WATER KEEPERS: JUNE 11-14, 2025
For hundreds of years, commoners have been stewards of collectively managed resources; today, we're remembering and reconnecting sacred and innovative approaches to caring for our shared land, water, and air and to caring for one another.
Welcome to the first gathering of The Outer Cape Commoners:
four days of ecology, ceremony and sisterhood.
From June 11-14, we are inviting a group of young women from the Outer Cape and beyond to explore what it means to become a modern-day water keeper.
In our time together, we will:
Walk the waterways of the Outer Cape with local biologists, ecologists, writers, and activists
Learn traditional crafts using local resources including willow coppicing and basket making
Forage for edible and medicinal plants
Cook meals over fire
Swim, surf, and walk under the full moon
Co-create water and fire ceremonies to deepen our connections to the elements and to one another
Sleep in a tent and spend our days in the woods
Create a community that will nurture young commoners beyond the gathering
“To stand at the edge of the sea, to sense the ebb and flow of the tides, to feel the breath of a mist moving over a great salt marsh, is to have knowledge of things that are as nearly eternal as any earthly life can be.”
Who should apply?
We welcome girls and all young women (cis, trans, and non-binary) who are interested in becoming Water Keepers
Our gathering is geared toward ages 15-25
Full scholarships are available; please get in touch if cost is a barrier
June 11-14
Wellfleet, MA
Suggested Contribution: $250.
We are in the process of seeking non-profit status; if you are interested in sponsoring a Commoner, please reach out.
To reserve your spot, email us at jaye@suejaye.com or elspeth.hay@gmail.com.
Our inaugural gathering takes place in Wellfleet, MA from June 11-14 on four acres abutting the Cape Cod National Seashore. Participants will sleep in a tent or shared sleeping space. Accomodations are rustic, with a shared bathroom and outdoor shower. We will cook and eat over fire and spend most of our time outdoors.
Schedule:
Wednesday June 11:
3 PM: Arrive and Swim
6 PM: Dinner
7 PM: Opening Circle
9-Midnight: Full Moon Walk
Thursday, June 12:
8 AM: Morning Walk and Swim
9 AM: Breakfast & Morning Circle
10 AM: Medicinal and edible foraging walk with herbalist and forager Sarah Naciri
1 PM: Lunch
3 PM: Water ceremony, underwater filmmaking and photography
6 PM: Fire ceremony
Friday, June 13:
8 AM: Morning Walk and Swim
9 AM: Breakfast & Morning Circle
10 AM: Herring River restoration walk with biologist John Portnoy
1 PM: Lunch
3 PM: Willow basket making, wild willow coppice conversation
6 PM: Foraged Dinner with water keeper guests
9 PM: Circle
Saturday, June 14:
8 AM Low tide bay walk and shellfishing
11 AM Brunch
1 PM Pack up, site care
2 PM: Closing Circle
You are welcome to stay on and enjoy the beaches and woods through the weekend.
Our Mission Statement
The Outer Cape Commoners is a community-driven initiative dedicated to reconnecting young people with environmental stewardship, traditional ecological knowledge, and meaningful, place-based work. By reviving the practice of "commoning"—tending shared land and water for collective well-being—we empower the next generation to build sustainable livelihoods, deepen their connection to place, and transform climate anxiety into action. Through hands-on ecological work, mentorship, and ceremony, we foster resilience, rootedness, and a renewed relationship with the Outer Cape landscape.
