The front entrance to Wild Hudson Valley’s Eco Camp and Forest Farm in Cairo, NY. (Photos courtesy of Wild Hudson Valley)
At their 95-acre forest farm and camp near the Greene County town of Cairo, Justin Wexler and Anna Plattner are re-creating the landscape as it was known to the native inhabitants of the region. Each weekend throughout the summer, they invite visitors to the property, Wild Hudson Valley, to learn about edible plants, medicine, folklore, history, and both ancient and modern forest farming practices.
Guided nature walks and workshops are geared toward all ages. Programs for families help kids and adults connect with nature. For an even more immersive experience, visitors can stay overnight at one of four eco-campsites.
Unlike most nature education programs, Anna and Justin emphasize the role of native peoples in relating to the land. Justin’s fascination with the natural world began when he was a child growing up in the Hudson Valley.
Anna (and Corinna) with July’s Wild Harvest Box.
“I realized by time I was eight or nine that the people who would know the land best were the people who lived here for generations but were driven out of their homeland,” he said. By his teens, he was trying to visualize the life of the Lenape, who inhabited the area before they were displaced by European settlers.
As he researched the history of the Hudson Valley and its occupants, Justin made connections with descendants of the Lenape, now dispersed to communities in Ontario, Wisconsin and Oklahoma. After befriending residents of those communities, he hosted Lenape people who came to visit their homeland. He continues to make links with organizations that would help represent their culture and history.
Anna also grew up in the…