Doomer Optimism Campout
June 27 @ 8:00 am – June 30 @ 12:00 pm
Join us for the third annual Doomer Optimism Campout at The Wagon Box, where we’ll dive deep into the pressing questions of our time. Together, we’ll explore themes like the role of technology, the allure and perils of transhumanism, and the search for meaning in the shadow of the Machine. Through thought-provoking discussions, we’ll examine how the Machine shapes families, the environment, personal autonomy, and class politics while highlighting inspiring acts of creative resistance.
Beyond the talks, there’s plenty to look forward to invigorating cold plunges in the creek paired with sauna sessions, peaceful trout fishing, long walks in nature, lively singalongs, and spirited happy-hour debates. Shared meals will bring us together for toasts, laughter, and informal conversations that continue to deepen our connections.
What’s included:
- Breakfast Friday, Saturday, Sunday
- Dinner Friday, Saturday
- The restaurant will be open for lunch and light bites (pay as you go)
- Coffee and refreshments
- Access to all talks, open mic, and debates
- Tent camping is available throughout the campground
Family tickets are reserved for families with 1+ children under 18 years old. We encourage families to join—this event is designed to welcome and inspire all generations.
Schedule
Thursday, June 26 — Arrival & Conference
- 3:00 – 4:00 PM Registration
- 4:15 – 5:15 PM Opening discussion with Paul McNiel, James Pogue, Seneca Scott, and Ashley Fitzgerald
- 5:15 – 6:15 PM Happy Hour
- 6:15 PM Dinner at the Lodge
- Evening: Campfire jam
Friday, June 27 — Conference
- 8:00 AM Cold plunge: Gather at the lodge, plunge at bridge, followed by sauna at Lodge
- 8:30 – 9:30 AM Break for Breakfast
- 9:45 – 12:00 PM Sessions TBD
- 12:00 – 1:00 PM Break for Lunch
- 1:15 – 4:45 Sessions TBD
- 5:00 – 6:00 PM Outdoor activities
- 6:15 – 7:15 PM Keynote
- 7:30 PM Dinner at the Lodge
- Evening: Open mic night
Saturday, June 28 — Conference
- 8:00 AM Cold plunge: Gather at the lodge, plunge at bridge, followed by sauna at Lodge
- 8:30 – 9:30 AM Break for Breakfast
- 9:45 – 12:00 PM Sessions TBD
- 12:00 – 1:00 PM Lunch Break
- 1:15 – 3:30 PM Trout fishing lesson with James Pogue
- 3:45 – 4:45 PM Keynote
- 5:00 – 7:15 PM Book swap, micro-debates, and happy hour
- 7:30 PM Dinner at the Lodge
- Evening: Free time, fire pit, jams, etc.
Sunday, June 29 — Departure
- 8:00 AM Cold plunge: Gather at the lodge, plunge at bridge, followed by sauna at Lodge
- 8:30 – 9:30 AM Break for Breakfast
- 9:45 – 10:45 AM Departures
Speakers
James Pogue
James is a Contributing Editor at Harper’s, and write about national politics for Vanity Fair. He has written for The New Yorker, The New York Times Magazine, and the London Review of Books, among many others. He was a 2022 Alicia Patterson Fellow, and has received support from from the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting. He lives in Los Angeles, where I help run a native plant nursery. His first book is called Chosen Country: A Rebellion in the West.
Hal Herring
Hal Herring is an award-winning journalist and contributing editor at Field and Stream magazine.
He has written for publications that range from the Atlantic Monthly and the Economist to Creative Nonfiction and Orion, and specializes in deeply reported, long-form journalism stories and essays.
Peter Allen
Peter owns and operates Mastodon Valley Farm, a 220-acre regenerative farm in Southwestern Wisconsin where he has built a timber-frame homestead, planted thousands of fruit and nut trees, and grazes cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, and poultry. He and his wife grow all their family’s food and are raising amazing children. Besides farming, he teaches and consults.
Ashley Fitzgerald
Ashley Colby Fitzgerald is an environmental sociologist and co-founder of the Rizoma Field School.
Paul McNiel
Paul McNiel grew up deep in the woods of Quebec and is a combat veteran and avid outdoorsman. He has visited and studied off-grid and homesteading families and communities for years.
Seneca Scott
Seneca Scott, former director of SEIU Local 2021, had a political awakening and became a community advocate and urban agriculture expert. He led the historic 2024 recall of Oakland’s mayor and DA, spearheading a political revolution in the beleaguered city. His biting critiques of progressive failures have been published in Newsweek and Compact magazine, and he has been profiled by The Free Press. He has also appeared in national debates on criminal justice reform hosted by Bari Weiss alongside Michael Shellenberger and Kmele Foster.”
Paul Kingsnorth
Paul Kingsnorth is an English writer who lives in the west of Ireland. He is a former deputy editor of The Ecologist and a co-founder of the Dark Mountain Project.
Leighton Woodhouse
Leighton Woodhouse is a freelance journalist and documentary filmmaker based in Oakland, California, near his hometown of Berkeley. A former labor organizer, he earned a PhD in Sociology from UC Berkeley before shifting his focus to storytelling through film and investigative reporting.
Jon Stokes
Jon Stokes is a co-founder and Chief Product Officer at Symbolic AI, a company that builds AI-powered tools for publishers. He also writes about AI at jonstokes.com. Jon is a software engineer and former CTO, and is one of the co-founders of Ars Technica. He has written a popular book on microprocessor architecture.