The WIld Cypress

10/15/2026

🌳 Becoming Forest. One year ago, our Sea Turtle guides in training began with an immersion: a chance to slow down and become the forest.

A deep immersion gives us time to experience, practice guiding, and explore our relationships with the land and each other. Watch this glimpse, and see how one becomes the forest through shinrin-yoku (forest bathing).

🌼 Now we’re opening our next cohort and calling it… the Wildflowers cohort. This training begins February 1, 2027, combining online learning with a four-day in-person immersion, April 1–4, 2027, in north Florida. Together, we’ll explore sensory connection, learn and practice nature and forest therapy, then end with a certification. 🤟 This cohort is taught in American Sign Language.

💚 Want to learn how you can become a forest therapy guide? Fill out our interest form (link in bio), and we’ll send you the link to our upcoming Zoom information session.

10/15/2026

🌳 Becoming Forest. One year ago, our Sea Turtle guides in training began with an immersion: a chance to slow down and become the forest.

A deep immersion gives us time to experience, practice guiding, and explore our relationships with the land and each other. Watch this glimpse, and see how one becomes the forest through shinrin-yoku (forest bathing).

🌼 Now we're opening our next cohort and calling it… the Wildflowers cohort. This training begins February 1, 2027, combining online learning with a four-day in-person immersion, April 1–4, 2027, in north Florida. Together, we'll explore sensory connection, learn and practice nature and forest therapy, then end with a certification. 🤟 This cohort is taught in American Sign Language.

💚 Want to learn how you can become a forest therapy guide? Fill out our interest form, and we'll send you the link to our upcoming Zoom information session:
https://forms.gle/aZRXEanfAe5pMY4Q9

10/09/2026

🌼 Announcing Save the Date for the next Guide Training in Sign Language! Our community of signing nature and forest therapy guides keeps growing! Building on the Luna Moth and Sea Turtle cohorts, Wild Cypress and ANFT are preparing the next cohort for 2027. 
This special training centers Deaf, Disabled, and signing communities, with space to deepen our relationships with nature and learn to guide others. 
………….
    •    Date of training: February 1, 2027 to July 1, 2027- 6 months.
    •    Date of in-person immersion: April 1-4, 2026

Curious about joining this next chapter?  

DM thewildcypress for the program information, and we’ll send you the sign-up sheet!

09/30/2026

Often, the world feels built for only a few. But nature? Nature welcomes all. It accepts you exactly as you are.
This is what nature connection looks like, through the experience of being DeafBlind. 🌱✨
Not through sight or sound, but through the profound power of touch.
We hosted a 2-day Forest Bathing immersion weekend at Wildflower Meadows for a wonderful DeafBlind couple.
Together, we explored the land using ProTactile—a rich, nuanced language emerging directly from the DeafBlind community that relies entirely on touch.
……
We co-navigated this beautiful land, peeling back the layers of the earth. We felt the ridges of an old pecan tree, discovered tasty herbs, shared tea, and slowed down enough to simply breathe with the trees.
As Vicky so beautifully put it during our time together:
“With the touch of Mother Nature and Father Land, through the touch of trees and the touch of plants, we find the connection that holds us all.” 🌿
Thank you, Vicky, for reminding us that there is a profound sense of ease when we allow ourselves to be fully immersed in the tactile beauty of the world. Come as you are. The world is your oyster.

💚 Are you ready to experience the power of touch in nature? Learn more about our inclusive immersions at Wildflower Meadows coming soon

09/29/2026

We know we’ve been quiet… and that we’re probably late to this trend. But it’s never too late. We’ll catch up in our own time. 🌿

Accepting there’s a time and place for everything? That’s kinda chic. And that’s the attitude we’re adopting as The Wild Cypress re-emerges.

🫶 Kinda chic to be a visual storyteller.
🌲 Kinda chic to be a Forest Therapy guide.
💚 Kinda chic to have an intimate relationship with the land.
💪 Kinda chic to be radically mindful of people with diverse disabilities.
🐌 Kinda chic to slow down when the entire world is rushing.
✨ Kinda chic to hold space for raw, authentic conversation.

What’s kinda chic about The Wild Cypress to you? What would you love to see more of here—ASL storytelling, moments in Nature, accessible adventures, or honest conversations? Tell us below. 💬🌱



[VD: A series of video clips shows Summer and a diverse group of people in nature. Summer signs toward the camera while wearing a hat. Next, she leans comfortably against a tree with her hands resting on her chest, smiling. A multiracial group waves together, including a person using a wheelchair. Summer wraps her arms around a massive tree trunk as the camera slowly pans around her. Later, the group gathers together, sitting in a circle.]

09/26/2026

I’ve been quiet here because life has been heavy — loss, grief, and the slow, messy climb back to connection.
In my latest blog post “Grief is like Glitter…” I share a personal reflection inspired by a turtle mural and what it feels like to try to return to writing after big losses. Read more: https://wix.to/jGA48M6

🌊✨ See this beautiful turtle mural? 🐢Something about it describes how my life feels right now. The ladder at the bottom feels like me, trying to climb back onto the wagon I’ve somehow fallen off. I’m trying to find my way back to sharing, writing, and connecting here. 🌈I know... I've ...

08/14/2026

We made it back to New Mexico for the Indigenous Ways Festival! This marks our fifth summer attending and supporting this beautiful gathering.

It is a honor to support IndigenousWays in many areas over the years, including art, music, interpreting, Deaf culture, filmmaking, and welcoming people from all walks of life.

Take a look at some of the incredible performances, interpreters, and community work that Indigenous Ways brings together. And if you're in town (Santa Fe, NM), join us tonight in serving Mother Earth alongside this community. 🌎💚

08/09/2026

One morning, a few days ago, I let Yoshi lead me to meeting trees.
This time, we met Slant.
Slant, yeah, like the slant mark, was a very colorful tree and when I hugged him—I found that he had hair. It doubt it was mine, it could very much be Spanish moss, or horse hair, or Daddy long leg spider… just a mystery.
…..
I know it’s weird. To be posting about this.
….
But things have been weird for me lately.
So, why not be weird.
This isn’t my usual post. And that’s ok.
…..
Be weird today!




[video description: Yoshi is looking at a slant looking tree, and directs the camera to come closer to the tree. You can see lichen, moss, and hair, from the tree. An image of Summer hugging and smiling. Then dirt road zooms to Yoshi exploring the land]

07/31/2026

If we hugged trees 365 days a year, would it prolong us to live longer? I believe so. ……Doing a 30 day challenge to kick off my 43rd year around the sun. You join?

07/14/2026

Tomorrow's the last day to register for the Holistic Nature Retreat happening September 3-7th at Aspen Camp of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing - link to register:

Find your balance — body, mind, and soul — through intentional movement, guided meditation, forest bathing, and nature-based healing practices. This immersive retreat invites you to slow down, breathe deeply, and rediscover your connection to the earth, your inner wisdom, and a supportive commun...