Two Coyotes 25th Anniversary Gathering & Fundraiser at 101 Paper Mill Rd – Killingworth, CT

Welcome to the Two Coyotes 25th Anniversary Fundraiser & Party!

For 25 years, Two Coyotes Wilderness School has been supporting youth to become future ancestors who are whole, healthy beings that embody their interconnection with nature, foster caring community, and who are committed to creating a more equitable and inclusive world for the next generation. This celebration is both a milestone and a launch point for our next 25 years.

Interested in becoming a sponsor? Find out more information here.

We’re gathering in community at our Killingworth home at Deer Lake Outdoor Center (101 Paper Mill Rd) for an afternoon and evening full of connection, play, and celebration:

Afternoon (3–6pm)

A family and community festival of outdoor games, storytelling, fire-building, and activities for all ages.

Community event only: Kids are free, adults are just $35.

Early-bird pricing discount until October 22nd at 11:30pm EST: 25% off use code: Family25

Evening (6–8pm)

A spirited night of farm-to-table local dinner by Chef Will Heyne, live music with Billy Fischer, and dancing.

This is our fundraising centerpiece, supporting the next generation of youth mentoring, equity work, and community connection.

Includes Afternoon & Evening Event: Adults $100, children $35.

Early-bird pricing discount until October 22nd at 11:30pm EST: 25% off use code: Family25

We have signature T-Shirts and Hoodies available for the 25th Anniversary event. The final date for pre-order is October 22nd. The early-bird discount is not applicable.

This event is our way of saying thank you for 25 incredible years of nature mentoring, and to invite you to carry the vision forward. Let’s gather, celebrate, and grow together into the future.

The Fundraiser

This 25th Anniversary Fundraiser is more than just dinner and dancing; it’s the launch of our next chapter. We’ve strengthened our organization and are ready to dream into the next 25 years, deepening our stewardship of land and supporting mentors and community. Your support ensures generations of children can continue to grow wild & wise in the arms of nature.

Give Directly

Make a Donation in Lieu of Attending – If you are not local, and still want to support, please donate!

Photo Credit Daniel Recinos

Our Approach:

At Two Coyotes, we believe children are already whole people, evolving in relationship with the natural world. Our mentoring culture is rooted in a playful, relational way of learning that awakens curiosity, resilience, and belonging. We don’t teach children to conquer nature, but to converse with it. Around fires, in forests, and through story and song, kids discover their own medicine and learn to carry it into the community.

Our Pillars

1. Nature: The forest is our first teacher. Every stone, crow call, and fire ring holds a lesson.
2. Courage Over Comfort: We choose equity, justice, and kinship, even when it’s messy.
3. Transformation: Growth is cyclical, like rings of a tree, adding resilience and story with each stage.
4. Wholeness Over Perfection: Each child carries gifts in chrysalis; our task is to create conditions for emergence.
5. Reciprocity in Community: Belonging is the root system; we grow together, celebrating differences and supporting one another through thresholds.

Photo Credit Phyllis Meredith

Farm to Table Menu

We are thrilled to announce Chef Will Heyne will be our caterer for our event. Will is an alumnus mentor and friend of Two Coyotes. See the full menu here (or scroll below).

Will is a passionate outdoor educator and chef whose mission is to connect students with nature and self through wilderness skills. He has taught at Two Coyotes Wilderness School on and off since 2017. He has also been the caretaker of several home, school, and community gardens. He attended the French Culinary Institute in 2011 and most recently worked as the head chef for The Unquowa School in Fairfield, CT, which has a farm-to-table dining program for their students. Will has a never-ending passion for local, nutritious, organic ingredients and loves to share that passion with others.

“I have loved Two Coyotes Wilderness School since the moment I knew it existed. I was so lucky to find a place with a philosophy as wonderful as the people who attend.

I am honored to be preparing the meal for the 25th anniversary of a place that deserves the magic it has created for so many children and families. I am grateful for the opportunity to nourish the hearts and minds that allow this community to feel so warm and full. This meal is a celebration of the harvest season and a coming together of work and love.

The ingredients used are tied to this time of bounty and an enjoyment of our joined efforts. Thank you all for everything you do. I hope you enjoy, and I look forward to seeing you all soon!” – Will Heyne

Live Music

Featured Musician Dr. Bill “Billy” Fischer, The Contra Dance Caller will be joining us for the afternoon circle and dinner & dancing portion of the event along with his bandmates Gary Wikfors on the Guitar and Bill Walach on the Mandolin.

Billy Fischer is a doctor, contra dance caller, and community leader (among many other hats), and has been woven into the fabric of the Two Coyotes community as an elder for over fifteen years. He first began participating in contra dances, a type of folk dancing with its roots in early New England and Appalachian country dances, around 1980. Soon after, Billy learned to lead these lively dances, known as being a “caller.” Since then, he has called hundreds, if not thousands, of contra dances both locally and nationally. 

After meeting Two Coyotes’ previous Executive Director Justin Pegnataro at one of these gatherings, Billy began attending Two Coyotes events and fundraisers, and has brought the tradition and joy of contra dancing to our community. In addition to acting as Two Coyotes camp doctor during the summer camp season, Billy is and forever will be one of our community’s dearly cherished elders.

Speaking of Two Coyotes, Billy says, “it holds a deep-seated place in my heart, and it’s… a second family for me.”

Photo Credit Phyllis Meredith

Documentation

Photography has been generously donated by our friend and parent, Jon Schroth.

See Jon’s project Cycles of Gaia here.

Jon Schroth is an independent artist, and lifelong inhabitant of the lower CT river watershed. In his role as an Arts Fellow with the Gaian Way, he recently developed an Ecological Calendar for New England to connect with annual cycles from an ecocentric perspective. Jon Schroth received his degree from Ringling School of Art and Design in 2004, before beginning a career in animation with Blue Sky Studios. He worked on twelve feature films released by 20th Century Fox and Disney including the Rio and Ice Age movies. Now, based in Middletown, Jon works in a variety of visual creative mediums. His son Clayton is a Firekeeper, and Asher is a Black Fox in Killingworth, and have been part of Two Coyotes since 2020.

Announcing the Firekeeper Pie Contest! ✨

This joyful tradition began years ago, when one of our longtime Firekeeper mentors would bake a pie for their group as a reward for completing their final challenge each season. Each slice represented effort, joy, and shared sweetness, and reminded us that service and celebration go hand in hand.

At our 25th Anniversary Gathering, we’re reviving that spirit. The Firekeeper Pie Contest will honor this legacy and the Firekeeper alumni, who will return as judges, a nod to their tradition of eating last at community potlucks, symbolizing Firekeeper service and leadership.

Now, it’s your turn to bake something special! Whether you’re crafting a family recipe, a wild-foraged creation, or a pie inspired by your favorite season, we want to taste it. While pies are the only items that can enter the contest, ALL desserts are welcome to be part of our celebratory feast… let’s share in community. This is our opportunity to showcase ancestral favorites, love and service.

HERE’S HOW TO JOIN IN

Submission Deadline: November 12th, Submit here

Submit your entry: Share your name, pie title, and a short story or note in this submission form.

Drop-off time: November 15th 5pm at the 25th Anniversary Event

Location: Deer Lake, Killingsworth

Judging: FireKeeper alumni will be the judges!

Possible Categories Include:  Most Wildcrafted Ingredients    •    Best Story Behind the Pie    •    Firekeeper Favorite    •    Most Likely to Disappear First    •    Best Youth Baker    •    Best Crust    •    The “Tasted-Better-Than-It-Looked” Award    •    Most Artistic Pie

Have other questions? Reach out to Rache Brand rache@twocoyotes.org