Working and Learning With Refugia: A Note from Naomi Wolfe (Student Intern)

During the summer, I traveled to Sweden, Italy, and Berlin. I spent time at the beach, with family, and teaching at a camp, but as the semester has begun, I have found myself sharing the most about my involvement with Refugia 2025. Working with this team and with the greater Ann Arbor arts scene has been so refreshing and invigorating going into my final semesters at U of M, and I can’t wait to share it with you all in a month. 

I learned about the festival at just the right time, and I feel so lucky that I have been able to help put it all together. While studying Performing Arts Technology at the School of Music, I have become increasingly interested in Acoustic Ecology and its role in environmental conservation as well as arts administration and festival work. So, of course, I jumped at the opportunity to learn more about Refugia, and have had such a blast being a part of the team! Over these few months, I have been able to connect with local businesses and nonprofits as well as learn about marketing, logistics, and all the legwork that goes into coordinating such a meaningful event.  

Refugia has come to be something I care so deeply about, and I am so excited to share it with all of you and the rest of the Ann Arbor community. The scheduled performers, workshops, artists, and stewardship opportunities give an amazing look into the work being done locally at the intersection of arts and conservation. There are also so many opportunities to get involved in the festival and join this incredible community of environmentalists and creatives. I hope you can join us on September 28th!  I can’t wait to share the joy of Refugia 2025!

– Naomi Wolfe, Refugia Student Intern

Opportunities to Get Involved!

Volunteer for the 2025 Refugia Festival

Be part of the team that makes Refugia Festival possible! Volunteers work one three-hour shift in exchange for a free shirt and attendance at the event. The last day to sign up in order to receive the t-shirt is Sunday, September 7th.

Register for Tabling at Refugia Festival

We welcome applications from organizations and businesses whose work aligns with our core values and/or whose work is either thematically related to or directly engaging with the local SE Michigan ecosystem. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, but all applications must be received by Friday, September 5th at 11:59 pm. Share your organization/company with others at our event!

Want to have your nature-based art on display at Refugia Festival 2025? Submit your art to the Field Resonances gallery

This year’s event features a new, community-curated art gallery called Field Resonances. We invite any and all artistic mediums (painting, ceramics, dance, photography, sound installations, multimedia, etc.) to be submitted. All submissions are due by Friday, September 12th at 11:59 pm. For more information, includes guidelines, please click on the link below. Looking forward to sharing your art with the local community!

Sponsor the 2025 Refugia Festival

We are looking for sponsors who align with Refugia Festival’s mission and core values. We specialize in creating custom sponsorships that meet your company’s unique marketing objectives. We welcome fiscal and in-kind sponsorship, depending on what your business can offer. Your support not only demonstrates the social responsibility of your business but also boosts your company’s awareness and visibility in the community. Regardless of the sponsorship level, we will be pleased to work with you in creating a campaign designed to meet your company’s needs. Partner with us to make Refugia Festival memorable for all!

Check Out the 2025 Event Schedule!

Please join us on Sunday, September 28th, for our second season at Nichols Arboretum in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Refugia Festival 2025 is a pay-as-you-can event, with free being the lowest admission cost. The event is family-friendly and welcome to all!

Pre-Order a Refugia Hat!

NEW rPET Recycled 100% Polyester hats are now available in our shop! Pre-order a hat before September 13th and it will be waiting for you at the festival!

Learn more about our artists and educators

Check out our 2025 Season page to read up on the main stage lineup for Refugia Festival this year! This page also provides information on venue location, parking, and shuttling opportunities for this year.

Perform with the Regenerate! Orchestra at Refugia Festival

Performers of ALL backgrounds welcome—beginners, hobbyists, amateur guitarists, computer musicians, folk musicians, professionals, informal singers, virtuosi, performers of all styles and genres…

Regenerate! Orchestra will be reprising “HONEY,” an ambient sonic immersion inspired by cicadas, love, and the rhythms of nature. Join some of the region’s most personable and creative folks for a one-of-a-kind outdoor experience. Only one rehearsal!

About Refugia Festival

Refugia Festival advocates for environmental conservation and preservation through the sense of sound. Our festival highlights the sonic beauty of our natural surroundings through music performances, educational programming, and community service to create meaningful environmental change on a local level. With each presentation of Refugia Festival, communities will take steps to preserve and celebrate their ecosystem through awareness of and interaction with the surrounding soundscapes.

We envision a world where natural ecosystems thrive due to protection from and management of sound pollution.

Refugia Festival emphasizes the relationships between the Arts and our Living Earth to inspire change:

• We work with artists, educators, and local collaborators to curate immersive, place-based events suitable for all ages.

• We highlight local environmental organizations who are already working in the community in order to expand their outreach.

• ​We create experiences that lead to a lasting environmental and social impact.

Please visit www.refugiafestival.com for more information and to keep up with the latest updates.

Questions? Want to connect? Write to our Founder, Alexis Lamb!

Thanks for reading, and see you on September 28th!