Join us for our 46th Annual Gathering of Members and Friends. We will gather for three days of in the extraordinary natural environment of The Mountain, renewing old connections and making new ones! Along with wonderful workshops, entertainment and our Annual meeting, we will speak of current projects and possibilities for the future. What to...
Come roam the edges of the mountain meadow and old growth forest for delicious, nutritious wild plants and mushrooms. Here we will learn the skills to identify and sustainably forage these wild foods. We will learn of the traditional uses and legends behind these natives. Then join us at a table outside on the farm...
Dates: Arrive by 5 pm on May 27, depart after breakfast on June 1, 2026 Location: The Mountain Retreat and Learning Center, located up in the beautiful Smokey Mountains near Highlands,NC. Join us for a transformative 4-day retreat designed specifically for mothers who have experienced the profound loss of a child due to addiction, fentanyl...
This retreat is a Private Event.
Would you like to re-awaken to the presence and gifts of the wild food and medicine growing all around you? Please come along as we emerge into our old growth forest and learn what nature has to offer. Here we will learn of the legends and lore of these Appalachia natives, how they have historically...
This is a private retreat is not open to the public.
The Mountain’s Elementary Camp sessions offer an inviting, low-pressure entry point for children aged 9-11 to experience overnight camp. We emphasize games which teach young people to cooperate and mend fences with each other when conflict does come up. We also intentionally design our activities so that our young friends can learn new skills while...
Many of you know about honeybees and bumblebees. Did you know there are around 300 other bee species in this region? John Kotab does, and he's here to showcase them and will help you identify many of them on our bee-ID notification walk. Come learn about all our solitary and colony-forming bees as we stroll...
Join Grammy-nominated folk musician and songwriter, John McCutcheon, for an intense, intimate songwriting Master Class at The Mountain Retreat & Learning Center in Highlands, NC. Join other songwriting lovers for this remarkable event at an even more remarkable place. In between sessions enjoy breathtaking views of the Smoky Mountains, healthy, delicious homemade food, and camaraderie....
Beginner Camp for 6-8 year old campers (rising 1st-3rd graders) is a 1-week session that provides the perfect way for the youngest group of campers to be introduced to camp and fall in love with it. Arts and Crafts, nature hikes, and swimming at the lake are a few of the activities that engage the...
Let’s get wild on a 3 hour walk in the old growth forest while we discover, properly identify and discuss foraging for wild edible and medicinal mushrooms. We cover the basics to get you started on what could become a lifelong passion and hobby of yours! We discuss prime habitats where specific mushrooms occur, why...
FACETS is a retreat for women conductors focused on leadership development, fostering mentoring relationships, and opportunities for networking. The first FACETS conference was held in northern Georgia in July of 2016, where twenty-six women from nine states, representing elementary, middle school, high school, college, church, and community choirs, came together to learn and teach, explore...
