The Wander Trees has been on a long break since 2016. It’s messy and complicated. I’ll spare you the details and just say that sometimes you need to start over. So that’s what I’m doing here, folks. Welcome to The Wander Trees 2.0.
The shop is stocked with printed goods and a few patches. You can find your favorite designs and some new ones! No t-shirts just yet. If we have a bunch of people ask for them, we will add them so let us know!
Hello Trees!
Amber, here- the one who birthed this sweet little family of trees. Breaking radio silence.
We are making our way back online after a little sabbatical! We had to spend some time in the valley to re-evaluate, reorient, feel into some growing pains and birth something new! Our newest little tree, our first born son, River Axel Niven is here and has inspired us to continue The Wander Trees! We are so excited to get back to creating and wandering with you. Here is a little story about our history.
The idea of The Wander Trees was born on the Appalachian Trail in 2014. Inspired by time spent in nature and wondering “what if everyone could spend more time doing what they loved? What if all hikers, wanderers and curious souls, bravely trekked the path that only their heart knew? What would the world be like if we all cheered each other on to be uniquely and authentically OURSELVES? I was dreaming big, following my heart and trusting in the trail that my feet were on. I knew it would take me somewhere good.
A year was spent crafting a plan for a multi-faceted business that would serve as a platform for artists and eventually grow into a social hub for others who are inspired by nature.
We launched in Asheville in 2015 and explored a few different paths. My dream of inspiring people to create and live passion driven lives has manifested in the form of a mobile shop, an art collective, a physical retail space with art gallery and an even an air bnb. Like anything else in life, it takes experimenting to learn what fits best. The creative process can be like that. It’s all about those layers, folks!
The Wander Trees quickly grew from a tiny seed of an idea to a small forest of other people who held the same passions of dreaming, creating and being a part of something greater. People came and people went, but a small core remained. We worked together to renovate an old three story house in West Asheville that we turned into our homebase. It took blood, sweat and tears to transform it into a work of work. We bonded even deeper during dinners, hikes and community nights that were held at our new space. The foundation was being solidified with the love of art and community. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to sustain the high rent and it wasn’t enough to patch the holes in my business plan. We needed time to work out the kinks.
So in 2016, I made the hard call to cut our losses. I knew The Wander Trees would be back, I just wasn’t sure when or how or even where.
If there was one thing I learned through the past few years, it’s the importance of growing deep roots during the quiet season. To live your dreams you must be rooted deep in the healthy soil. You must know what is most important and hold on to it tight.
During the long break, I did my best to trust the process through the sadness and stillness. I fought the emotions that came with a dream being put to rest and battled with the self-limiting beliefs that surfaced. I lost hope for a while, but found it again along with a new sense of direction and a new place to call home. Another thing I learned is that sometimes Wandering leads you home.
I started to dream again after my son was born. The idea of The Wander Trees kept coming to mind. Is it time? I would think to myself. The soul searching journey began again. Once I got past the initial fears, insecurities, obsession over details and perfectionism tendencies that emerge with any creative endeavor, I decided it was time. The still small voice arose and my roots grew deeper. My soul was preparing for the inevitable self-sabotaging storms that were to come. (why do we do this to ourselves??)
Anyway, here I am. Trying to be an example of hope. Trying to keep the dream alive. Trying to prove to myself and others that you can always try again and again.
Someone once told me that babies bring abundance. I’m sitting here with mine asleep on our couch. Inspired to live my dreams of creating and doing my best to provide a good life for him. I guess babies do bring abundance. The new little buds that enter the Earth everyday are signs of hope for the future. They are the future.
The Wander Trees lives at the intersection of art, adventure and community. It’s about keeping your eyes on the sky and your feet on the ground. It’s about dreaming and doing. Let’s inspire the new buds. Let’s be strong together.
The story of The Wander Trees is just beginning. Thanks to our own new little bud we have an abundance of hope and inspiration. We hope to connect in person with everyone real soon!
The Wander Trees has grown from a tiny seed to a forest of creatives! It all started as a simple idea of helping others take a step closer to their dream and has now manifested into a growing community of like-minded people. A community that encourages everyone to bravely walk towards their passions. A community of creatives, free-spirits, and artistry-seeking souls who believe we were all born to lead a life of inspired endeavors and adventure!
We're looking for brave, creative and inspiring individuals to join our team and spread the vision of wander, adventure, and community.
Share your passion and voice through The Wander Trees platform (ex: blog, instagram takeovers) and belong to a community of adventurers and artists just like you!
Receive amazing merchandise and a Trailblazer discount code, so you can rock some rad gear and take in all the mountain vibes!
Love adventure? Passionate about sharing your journey? Become a Wander Trees Trailblazer!
Please take a few minutes to fill out the application below so that we can try to get to know you a little better. Have fun with it and be creative.
We're excited to announce our GRAND OPENING April 30!
To celebrate, we're giving away a free sticker pack with every purchase from Saturday April 30th - May 7th.
Grand Opening Event:
For those in the Asheville area, we invite you to join us as we celebrate creativity with The Wander Trees artists in our new space!
Explore our artisan shop, featuring a curated collection of nature-inspired goods, and venture upstairs to see our community gathering space.
Experience the debut of our fine art gallery, featuring Joshua Niven's The Thru Project, a visual journey along The Appalachian Trail that captivates hearts and inspires imagination.
Join us for a day of festivities as we celebrate the earth and spread environmental awareness!
10 am - Meet us at Dimond Brand Outdoors (1378 Hendersonville) for carpooling!
11am - Arrive at Graveyard Fields Trail Head for a hike!
12 pm- 1pm- Lunch Break- BYOL (Bring Your Own Lunch)
2 pm - 3pm - Enjoy Nature + Friends!
6 pm - 8 pm
Join us at The Wander Trees Headquarters for an evening with other Earth lovers!
Guest Speakers
Ramble & Root will be sharing about thier mission of helping others design a personal, healthy, and high yielding organic vegetable garden in our own back yards!
"Conscious Connections" with Chad LIttfield, Cofounder of We! will be sharing more about how to enage in the most powerful oppertunites to connect with the people and environment around us.
Mountain True- Listen and learn about how this environmental and conservation organization is helping Western North Carolina cultivate thriving communities.
"Clean and Green Internet" with Sam Kearney of Fox and Fir Design will be talking about her mission to change the world one pixel at a time.
8:00pm Raffle (benifitting MountainTrue)
To learn more and to participate visit the event website: Celebrationoftrees.info
This event is proudly hosted by The Wander Trees and Fox and Fir Design
