OBOD Gulf Coast Gathering 2025
March 20 – 23
Fontainebleau State Park Group Camp 3, Mandeville, LA
Registration is Still Open!
Theme:
“Letʼs Do Something Beautiful!”
Join us as we explore the enchantment and joy of the natural world and our connections to it.
“For the future’s like a seed within our hands,
It will better grow in soil than in sand,
We can plough and sow together, hand in hand,
And watch the flowers spread throughout the land,
Let’s do something beautiful.”
— Damh the Bard, “Something Beautiful”
Special Guest:
Dana OʼDriscoll
Artist, writer, educator, herbalist, naturalist,
OBOD Druid, Ollave Adept in the Ancient order of Druids in America (AODA),
Grand Archdruid of the AODA, and OBOD's 2018 Mt. Haemus scholar
Keynote Workshop: “Crafting a Joyful and Enchanted Druidry with the Spirits of Nature”
For more on Dana and her talk, see the Special Guest page.
March 20 – 23
Fontainebleau State Park Group Camp 3, Mandeville, LA
Registration is Still Open!
Theme:
“Letʼs Do Something Beautiful!”
Join us as we explore the enchantment and joy of the natural world and our connections to it.
“For the future’s like a seed within our hands,
It will better grow in soil than in sand,
We can plough and sow together, hand in hand,
And watch the flowers spread throughout the land,
Let’s do something beautiful.”
— Damh the Bard, “Something Beautiful”
Special Guest:
Dana OʼDriscoll
Artist, writer, educator, herbalist, naturalist,
OBOD Druid, Ollave Adept in the Ancient order of Druids in America (AODA),
Grand Archdruid of the AODA, and OBOD's 2018 Mt. Haemus scholar
Keynote Workshop: “Crafting a Joyful and Enchanted Druidry with the Spirits of Nature”
For more on Dana and her talk, see the Special Guest page.
Gulf Coast Gathering is a private event for OBOD members and their families and friends, and is sponsored by Highland Oak Nemeton, an OBOD grove and registered 501(c)3 non-profit spiritual organization in Baton Rouge, LA.
If you are interested in attending and are an OBOD member or know a member who will sponsor you, you may register. You can also join our Facebook Group, OBOD Gulf Coast Gathering. Be sure to answer both verification questions when you apply; your request will be declined if you do not.
If you are interested in attending and are an OBOD member or know a member who will sponsor you, you may register. You can also join our Facebook Group, OBOD Gulf Coast Gathering. Be sure to answer both verification questions when you apply; your request will be declined if you do not.
Join us amidst the live oaks and cypresses as we leave behind the mundane world and spend a long weekend communing with the earth, trees, and skies of southeast Louisiana. GCG 2025 will be our ninth gathering!
ACTIVITIES
Alban Eilir ritual
Workshops and classes
Hands-on activities
Guided meditations
Nature walks and tree visits
OBOD grade breakout sessions
Bonfires and Eisteddfodau
Silent auction
Others TBA
Group initiations are available to any OBOD member who has not already had a group initiation in their current grade.
There is no official vendors’ area but space will be available for those who wish to offer for sale items related to Druidry or Earth-centered spirituality.
FACILITIES
Fontainebleau Group Camp 3 has dormitory-style sleeping arrangements (bunk beds, see photos) and a fully equipped kitchen/dining hall. All buildings have heating/air conditioning and each pair of bunk beds has an adjacent electrical outlet. CPAP users have room to set up their equipment. The dining hall and one of the dorms are handicap accessible.
Tent camping at the group camp is available, with the ususal caveats about weather, etc.
Cabins, tent camping sites, and RV spaces are also available in the main part of the park (visit GoOutdoorsLouisiana to check for availability and location).
FOOD AND BEVERAGES
We provide three meals a day plus snacks and beverages. Vegetarian options are available at each meal but please note that dairy products and eggs are often used even in vegetarian dishes. Some vegan and and gluten-free choices will be available at each meal, but we cannot produce full meals for either. If you have food concerns,you may wish to bring food that meets your requirements. Refrigerator space and microwave ovens are available to those bringing their own food, but we cannot offer kitchen space for actual cooking. Those providing their own food are welcome to share in the camp’s beverages.
CHILDREN
Children are welcome at GCG, but anyone under 18 must be in the company of a custodial parent or legal guardian. Children under 10 must be supervised at all times. Unattended children are not allowed in the dining hall. Do not leave children of any age unattended near any body of water. Parents are, at all times, responsible for their children.
COST
A non-refundable $50 deposit is required at the time of registration; payment in full is due by January 15, 2025. Your registration is not complete until at least the deposit is received.
We don't want to exclude anyone who'd like to attend but can't afford the fees. If you need financial help with your fees, please write [email protected] with the subject line "Danno Fund" and tell us your situation.
CHORES
Volunteers to help with camp chores (meal prep, clean up, fire-tending, etc.) make the camp run smoothly. If you are physically able, please sign up for one or more chores when registering.
ACTIVITIES
Alban Eilir ritual
Workshops and classes
Hands-on activities
Guided meditations
Nature walks and tree visits
OBOD grade breakout sessions
Bonfires and Eisteddfodau
Silent auction
Others TBA
Group initiations are available to any OBOD member who has not already had a group initiation in their current grade.
There is no official vendors’ area but space will be available for those who wish to offer for sale items related to Druidry or Earth-centered spirituality.
FACILITIES
Fontainebleau Group Camp 3 has dormitory-style sleeping arrangements (bunk beds, see photos) and a fully equipped kitchen/dining hall. All buildings have heating/air conditioning and each pair of bunk beds has an adjacent electrical outlet. CPAP users have room to set up their equipment. The dining hall and one of the dorms are handicap accessible.
Tent camping at the group camp is available, with the ususal caveats about weather, etc.
Cabins, tent camping sites, and RV spaces are also available in the main part of the park (visit GoOutdoorsLouisiana to check for availability and location).
FOOD AND BEVERAGES
We provide three meals a day plus snacks and beverages. Vegetarian options are available at each meal but please note that dairy products and eggs are often used even in vegetarian dishes. Some vegan and and gluten-free choices will be available at each meal, but we cannot produce full meals for either. If you have food concerns,you may wish to bring food that meets your requirements. Refrigerator space and microwave ovens are available to those bringing their own food, but we cannot offer kitchen space for actual cooking. Those providing their own food are welcome to share in the camp’s beverages.
CHILDREN
Children are welcome at GCG, but anyone under 18 must be in the company of a custodial parent or legal guardian. Children under 10 must be supervised at all times. Unattended children are not allowed in the dining hall. Do not leave children of any age unattended near any body of water. Parents are, at all times, responsible for their children.
COST
- Adults (age 18 and over):
- $200 for the weekend, meals included
- Children 11–17:
- $150 for the weekend, meals included
- Children 10 and under:
- $100 for the weekend, meals included
- Day rate (adult): One day, meals and beverages included: $100
A non-refundable $50 deposit is required at the time of registration; payment in full is due by January 15, 2025. Your registration is not complete until at least the deposit is received.
We don't want to exclude anyone who'd like to attend but can't afford the fees. If you need financial help with your fees, please write [email protected] with the subject line "Danno Fund" and tell us your situation.
CHORES
Volunteers to help with camp chores (meal prep, clean up, fire-tending, etc.) make the camp run smoothly. If you are physically able, please sign up for one or more chores when registering.