The Heron is so much more than The Great Blue Heron Music Festival and Green Heron Growers (our organic farm), the Heron is also our home as well as an event and wedding venue and campground. It sits on 400 acres of rolling hills, undisturbed forests, rests under beautiful dark skies in Chautauqua County, WNY and is stewarded by Julie and Steve Rockcastle as well as a small group of lovely humans that put a lot of love and dedication into keeping this place beautiful and running smoothly throughout the year.
There is a saying that we use a lot around here that originated back in the 1990’s with the Great Blue Heron Music Festival, and it applies all year round and that is “WELCOME HOME!“. The land, the community and the energy at The Heron are warm, welcoming and peaceful and you can really feel at home as soon as you arrive! As the newest member of the core staff, I have been enjoying getting acquainted to the land and the community while making improvements to our marketing and social media and selling our delicious food at local farmer’s markets. I am passionate about holistic wellness, connecting with nature, and living mindfully and am honored to be creating FREE monthly family-friendly Nature & Wellness programming and inviting guests from far and wide to take a break from their busy lives, get on Heron time and connect with nature, music & movement on this beautiful land!
This past weekend we welcomed guests to enjoy a donkey story-time with Jodi Gray and her sweet Ruby Jean, a Native American philosophy discussion according to the Iroquois Tribe Seneca Nation as shared by Twylah Nitsch with Diane Clark, ecstatic dance with Robin Carey, star gazing with Domenic Rocco, morning yoga with Jen Raines, a foraging talk with Harold Reynolds and a mindful tea time with yours truly.
We had a beautiful, intimate weekend filled with connection, play, smiles, relaxation and deep appreciation for the natural world that surrounds us! We would really love to have you come camp and spend time here to enjoy the Heron magic during the quiet part of the season when our larger events are not going on and invite you to plan your visit to camp here for our upcoming Nature & Wellness Weekends!
The next dates for our 2024 Nature & Wellness weekends are listed below, all the programming is FREE, you just pay for lodging! Plan your stay by booking a primitive campsite, or bring your camper. If camping is not your thing, we have many unique Airbnb’s to choose from.
2024 Nature & Wellness Weekend Schedule
- Horse drawn wagon ride around The Heron, including mindful moments with Jodi Gray. Children and adults of all ages can join in on the fun!
- Forest Bathing Experience & Feather bundle workshop with Diane Clark.
- Play Music on the Porch Day sing along at the Cafe in the Woods!
- Open Flow Night with Jessica Frombach! We will start with a grounding meditation to connect to our body and breath, add in some intuitive movement and music, then free flow together, Bring your own props or share with others and try new flow toys! Hula hoops, poi, dragon staff, rope dart, puppy hammer, fans, buugeng etc. Also welcome to dance with just your body.. swaying along to the rhythm, learn or teach new tricks, feel out a different flow, or simply enjoy connecting out in nature
- Enjoy the dark sky views at the Heron, check out the Milky Way and the constellations while star gazing with Domenic Rocco. Bring your camera/smart device – We’ll cover how to capture night sky photos for those that are interested *Weather permitting*
- Hands-on foraging discussion with Harold Reynolds. Learn about local flora from WNY and Chautauqua County.
- Mindful tea time with Isa Cardenas, including a guided meditation and Native Gratitude teachings.
- Cozy Craft Corner with Marie Tomlinson
- Qi Gong with Andy McClain
- Nature talking circle to learn and share personal habits for caring for Nature and Pine Cone Bird Feeders with Diane Clark
- Campfire Sing-a-long with Bill Moran and Steve Rockcastle
- Sound bath and meditation with Jessica Frombach, bring a yoga mat!
- Enjoy the dark sky views at the Heron, with Domenic Rocco. Bring your camera/smart device – We’ll cover how to capture night sky photos for those that are interested *Weather permitting*
- Outdoor morning yoga session with our resident Yogui Jen Raines!
- Hands-on foraging discussion with Harold Reynolds. Learn about local flora from WNY and Chautauqua County.
- Mindful tea time with Isa Cardenas, including a guided meditation and Native Gratitude teachings.
- Cozy Craft Corner with Marie Tomlinson
- Horse Encounters with Jodi Gray. Horses have the ability to open pathways of emotion otherwise overlooked. Spending a short time in their presence will help you understand the true origin of horsepower and partnership. This activity can be modified for all ages and abilities.
- Forest Bathing Experience & Bat appreciation workshop with Diane Clark.
- Sound bath and meditation with Jessica Frombach, bring a yoga mat!
- Trick or Treating on the Haunted Trails of the Heron! (Kid-friendly)
- Enjoy the dark sky views at the Heron, with Domenic Rocco. Bring your camera/smart device – We’ll cover how to capture night sky photos for those that are interested *Weather permitting*
- Morning yoga session with our resident Yogui Jen Raines!
- Hands-on foraging discussion with Harold Reynolds. Learn about local flora from WNY and Chautauqua County.
- Mindful tea time with Isa Cardenas, including a guided meditation and Native Gratitude teachings.
- Cozy Craft Corner with Marie Tomlinson
We are looking forward to seeing you here soon!