The Root Circle's on-site classroom is in our renovated barn that at one time was home to our horses. The classroom in on 5 acres in the Kuyahoora Valley just outside the village of Newport, NY. Newport sets along the West Canada Creek and is amidst the foothills of the Adirondack Mountains.
We also have a satellite location on 50 acres in the Adirondack park. This location is about 15 minutes from our classroom site and is undeveloped wild space that hosts a federal wetland/marsh, a White Pine forest and many native plant species. It is adjacent to Shawangunk Nature Preserve, a 500 acre nature sanctuary within the Black Creek state forest.
The Root Circle
2739 Newport Rd
Poland, NY 13431
We teach and host classes in three primary areas:
Plants: Folk Herbalism, Herbal Preparations, Italian Folk Medicine, Sustainability and Conservation, Plant Walks, Flower Essences, Social Justice, and Ethics
Place: Bioregional Herbalism, Ancestral Recovery, Decolonization, Ecology, Permaculture
Magick: Plant Spirit Medicine, Astrology, Witchcraft, Animism
The village of Newport is a small, farming community with many still intact family businesses, skilled craftsmen and artisans. The Kuyahoora valley itself holds many unique geological formations including rare fossils and is within a major regional deposit of double-terminated quartz known has the Herkimer Diamond.
Our space is a one-room, wood-heated, and rustic, yet elegant space that can hold about 25 students. We have plans to renovate the second floor to create a dormitory/sleeping space, but until then overnight accommodations are also rustic/camping.
There is running water in the classroom kitchen but we do not have a septic tank so there is an outside bathroom facility.
There is plenty of room on our land for tenting, and, if this is not possible we can provide a list of the nearest hotels, inns, and cabin rentals. We are in a relatively remote location so the nearest "official" hotels are about 20-30 minutes away. There are, however, cabins for rent along the West Canada Creek that are within 5 miles.
The Root Circle is committed to the values of equality and inclusion. It is our intention to hold a safe space for all people and not to center white, heteronormative, neurotypical, patriarchal, ableist, classist, or gender-binary cultural paradigms. We invite all people to attend our classes and events including those that are Black, Brown, Indigenous, Queer, Trans, Neurodiverse, Of Any Faith, and Disabled and will do everything in our power to accommodate the needs and autonomy for everyone. We will not tolerate words or actions that perpetuate racism, white supremacy, xenophobia, or gender discrimination, hate, or oppression in any form.