About Wilder Waters Community
We were all physically, emotionally, and spiritually sick of living in opposition to our ancestors, living without community. That's why we (Arthur, Samara, Sara, and Willa) began Terra Village on 150+ acres of forest here in central Maine. We are a small tribe of people who wish to disengage, to the extent possible, with the stress, lack of empathy, and ego-centric living presented by the dominant society. We feel best when outdoors and sharing real living experiences with our community members. While there is much to be sorrowful for, we are happy, vibrant, and have a strong positive outlook for our living here in the mountains of western Maine. We want to add your name, as a person who shares our outlook, to the list of community members below.
Currently, there is the original solar-powered house where Arthur, Samara, and Willa live and this is where we do most of our social gathering, group meals, and food processing. It's wintertime here, so lately we've been cracking acorns open, bottling mead, crushing and drying rose hips, and discussing how to create community. Down the dirt driveway and next to the brook, Sara lives in a small cabin. Surrounding the main house and cabin is mostly forest and there are a few spaces where small living structures can be built. We will cluster our homes so they are close enough to not fragment the landscape but far enough to feel a sense of privacy as we adjust to communal living.
Arthur Haines
Arthur is a plant biologist, forager, primitive skills mentor, wildcrafter, and the father of Samara. He offers classes in foraging, natural medicine, bow making, hide tanning, and other ancestral lifeways on the property where students come and stay for the weekend. Arthur endeavors to connect with his landscape through hunting and gathering and the offering of gratitude for the earth's gifts. One of his goals with this living project is to heal the divide between human and natural communities.
Samara Leavitt Haines
Samara is a 3-year-old girl, who has no inhibitions in her actions. She dances like no one is watching and openly shares her love with whoever gifts her a plate of meat. If you are receptive, she will bring you into the present moment because she only lives in the now. She loves hearing and telling stories and gifts us a level of creativity that we may have lost along our journey. Some of her favorite activities include foraging for berries, rock climbing, and swimming.
Sara Moore
Sara lives in a small solar-powered cabin on the land adjacent to the brook, who gives her drinking water. She spends most of her days creating voices for Samara’s various stuffed animal friends. When she’s not playing with Samara, Sara is ideally skinning a hide, harvesting food, or reading a book. Her latest book is Die Wise as she prepares to learn from an elder, Stephen Jenkinson, this spring.