On a brisk late-summer morning, volunteers and community members gathered at Raising Cane Ranch for Agroforestry Northwest’s Connection to Land: Arts & Ecology event — a day devoted to learning, creativity, and connection. As the sun began to filter through the orchard leaves, participants moved through the living landscape, discovering how art and ecology intertwine to shape a more resilient future for the Pacific Northwest.

The morning offered a hands-on introduction to agroforestry in motion. Beneath canopies of fruit trees, attendees explored alley cropping techniques, wandered through a tunnel of native species to learn about Indigenous agroforestry traditions, and followed the curve of the river to understand the role of riparian buffers. In a nearby field, laughter and conversation mixed with the earthy scent of mushrooms as participants practiced inoculating logs for cultivation.

Between sessions, the group tasted the abundance of the land itself. One family plucked crisp apples from the orchard as a group of local conservationists sampled farm-made ciders brewed entirely from Raising Cane’s own harvests. One cider was bright and resinous, echoing the scent of the grand firs outside the barn doors; another was sweet and complex, infused with native salal and evergreen huckleberry. Patrick Shults with the WSU Extension Forestry supplied maple syrup made from the Northwest’s native bigleaf maples, offering a deep, distinctive flavor that spoke to the diversity of local ecology. Each flavor told a story of place, reminding us what’s possible when we learn to live in reciprocity with our landscape.

As afternoon sunlight softened, the event shifted into its Creative Ecology portion — a celebration of art born from the land itself. Beneath a living structure of trees, visitors wandered through a forest gallery of paintings, textiles, and sculptures. Between the branches hung images of raccoons and foxes, and from an archway, a quilt depicting a long-lost woodpecker rippled in the breeze. A felted figure of a moss-green woman reached outward from a log, as if emerging from the forest floor. The space buzzed with music, poetry, and laughter. Local farmers, artists, and ecologists joined together for a line dance, paused to listen to the natural soundscape, and shared a meal from an Indigenous food truck — a feast of flavors and stories woven together.

One artist shared the vision behind her photographs — images of the vibrant produce she gathers for Snohomish Community Kitchen to distribute to neighbors who might not otherwise have access. To her, each tomato and ear of corn represented both nourishment and beauty, a reflection of what it means to care for one another through care for the land. Her story echoed a theme that pulsed throughout the day: the desire to reimagine our relationship with the earth through reciprocity — nurturing the land, and allowing it to nurture us in return.

That spirit lies at the heart of Agroforestry Northwest’s mission. Through its Creative Ecology initiative, the organization seeks to reconnect people to place — blending ecological restoration, community resilience, and artistic expression into a shared vision for a thriving Pacific Northwest.

This event was one step on that journey — a space where learning and creativity came together to remind us that ecology is not only science, but story.

Agroforestry Northwest extends heartfelt thanks to everyone who made the day possible — to Raising Cane Ranch for hosting, to the artists and volunteers who shared their gifts, and to Ryan's Rezipes for keeping us nourished. If you’d like to be part of future projects and events, visit our “Get Involved” page to learn more.