Burnt Head Retreat, Newfoundland, Canada
21 July - 8 August, 2025
"What is a course of history, or philosophy, or poetry … compared with the discipline of looking always at what is to be seen?"
Henry David Thoreau
What is the FANE Field School?
The FANE Field School (FFS) is an interdisciplinary summer program created for senior undergraduate and graduate students from all over the world. FFS follows a place-based education model combining practical ecology with environmental ethics.
FFS is more than an academic program. We teach the practical skills needed to live a post-consumer lifestyle. FFS students also learn about global environmental movements, ecological stewardship, and environmental philosophy.
FANE ecology is about more than living sustainably. It is living thoughtfully, contemplatively, in reverence for the gift of being. FANE distinguishes three areas of ecological concern: natural, spiritual, and cultural.
The curriculum is based on theory as well as practice.
What is going to happen?
Six students live at the Burnt Head Retreat, in a wooded area on the edge of Conception Bay North, one kilometer from the nearest paved road.
The students will share three large canvas tents in the Field School Orchard. Meetings and meals will take place in the main cabin.
The program involves camping and outdoor living. Wi-Fi will be available for an hour a day in the main cabin. Cell phones and computers can be charged via solar power.
FANE draws its inspiration from a variety of sources: the history of environmentalism, Romanticism, and the Benedictine tradition of ora et labora.
Three principles will guide us through three weeks of intense living together and learning from nature.
Contemplative Work. The Benedictines did not separate work from meditation. While we dedicate several hours every day to solitary study and personal reflection, we also strive for mindfulness in manual labor.
Self-Governance. FANE is convinced that humans create the most positive environmental impacts by building and living in thriving communities. A big challenge for FFS students is to discover their role in leading and governing the community and learning to work with others.
Localism. FFS depends on local food consumption (including local fish and meat). We seek to minimize transport costs and rely on seasonal products (fish, moose, berry’s, mushrooms, root vegetables).
On Ora et Labora: The FANE Field School and the Benedictine Tradition
Schedule
Note: Conception Bay is home to one of the last wild fisheries on the planet. Saturday, Sunday and Monday are fishing days. Cod is a main staple of our diet. Students who don’t eat fish should not apply.
7 am
8-10 am
10-12 am
12-1 pm
1:30 – 4:30 pm
4:30 – 6 pm
6 pm
Breakfast
Solitary Study Time
Seminar/Lecture
Lunch
Manual Work
Free Time
Dinner
How Do I Apply?
Get In touch with us via email. Tell us who you are and why you are interested in FFS. A short list of students will be interviewed.
Recruitment starts early 2025.
What does it cost?
FANE is currently seeking funding for the FFS 2025. It is our hope to fully fund every successful applicant. Updates will be posted here.
Who We Are
FANE (For a New Earth) is a Newfoundland and Labrador based non profit organization that mobilizes philosophy, science, and art to awaken care for our common home. Our method is transformative, placed-based education. We make ecology understandable and compelling everywhere.
"In all that we do we seek to experience interdependence, to understand our place in the more-than-human-world and to respond to the cry of the earth."
FANE, 2024
Directors
Dr. Sean J. McGrath: Professor of Philosophy at Memorial University, specialist in the history of philosophy and theology and environmental ethics, co-director of FANE, director of FANE Field School
Mail: sjosefmcgrath@gmail.com
Dr. Joachim Rathmann: Privat Dozent at the University of Augsburg, climatologists and researcher of environmental virtue, eco-systems services advisor for FANE, co-director of FANE, co-director of FANE Field School
Mail: joachim.rathmann@geo.uni-augsburg.de
Dr. Kyla Bruff: Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Carleton University, specialist in political philosophy and environmental ethics, co-director of FANE
Barry Stephenson: Associate Professor of Religious Studies at Memorial University, specialist in ritual studies and religious ecology, co-director of FANE
FFS Ambassadors 2023-2025
Maryvonne Kälberer (M.A. Candidate) Environmental Ethics, University of Augsburg, Germany
Felix Treutner (Phd Candidate) Environmental Humanities, University of Augsburg, Germany
Björn Lundt (M.Sc. Candidate) Climate and Environmental Science, University of Augsburg, Germany
Marlene Vielhaber (M. Sc. Candidate) Forest and Nature Management, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
