From 2-8 June 2025, the FEELed Lab convened FEELers Summer Camp on unceded syilx territories at Naramata, on the shores of kɬúsx̌nítkʷ (Lake Okanagan). We–approximately 45 researchers, artists, writers, poets, community activists and organizers, climate justice advocates and students–learned from the land and each other, subtended by the simple and incredibly complex question: how do we make community in times of climate crisis?
Over the coming year, we will be offering various reflections and continuations of the work done there. In this post, we just want to take a moment to express deep gratitude to the many beings that helped make this week possible!
So thank you ….
To the lake and the land. To syilx people for caring so resolutely for these lands, such that they have remained such a beautiful and welcome spot for us to have convened.
To our guests: Anona Kampe and Kelly and Sophia Terbasket; and well as guests who couldn’t join us in the end: Carrie Terbasket and KenDon’tCry from Inspired Word Café.
To the Podheads: Camila, Dani, Elee, Laura, Therese, and Xan for holding so much and stretching to meet an oblique invitation to amazing result!
To Julia for all the behind the scenes work, and the exquisite corpse art project that launched many of us into FEELers!
To Meghan for amazing volunteer and food coordination!
To the incredible volunteers! Tech support, food distro, dishwashing, singing, and so much more!
To everyone who looked after each other in all the ways. So many ways.
To the funders: to my home Faculty of Critical and Creative Studies at UBCO; to the Vice-President for Research’s Office (VPRO); to the Department of Community, Culture and Global Studies (where I spend half of my time); to the Centre for Climate Justice at UBC; to SSRHC (via the “Enhancing Access and Inclusion in Environmental Humanities Project”); to the Canada Research Chair program. I am especially grateful for the last minute responses to my requests, trusting in the project and my Rumplestiltskin-like promise to spin straw into gold!
To all the unseen labourers: To Briar Craig for printing our silkscreens; to Jodi Lord and Jen Novy for amazing admin office help; to my partner Kim for bread and 4 trips to Naramata to deliver food; to Jamie and Michael who came over before camp to help me cook; to the staff at Naramata for their delight and patience with us. To our amazing caterers and the hospitality of the town of Naramata!
And again and again and again to all of you, in all of your feelings.
Photos courtesy of Alba Clevenger, Clare Britton, Dawn Roe, Jenica Frisque, Laura Magnasson, Natalie Forssman, Nela Rosso-Brugnach, Rachel Rozanski, Renyu (Neng Yu Wu) and Astrida Neimanis.
The FEELed lab 