Hotlum is situated at the foot of Mount ”Shasta”, one of the most picturesque mountains in California and ecologically one of the most important wilderness areas. Hotlum is located on the site of a lumber operation which has left the land struggling to regenerate. A camp for folks who are committed to a future where our connections to our true nature, one another, and the very fabric of life is felt. At the end of June 2021 Hotlum experienced a destructive wildfire. The camp lost over 95% of all the trees, their infrastructure and tools.
The vision for Hotlum started as an epiphany on a meditative walk. After a decade of exploration, this vision morphed into one of having an ecopsychology camp. It later became clear that body based somatic practices and tending to the earth must be included along with emotional, cognitive, and spiritual practices if we are to restore our relationship with the rest of the biosphere. We must have new models of reciprocity and way of interacting with the living world that are contributing to the diversity of life. Siskiyou County has a history of extraction industries from fur trading, gold mining, timber harvesting, and water bottling. During the 1850s, the native populations suffered genocide by settlers seeking wealth from extracting resources for export. The isolated mountainous location has kept the population low. Now that much of the gold is extracted and the timber in decline, employment is primarily in social services and service industries. The poverty rate in Siskiyou County is 20.7%. due in part to a reduction in the timber industry. Much of the county is densely forested and susceptible to catastrophic fires, so there is plenty of work to be done! We are creating a place of learning that will benefit the entire region. Hotlum Eco-Regeneration Camp is a as much an environmental education center as it is a community center focused on resilient and regenerative practices.
Achievements & Partners
Since the destructive fire of 2021 the team has been working on gathering information about the ecological state of the property and the tree survival, assessing the infrastructure damage, bringing in fresh water and removing remaining structures. Our primary activities now are seeking methods to support the regrowth of native trees.
Volunteer or donate to Hotlum Eco-Regeneration Camp, USA
Activities that need your support
Water Retention
Tree planting
Composting
Soil building
Regenerative entrepreneurialism
Erosion prevention
Fire prevention
Community building
Restoration of livelihoods
Restoration holidays