Wild Creatures: Guides to Our Creative Source
- Saturday, May 31, 2025
Co-sponsored by Earthfire Institute and Jackson Hole Writers
This event has passed. If you would like to learn about upcoming events at Earthfire, please visit our Retreats page.
Join us for a rare opportunity to meet with the native wild animals of Earthfire. Spend time with Kaya the wolf, Bramble Bear, Bluebell the Bison, and others during your day-long writing retreat on the wild lands of Earthfire, adjacent to the South Leigh Creek Wildlife Corridor in Teton Valley. This custom experience offers exclusive access to the animal ambassadors of Earthfire and provides the chance to reflect on your encounters through creative writing. We hope you find inspirational seeds that can bear fruit in later work, and come away with draft writing that could become an article or other piece on how it is to intimately encounter a wild being. Finished work may be published on the co-sponsors’ websites. We seek writing that is personal and passionate.
We will offer a one-day session on May 31 (maximum group size 12), and another in early fall, depending on demand.
Cost: $250 (includes lunch)*
*Private custom visits are currently $1000 per person. We are offering this reduced rate as part of our collaboration with Jackson Hole Writers.
Retreat Schedule
9:00 – 9:30
Welcome and orientation. Susan will begin the conversation with some background on Earthfire and its inhabitants, after which you will be invited to share what drew you to this retreat. We ask that you be open to whatever comes during the day.
9:30 – 11:30
Meet the animals. While in the company of another species, what are the thoughts, insights, or emotions that occur in the absence of prior expectations? What kind of a story might grow from this encounter? Each of us can simply be, or take notes, whatever feels right for this brief time. We’ll write later.
11:30 – 12:30
Individual writing time
12:30 – 1:30
Picnic lunch
1:30 – 3:00
Group conversation. Each participant shares what came up during their encounter with the animal and subsequent writing. Having had time with a wild creature that most people will never get to see up close, what personal insights can we share with others?
3:00 – 4:00
Personal writing and reflection time. Participants may choose to do this alone or in the company of an animal. Continue with the morning’s ideas or start something else.
4:00 – 5:00
Reconvene for final conversation. What did you take away from the day that will inspire future inquiry and work?
Facilitators
Susan Marsh
Susan Marsh is a freelance writer, artist, and naturalist. Among her books are an award-winning novel, War Creek, a poetry chapbook, and ten non-fiction books, including A Hunger for High Country. She led the wilderness and recreation programs for the Bridger-Teton National Forest from 1988 until she retired in 2010 to devote herself to conservation.
Matt Daly
Matt Daly is the author of two books of poetry, The Invisible World and Between Here and Home, and the poetry chapbook, Red State. Matt is the Executive Director of Jackson Hole Writers.
Susan B. Eirich
Author, psychologist and biologist, Susan B. Eirich, Ph.D. is founder and Executive Director of Earthfire Institute, a wildlife sanctuary and retreat center located in Teton Valley, Idaho, and author of Whispers From the Wild: An Invitation.
Retreat Price
$250 per person (includes lunch). Payment is required upon registration. A check can be mailed to P.O. Box 368, Driggs, Idaho 83422, or made via credit card (subject to an additional 3% transaction fee). Please indicate your preferred method of payment in your registration email.
Limited space available (12 participants maximum.) A second retreat may be scheduled in the fall, depending on demand.
Retreat Price Includes:
All retreat sessions
Saturday lunch
Cancellation Policy: If you cancel your registration before May 21st, you will receive a full refund. If you cancel your registration after May 21st, you will forfeit a $50 administration fee. If your spot can be filled by another participant, you will be fully refunded.
Retreat Location
Earthfire Institute
5507 N. Baseline Rd.
Tetonia, Idaho 83452
Earthfire Institute is a Wildlife Sanctuary and Retreat Center located at the base of the Teton Mountains in Tetonia, Idaho. Founded in 2000, Earthfire’s mission is to reawaken our deep connection to wildlife and nature through Reconnection Ecology®, expanding our sense of community to include all living beings and moving us to protect thriving habitats for all Life.
Transportation
Closest Airports
- Idaho Falls, Idaho (IDA) 52 miles from Earthfire Institute, approximately 1 hour 10 minutes
- Jackson, Wyoming (JAC) 49 miles from Earthfire Institute, approximately 1 hour 15 minutes
- Salt Lake City, UT (SLC) 283 miles from Earthfire Institute, approximately 4 hours 10 minutes
Local Transportation while in Idaho
Rental cars and carpooling highly encouraged. Limited local transportation available (no Uber, Lyft, public transportation, etc.).
Lodging
This retreat does NOT include lodging. Teton Valley offers a wide variety of lodging options, from camping to B&Bs to full-scale resorts. You can find a list on discovertetonvalley.com.
Because of our proximity to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Park, lodging in the valley fills quickly. We encourage you to book early.