Explore to Learn: Poetry from the Land with Joseph Bruchac at Pitney Meadows!
This summer, the landscape of Pitney Meadows Community Farm becomes both classroom and muse in Explore to Learn: Poetry from the Land, a six-part poetry series led by acclaimed author, storyteller, citizen, and elder of the Nulhegan Band of the Coosuk Abenaki Nation, and former (and first to hold the title!) Saratoga Springs Poet Laureate and Executive Director of the Ndakinna Education Center, Joseph Bruchac
Together, participants will let their minds and pens wander through fields glowing in evening light, listen closely to the quiet movement of the natural world, and discover how the land itself can spark powerful, deeply personal writing. Rooted in observation, imagination, memory, and reflection, this series invites writers of all experience levels to slow down, notice more deeply, and put those discoveries into words.
Each session draws inspiration directly from the changing rhythms of summer at the farm... from pollinators humming through the fields to the stories held within food, soil, and seasonal change. Through guided prompts, music, taste testing, conversation, and creative exploration, participants will craft poetry and prose that feels grounded, sensory-rich, and alive.
Open to ages 12 and up (exceptions made for children supervised by caregivers), Explore to Learn: Poetry from the Land is designed for everyone... whether you’re a seasoned writer, an occasional journaler, or someone simply curious about reconnecting with creativity and place. The workshops are FREE to attend, with a suggested donation.
While participants are encouraged to attend the full six-part series for the most immersive and enriching experience, each workshop is also designed to stand beautifully on its own.
Explore to Learn: Poetry from the Land, Noticing the Small
June 5th | 5:00pm
In this workshop, we’ll slow down and look closely at the often-overlooked details of the land. From the veins of a leaf to the movement of insects through the soil, we’ll focus our attention on the small moments that make up a larger ecosystem. We’ll practice deep observation and translate these quiet discoveries into vivid, grounded writing.
Explore to Learn: Poetry from the Land, Light & Time
June 12th | 5:00pm
As summer is in full swing, light stretches long across the fields and shapes the rhythm of each day. In this workshop, we’ll explore how light, shadow, and time influence what we notice and how we feel. Using these elements as inspiration, we’ll reflect on moments of stillness, warmth, and change, and transform them into thoughtful, sensory-rich writing.
Explore to Learn: Poetry from the Land, Tending & Care
June 19th | 5:00pm
The farm is a place of constant tending… watering, weeding, nurturing growth. In this session, we’ll reflect on the act of care, both in the land and in our own lives. Through writing, we’ll explore themes of responsibility, connection, and stewardship, considering what it means to care for something and be cared for in return.
Explore to Learn: Poetry from the Land, Memory & Taste
June 26th | 5:00pm
Food has a way of holding memory… of people, places, and moments in time. In this workshop, we’ll draw inspiration from the flavors of the season, using taste as a pathway into storytelling. As we reflect on the connections between food and memory, we’ll craft writing that is rich with detail, emotion, and personal meaning.
Explore to Learn: Poetry from the Land, Voices of the Field
July 10th | 5:00pm
What stories might the land tell if it could speak? In this imaginative workshop, we’ll step beyond our own perspectives and write from the voices of the field… plants, pollinators, soil, and more. By exploring personification and point of view, we’ll deepen our connection to the natural world and create playful, expressive pieces of writing.
Explore to Learn: Poetry from the Land, Growth & Becoming
July 17th | 5:00pm
Mid-summer is a time of growth… fields in full abundance, and lives in motion. In this final workshop, we’ll reflect on what it means to be in the process of becoming. Drawing parallels between the cycles of the land and our own personal journeys, we’ll explore themes of change, resilience, and possibility through thoughtful, reflective writing.
At its heart, Explore to Learn: Poetry from the Land is an invitation to reconnect with creativity, with community, and with the living world around us.
Through Joseph Bruchac’s guidance and the inspiring landscape of Pitney Meadows, participants will experience writing not simply as an artistic practice, but as a way of paying attention. A way of listening. A way of belonging more deeply to a place.
Whether you join for one evening or journey through the full series, these workshops promise space for curiosity, reflection, imagination, and discovery beneath the summer sky.