or receive as gifts for those who operate in a non-linear, more circular giving system like I do!
I plan to do a video sharing my complete natural wardrobe in the next month or so and look forward to sharing with you all. I am grateful to be on this journey with each of you.
Love,
Robin
Learn all about my journey to natural clothes here: www.robingreenfield.org/clothes
Photo by Greg Sachs @sachsquatchinthewild
Over the last months I have really gotten to know the couple in this photo with me.
You might be wondering exactly what is going on here...
Well that is Auri Jackson and Shawheen Keyani by my side, colleagues and now Dear Friends. Around me is every one of my material possessions. After multiple years of work to re-simplify my life, I have returned to the ultimate simplicity of everything I own fitting into a backpack.
In the Fall of 2023, the three of us teamed up to produce School Lunch, a film where I would immerse in our public school lunch program and educate on this topic by eating only school lunch for an entire month. We worked closely together in planning for months and I arrived in Los Angeles in March, where we expected to film in April. After multiple changes of plans with schools, the project and the film was placed on pause.
We were so excited to create this film together and we already had the support of Executive Producers Earth Conscious Life and Sarah Yeager, so we brainstormed numerous ideas. We settled upon a film about my life.
This photo was taken on June 17th on the final day of filming and provides a tiny peek into the film that lies ahead. What exactly this film will be is a mystery to all of us right now. And most certainly a mystery to me. I've watched a few clips here and there on the little screen of Shawheen's camera and what I've seen is beautiful. This is a skilled team and I am confident with placing my message into their creative minds to bring to you. Although I have done hundred of videos with media and over a thousand interviews, there is nothing sharing my life quite like this.
It has been such a joy to work with Auri, Shawheen, Sebastiano Pestoni, Rob Herring and Sarah Yeager. I know we are in the works of creating something that will positively shift the lives of many through sharing a window into my life in love with Earth, humanity and our plant and animal relatives.
We'll share updates with you on the film when we have them!
Love,
Robin
Directed and Produced by Auri Jackson @aurijackson and Shawheen Keyani @shawheenkeyani
Executive Produced by Earth Conscious Life @theneedtogrow and Sarah Yeager
Robin Greenfield's channel is a resource for all who seek to liberate themselves, to live in truth and integrity, and to live in harmony with Earth, humanity and the plants and animals we share this home with.
Robin Greenfield and Dear Friends share methods of achieving liberation and harmony through sustainable living, simple living, tiny house living, foraging, growing food and medicine, minimalism, zero waste, Earth skills, food sovereignty, community resilience, compassionate communication, activism, Black Liberation, Indigenous Sovereignty and living in service.
Robinās life is his message and he shares his philosophies through his life in action or simply by speaking. Robinās life is an experiment with truth and integrity and videos document and share this experiment.
We share stories of people and organizations being the change they wish to see in the world and showing solutions to the struggles of our time.
Robinās mission: www.robingreenfield.org/mission