Philosophy in the Wild 2026 - Wisconsin

Philosophy in the Wild conferences are outdoor, low-tech events focused on fostering philosophical community and engagement. They are motivated by the idea that a shift in environment can engender a shift in perspective. Doing philosophy outside affords new relations and new avenues for thought and action. We welcome a wide range of presentation types, including experimental presentations or other creative proposals.

From July 23 to July 26, participants will camp at the Wolf River Refuge in Langlade, WI. Activities will include (though will not be limited to) presentations, discussions, and several opportunities for outdoor excursions such as hiking, swimming, and biking. No prior camping experience is necessary–we welcome both first-timers and seasoned outdoorspeople.

This conference will bring together professional philosophers and grassroots environmental activists, with the aim to catalyze collaboration and to integrate environmental ethical theory with practice. We are especially excited to include an opportunity for a field trip designed to increase participant knowledge of the local socio-ecological context.

The conference will be held on the banks of the Wolf River and the ancestral land of the Ojibwe and Menominee peoples. In the 1970s, Exxon proposed a metallic-sulfide mine on the headwaters of the Wolf River. This triggered an ultimately successful state-wide coalitional resistance movement that the sociologist Al Gedicks later dubbed “Wisconsin’s Standing Rock.” The waters that run past our campsite flow on to the Menominee reservation, where it becomes a nationally protected “Wild and Scenic” waterway snaking through a forest that has been logged sustainably by the Menominee for 170 years.

Keynote speakers will be Anahkwet (Guy Reiter), Director of the Menominee Organization Menīkānaehkem, and Cynthia Belmont, Writer and former professor of English, Gender & Women’s Studies at Northland College.

Note that this is one of two Philosophy in the Wild conferences this year. We also encourage submissions for our second event, "Philosophy of Academic Philosophy," taking place at Ridley Creek State Park, Pennsylvania, in July. The CFA for that event is forthcoming.