The Land. Foresthaven is a 15 acre property on Maclean Hill, Northern New South Wales, Australia. It is situated in Yaegl Country, who are the local Aboriginal custodians of this special place, beside the mighty Clarence River. Foresthaven is nestled within a small ancient valley that was once rainforest, but then partially cleared in the late 19th and early 20th century for timber, grazing and market gardens. The land has overgrown with weeds since the 1950’s, but bit by bit we are restoring the rainforest and its native creatures are returning.
Friends of Foresthaven, Inc. We are a community group who gather to care for Foresthaven; co-creating a beautiful venue for spiritual connection with nature; learning and sharing our knowledge about sustainability; regenerating the rainforest; growing a food forest; and celebrating resilient joyful community relationships. Click here for our objectives.
The Venue. Workshop spaces are scattered through the regenerating rainforest, with grassy glades beside the waterhole, and fire circles for story-telling and sacred ritual. The indoor workshop space is a light-filled open plan room ‘floating’ amidst the forest trees, made from materials recycled from the old Yamba primary school. The house itself is a recycled Federation cottage from Grafton, powered by solar panels, with solar hot water, rainwater tanks, compost system, vegie gardens and fruit trees. We are currently building an extension with hemp-lime masonry (visit our hemp building blog to find out more!)
Co-Founders. The Foresthaven project was initiated by Peter Cuming and Eshana Bragg, who live on the property and have been caring for the land and regenerating the rainforest since the mid-1990’s. Peter is a visionary sustainability strategist and Eshana is an ecopsychologist, and they are both directors of Sustainable Futures Australia and experienced workshop facilitators.
