Nature Connection and Rites of Passage

"Polcum Springs is a rare oasis in Northern California. It's tended in the spirit of true reciprocity, with such love and care that the land and its inhabitants which, from bright butterflies to prancing deer to the occasionally sighted bear and beyond, are many, and peacefully co-existing with humans who tread there. This land opened me up and carried me through a passage into adulthood, and has welcomed me back several times since.   Each time I sit on the land, I receive help as I step clearer and clearer into my womanhood.   My path of service has become clear and I receive inspiration in living the life I envision for myself. I'm ever grateful to the trickling of the vibrant waters, the potency of morning birdsong, and the authentic, powerful, generous transformation that is readily available via the intangible, indescribable magic of this place."
- Elizabeth Aya Baron,  Wilderness Torah Youth Programs Director

The 203 wild acres at Polcum Springs provide both a safe container and an expansive spaciousness to support groups who are wanting to deepen connection to nature and honor life stages through rites of passage and vision quest.  The lay of the land gives groups ample space to adventure, track, engage in ritual/ceremony and send individuals off to potent spots for days of seeking vision and transformation. Polcum has held groups of youth, young adults and inter-generational groups through these important passageways.  It can also be a suitable place for a working group or workshop that is wanting a nature immersive experience to support the work at hand.  There is a meadow for camping and ceremonial/storytelling fires, a large old growth madrone grove that makes a perfect natural amphitheatre or shady gathering place, and a spring fed pond for gathering fresh spring water and taking the edge off  of warm summer and autumn days.  In addition, there is the remaining rolling Mendocino coastal range that is home range to deer, bore, bear, mountain lion, bobcat, coyote, turkey and many other mammals and birds. There is a 24 foot yurt with wood stove nestled next to a seasonal creek that can be reserved and used as an indoor gathering or accommodation space.

Track photos by Marley Peifer

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"This summer we took eight 12 years old  girls to Polcum Springs for our first backpacking trip in a three year long rites of passage program called the Stepping Stones Project.  The land,  both wild and contained,  held our girls very  well.  The feeling of being out in the deep wild was palpable and the girls thrived as they swam, frolicked, and met their edges at the edge of the world.  The hosts at Polcum were very attentive to our needs while also leaving us a lot of space to tend to our group in a sacred and secluded way.  We even got a private flora and fauna tour from Brigid, age 8, who is very skilled in the art of tracking!  We are grateful to the lands, the trees, the waters, and the tenders of Polcum Springs for helping us hold our girls in their heroic act of becoming teenagers."
- Lauren Brown, Somatic Therapist, Musician & Rites of Passage Guide at Stepping Stones


"I believe that every person should have the opportunity go through an initiation process where they can heal and be held in a safe container.  I believe that we can build a new culture of grounded, strong and whole people to help heal our world. I am here because I believe in this work. I was looking for an opportunity to be mentored and to prepare myself for my service in the world as an adult woman. I am called to be a mentor to young girls as well and want to feel ready to support them through their rites of passage. For me to become a mentor, I first must be mentored." - L. Whited, Tree of Life Initiate, www.treeoflifeinitation.org