Joel Cimarron
Hey there, I'm Joel Cimarron. I grew up running wild in the mountains of Northern California, homeschooling and learning to live on the land from four generations of parents, grandparents, great grandparents and great-great grandparents who helped me become the person I am today. I have a degree in industrial design from the Art Institute of Seattle, completed coursework through the University of Washington, and have a background in Nature Connection through the Ozark Tracker Society. I taught in a K-8 public school for 9 years, where I started a creativity-based afterschool program that built bicycles and created and performed in a circus for the community, among other ventures. In the past I have also taught through the Seattle Children’s Theatre, the Earthskills Rendezvous youth, teen and adult classes, and Wild Intelligence. I have been living off the grid and rewilding for 20 years and some folks at National Geographic decided to document my life on a reality tv show a couple of years ago. I spend most of my days living like a common troll – hunting, crafting, reading, walking quietly through the forest... and fathering an incredible teenager.
Helloooo! I’m Delia, Basketry Artist, Instructor, and Executive Director of School of the Greenwood. a My life’s work is revelling in the brilliance of the wilderness within and without, embodying skills for living in harmony with that wildness and sharing the incredible joy and creative empowerment that results with my community. I encourage children to think outside of the box, to actualize their unique gifts, and to feel confident in their ability to co-create their world. I support children in feeling at home in the forest, tapping into their creative potential, and in coming to know the non-human beings around them as friends. I have a business degree from Terry College at UGA and a background writing research papers for the New York Law School before I began working with children in 2012 through Our Arrow, Earthskills Rendezvous, Camp Twin Lakes, running youth, teen and adult programs through Wild Intelligence, and founding School of the Greenwood in 2016.
Who We Are...
Greenwood is a small fire within the wide forest of the Athens community. Sitting at the center of the fire circle are Delia Fian Turner and Joel Cimarron, who tend the creative flames and craft the frameworks for the learning experiences. They are joined by an incredible Board of Directors, made up of community members who are devoted to the organization's mission, who share the organization's leadership, offering support and oversight to safeguard Greenwood's vision of rewilding. Sitting around the inner circle of the fire ring we have incredible instructors for the different camps and programs. In the next ring out are the many apprentices and participants who will co-create the adventures with us all. And in the outer ring is the wider community of parents, volunteers, and donors who support our endeavors in many ways. All of us together create something much more than the sum of its parts!