An intimate gathering to celebrate land, art, food, and kin.
Event details
Wildtender is delighted to return to the incomparable Topanga Tower this December for an evening perched high in the Santa Monica Mountains. A former Cold War telecommunications site reimagined by Wildtender alumni John Jennings and Sasha Tarnopolsky, the Tower is a place where art, landscape, and community converge. Its history and setting offer a fitting backdrop for a gathering rooted in our relationship to the living world and to one another.
Through locally sourced food, an exhibition and auction of artwork and ephemera, music, and conversation, we’ll celebrate the abundance, creativity, and collective effort that sustain our communities and landscapes. This gathering is an opportunity to reconnect with old friends, forge new relationships, and spend time with others who share a commitment to caring for the places we call home.
For Wildtender, the evening marks a new chapter: an opportunity to bring our community together beyond our programs and cultivate relationships that carry into the future. Gathering Kin reflects our growing vision to [VISION HERE]
This gathering marks a new chapter for Wildtender: an opportunity to bring our community together beyond our wilderness programs and into a shared experience of place, nourishment, and collective possibility. At its heart, Gathering Kin is an invitation to come together with intention and generosity—to feast in food, ideas, interconnectedness, service, and relationship.
Pillars of the gathering
LAND
An opportunity to gather meaningfully to connect with the Southern California landscape, highlight local land stewards,
FOOD
An artful, locally sourced meal celebrating regional growers, makers, and abundance. Engage with our local plant folk
ART & MUSIC
An auction and exhibition of artwork and ephemera connected to place, culture, and Wildtender's community.
COMMUNITY
Alumni, artists, philanthropists, environmental leaders, cultural practitioners, and friends gathered around a shared table.
GENEROSITY
A collective investment in the future of Wildtender and the work ahead.
Tickets
$450 – Basic Rate: covers the direct cost of your participation in this event.
$750 – Helper Rate: covers the direct cost of your participation and helps make the event accessible to another alumni through scholarship.
$1,000 – Benefactor Rate: covers your participation plus Wildtender’s time planning the event, supports access for others, and contributes to the ongoing work of Wildtender.
You'll also have the option to make an additional donation in support of Wildtender's mission after selecting your ticket rate.
Meet the chef:
Leif Hedendal
Leif Hedendal is a San Francisco chef whose work explores the relationship between food, land, and community. Raised on macrobiotic cooking and a garden, he began cooking at sixteen and went on to run kitchens in Barcelona and Berkeley before founding an independent practice in 2007. His work has spanned underground supper clubs, a long-running dinner series, private meals, galleries, museums, and site-specific gatherings, including annual dinners at Henry Miller Library in Big Sur since 2009. Deeply connected to the local food landscape, Leif seeks out seasonal produce, rare varietals, and ingredients that rarely travel far from where they grow. His approach to cooking is intentional and land-based, rooted in care, simplicity, and a respect for ingredients in their natural form. Each meal is shaped by its place, allowing the character of the land and the season to lead.
