• Be an animal lover- we have two sweet and energetic dogs and we strive to live in harmonious relationships with all living creatures (including spiders, insects, and snakes).

• Be able to lift at least 50 lbs, get dirty, navigate uneven terrain, and work in all weather conditions- much of the work we do will involve heavy physical labor and almost all of it will be outdoors.

• Be an early riser and be self-motivated- we will start daily activities and work fairly early most days. Apprentices must be able to work independently at times, keep track of various ongoing projects and manage their own time.

• Be comfortable eating a mostly vegetarian diet- we are not judgemental about food choices and don’t mind if you cook meat for yourself but communal meals will be plant-based. If you have strict dietary needs such as vegan, celiac, or have major food allergies this might not be the right fit.

• Be mostly sober- we don’t mind occasional drinkers (2-5 drinks/week) or occasional smokers of cannabis or tobacco but try to maintain a mostly sober community. If you tend to drink or get high more than 2 or 3 times per week and/or maintaining sobriety will be a challenge for you then this is not the right fit

• Be an excellent communicator- be able to express your own needs, be attentive to detailed instructions, ask for clarity when needed, and give and receive respectful feedback

• Be a respectful, open-minded, and relatively social community member- we strive to create a safe and welcoming space for people of all backgrounds and identities and we won’t tolerate discrimination of any kind. Our home is a space for gathering and community building- highly introverted folks might find this challenging.

• Be stoked about learning, enthusiastic about working, and maintain a generally positive attitude- we are cultivating a learning community where people can express their passions and are looking for passionate people to be a part of it. That said we all have bad days and strive to hold each other with patience and compassion through difficult times.

• Be content to be settled- we are looking for an apprentice that wants to live at a relatively slow pace and is reliably present for work, activities, and gatherings hosted here on the land. If you are someone who craves urban environments, are eager to travel often, and not able to commit to a rural settled lifestyle, then this might not be the right fit. That said, we aren’t remote by any means. There are some fantastic dining and social opportunities in nearby Sylva (15 min) and Asheville is an easy 1hr 15 min drive away.

• Be willing to commit to several months of the Apprenticeship but flexible enough to leave if it’s not the right fit. The apprenticeship will begin with a two-week trial periods

In the surrounding area apprentices will also have the opportunity to attend courses and workshops offered by a growing community of partners and collaborators in nature-based education in the area including: restorative agriculture and landscape design classes, weekly plant identification walks, monthly naturalist book clubs, the Cullowhee Native Plant Conference, autumn mushroom walks, and more. During their free time, apprentices can hike and bike the amazing trails of the Nantahala National Forest (10 min drive), paddle or float the Tuckaseegee River (5 min drive), cruise the Blue Ridge Parkway (30 min drive) or explore the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (35 min drive).

Those interested should read thoroughly the details above then write a short statement of interest (one page or less) and email it to info@wildremembering.com. Your statement should include a personal introduction, some of your background, what you hope to gain from this apprenticeship, and why you think you’d be a good fit. Also include 3-4 references who can speak to your work ethic, communication skills, and ability to live in a communal space. These need not all be professional references.

No formal resume or CV is required but feel free to list some of your formative and relevant experiences in your statement if it would help us get to know you.

Please include email and phone contact information on your application.

We will review applications as they are received and do our best to respond within two weeks.

If we feel that you would be a good fit, we will invite you to visit the property for an afternoon or overnight to get acquainted with us, get a lay of the land, share more about your intentions and hopes, and have you help out for a few hours on whatever project we’re in the midst of. If after your visit we are still mutually stoked, you will be invited to stay for a two week trial period. If after your trial period we are STILL mutually stoked you will be invited to stay for a mutually agreed upon period of 3 - 6 months.

For those who would be relocating from outside the WNC area, please include in your application some context about why you’d like to move to (or long-term visit) WNC and a bit about your broader intentions in the area. Due to the trial periods we highly recommend that folks traveling from far away or re-locating have some kind of back-up plan if the apprenticeship isn’t a good fit. In other words please don’t blow up your life before you get here!