EcoGather Transition Notice

Over the last four years, we’ve co-created something rare and meaningful – a container for experimental collapse-responsive co-learning. As happens when you mix up lots of organic matter and get a little salty, things have fermented. Our work now needs a new vessel.

EcoGather will conclude its active programming shortly after the Summer Solstice. On June 30, 2025, our website and Digital Garden will become a public archive, still accessible – indeed, more accessible, but no longer growing. All EcoGather self-paced courses will be freely available there, held in trust by our friends (and founding partners) at FrontLine Farming.

But this is not an ending.

This is the moment before the murmuration re-coheres –

the sky seems empty, but the flock is simply turning.

This is the twist of the kaleidoscope –

colors and shapes scatter just before the new pattern comes into view.

The almost imperceptible pause between forms…

The inhale before the next notes are sung…

Soon we will properly introduce you to otherWise — a learning commons and community shaped by our experiences together thus far, and designed to carry what is most precious more freely, more bravely, and more beautifully. We will continue to have open online community discussions 3 times per lunar cycle, called otherWisdom Circles, lean into more seasonal, land-based reskilling workshops, and deep, cohorted explorations into areas like re-villaging, grief work, post capitalist parenting, and adaptive growing, among other topics.

We’ll share more soon. For now, we wanted you to know that we are shifting shape — which happens to be something we love to do. Shift along with us:

Get a tiny glimpse of otherWise & sign up for our Newsletter

FAQs

Is EcoGather shutting down? Why?

Yes, EcoGather will conclude active programming on June 30, 2025. This shift reflects a natural evolution—what was combined has fermented and now requires a new vessel. otherWise will carry forward the spirit and lessons of EcoGather in a metabolically sound, relationally grounded form.

What happens between now and the end of June? Is EcoGather still programming?

Lots! We’re not stopping short. If it’s on the EcoGather Events page, it’s still happening.

Regular Remote Programming

Please make time for the remaining EcoGathering Cycles. May’s theme is Promises with gatherings on Progress(4/30), Population(5/6), Prosperity(5/14) and Peace (5/22). June closes us out with ‘Topias — Dystopias (5/28), Utopias (6/3), Thru-topias (6/12), and Our ‘Topia (6/18), a closing online celebration and dreaming session).

Our current live courses, study groups and circles continue to run and we will discuss options for reassembly with the members of each.
Surviving the Future alumni groups will continue to meet monthly; Shaun Chamberlin will provide updates on the StF Forums and via his newsletter.

Local Programming, Northern Vermont

We will be marking May Day with a festive teach-in and celebration at the Hard-Pressed Community Printshop on Saturday, May 3rd starting at 3pm, and are so excited about connecting with the incredible organizers from Northeast Kingdom Organizing, Vermont School Workers United, The Vermont Workers’ Center, Bread and Puppet, and more! See the HardPressed flyer here for more information
We have two more Hard-Pressed EcoGatherings in May (Language) and June (In the Shell of the Old).
And we’ll probably have a closing Summer Solstice bonfire in West Danville.

Special Events
A less passionate team would stop adding new events as they are winding down a program – but our community keeps coming to us with offers and needs we just can’t ignore.

We anticipate announcing a special film screening and conversation hosted by EcoGatherer Frieda McAlear very soon.
Expect a few more Upstream x EcoGather episodes and gatherings, too

What happens to the EcoGather courses and Digital Garden?

The EcoGather website and Digital Garden will become publicly accessible archives, maintained by our long-time collaborators at FrontLine Farming for at least five years. Asynchronous course materials will be available for anyone to revisit, reference, or newly explore, free of charge. feel free to peruse our catalog or Digital Garden and enroll in any of the classes that are of interest to you. You just need to make a free account to enroll!

How is otherWise different from EcoGather?

otherWise grows out of EcoGather but is its own distinct program. otherWise moves education beyond legacy institutions, focusing on collapse-responsive skills, relational ethics, and intergenerational, cosmolocal learning.

otherWise will begin as a fiscally sponsored project of FrontLine Farming. otherWise will be shaped by a community of facilitators, co-learners, organizers, artists, caregivers and land stewards.

Will the same people be involved?

Several members of the current EcoGather team intends to stay involved in otherWise, though not all in the same roles. The community will continue to grow, but many of the familiar voices, facilitators, and collaborators will be part of this next chapter.

How can I stay connected or get involved with otherWise?

First and foremost, please join the otherWise mailing list.

Second, we’ll offer transition information sessions during Office Hours on May 7th, @ 11am & May 22nd, @ 6pm. (If you get on the mailing list, you’ll receive an reminder / invitation for these sessions.)

What happens to the EcoGather social media accounts?

We’ll continue using the EcoGather Instagram account to announce and explain this transition and share programming in our final months. Around June 30, the account will shift to reflect otherWise and offer guidance on where to continue the journey. Other platforms will be sunset.

Is otherWise affiliated with Sterling College?

No. otherWise is a new, entirely independent initiative. While EcoGather was housed at Sterling College, otherWise is not affiliated with Sterling or any academic institution.

Can I still join, use, or share EcoGather course materials?

Yes! Everything in the Digital Garden will remain publicly accessible and freely available for personal, community, and non-commercial educational use. Where you access those materials will change as we will stop using the Cypher for Academia learning management system as of April 30, 2025. It is easy to enroll in the courses directly at https://ecogather.ing/all-courses/

What kind of programming will otherWise offer?

We’ve chosen to keep this moment mostly about the conclusion of EcoGather, but we are glad you’re intrigued. For now, we’ll say just two things to allay anxieties and embrace emergence:

A) otherWise will maintain a cosmolocal orientation and organized around similar themes. Programming will be a blend of distance/digital and local, with opportunities for community members to anchor local programming in their home places. You’ll be able to participate from wherever you are — in fact, otherWise aims to help folks be where they are, together.

B) otherWise will be shaped by its context and community, which means that if you choose come along with us, you’ll have a hand in sculpting what’s next.