Media Kit & Press Center
Founded by D. Michele Perry
What she thought was “a silly little idea” for a whimsical adult scouting-inspired community has now been viewed over 3 million times. Immediately people started forming local troops in the comment section.
Welcome to The Frolic & Forage Society, a generosity-led movement helping thousands of adults exchange digital overwhelm for real-world wonder.
Founded by Jacksonville author and artist D. Michele Perry, a simple video idea rapidly expanded into an international network of over 5,500 members and 39 registered local offline troops in under 3 weeks. Below, you will find our official press release, quick highlights, photography, an interview guide, and studio contact details.
Please don’t hesitate to reach out at hello@dmicheleperry.com with any additional questions.
Press Release • Facts At a Glance • Michele’s Media Bios • Watch the Story Unfold Interview Guide • Photos • FAQs • Media Contact Information
Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
How One Artist Is Sparking a Nationwide Movement Against Loneliness
Jacksonville author and artist D. Michele Perry launches The Frolic & Forage Society—a whimsical, scouting-inspired community helping thousands of adults find offline connection.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (July 29, 2026) On July 3, 2026, D. Michele Perry posted what she thought was a “silly little idea” proposing The Frolic & Forage Society, a whimsical, scouting-inspired creative community for grown-ups. Within weeks, her videos were seen over three million times—sparking an international grassroots movement in the comments.
Strangers started sharing their locations and connecting with others close to them. Less than a month later, over 5,500 members joined the digital clubhouse, and 39 local troops across the US and overseas are making plans to meet in real life.
“Three million views were surreal, but what impacted me the most was witnessing the hunger for real connection in the comments,” said Perry. “People began asking how to find each other in real life. Maybe the answers we need most aren’t found on our screens but in the moments we decide to get off them, to explore our creativity and gather around tables where everyone is celebrated.”
The Frolic & Forage Society is hosted on Substack and offers core membership and most resources at no cost, supported by optional paid tiers for those who want to help the community grow. Celebration badges, independent local troops, and field guides share practical ways to trade digital fatigue for everyday wonder and real-world community.
“Belonging shouldn’t have a paywall,” Perry added. “Adulthood in this era is so focused on productivity and optimization, but when you listen to people, many are starving for awe, kindness, and friendship. I dream of creating a Mr. Rogers Neighborhood for adults where adulthood doesn’t mean outgrowing your sense of curiosity, creativity, and play.”
As headlines repeatedly highlight the “epidemic of adult loneliness,” The Frolic & Forage Society offers a hopeful counter-narrative: a movement born online that invites people to build a thriving life offline… together.
Media Availability & Visuals
Visual Assets: High-resolution photos, handcrafted celebration badges, digital field guides, founder portraits, logos, and additional media assets available upon request.
Interview Availability: D. Michele Perry is available for television, radio, podcast, print, and virtual interviews. Please consider using the contact information below to inquire about availability.
Media Contact:
D. Michele Perry | hello@dmicheleperry.com
The Frolic & Forage Society: frolicandforagesociety.substack.com
The Wonder Habit®: wonder.dmicheleperry.com
About D. Michele Perry
D. Michele Perry is an author, artist, and founder of The Frolic & Forage Society and The Wonder Habit®. Her work explores how wonder, creativity, and the power of our unfolding stories shape culture and build community. A veteran of 23 childhood surgeries, a brain injury, and seven years living in active conflict in South Sudan, she holds an M.A. in Organizational Leadership and lives in Jacksonville, Florida.
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At a Glance
The Movement: The Frolic & Forage Society—a whimsical, scouting-inspired community for adults built around creativity, curiosity, celebration, and real-world connection.
The Viral Spark: Began July 3, 2026; videos reached 3M+ views in under 30 days.
Clubhouse Membership: 5,500+ members on Substack and growing daily.
Real-World Reach: 39+ independent local troops formed nationwide and internationally to gather in real life.
The Mycology Connection: Members wear mushroom berets and call local groups “troops”—borrowed from the botanical term for a cluster of wild mushrooms growing together in the forest.
Membership Model: Hosted on Substack with zero paywalls for core membership built on a culture of radical generosity and optional reader support.
Our Four Clover Points: Make, Explore, Gather, Grow. Four simple guideposts that help move people off their screens and toward shared tables, creative play, and local connection.
The Creative Field Kit: Handmade celebration badges, monthly field guides, seasonal gathering guides, and independent local troops.
D. Michele Perry | Media Bios
Short Bio
D. Michele Perry is an author, artist, and founder of The Frolic & Forage Society and The Wonder Habit®. Her work explores how wonder, creativity, and the power of our unfolding stories shape culture and build community. A veteran of 23 childhood surgeries, a brain injury, and seven years living in active conflict in South Sudan, she holds an M.A. in Organizational Leadership and lives in Jacksonville, Florida.
Full Bio
D. Michele Perry is an author, artist, and founder whose work explores how wonder, creativity, and the power of our unfolding stories shape culture and build community. She is the founder of The Frolic & Forage Society and creator of The Wonder Habit®, a best-selling Substack exploring attention, resilience, and human connection in a divided, distracted world.
Perry’s authority on community and hope was forged in the fire. She survived 23 childhood surgeries for life-threatening birth defects, spent seven years in an active conflict zone in South Sudan, and later rebuilt her life after a brain injury stripped her of her words. Her work is not theoretical—it is deeply rooted in lived restoration.
She holds a Master’s degree in Organizational Leadership, brings over 30 years of public speaking experience across 6 continents, and her writing, artwork, and videos have reached millions worldwide. She lives in Jacksonville, Florida.
Watch the Story Unfold
Interview Guide & Talking Points
What is The Frolic & Forage Society, and how would you describe it to someone hearing about it for the first time?
The Frolic & Forage Society is a whimsical, scouting-inspired creative community for adults built around four simple ideas: Make. Explore. Gather. Grow. At its heart, it’s about permission to connect with your creativity, find community, and rediscover the parts of yourself that may have gotten lost in the busyness of adulthood. We provide a loose framework through celebration badges, field guides, creative adventures, and resources that make gathering easier. More than anything, it’s permission to build community through curiosity, whimsy, and wonder.
Nearly three million people viewed your idea online, but you’ve said the views weren’t the real story. What was?
The views were exciting, but what moved me was what happened in the comment section afterwards. People were asking for connection. They started introducing themselves, finding people nearby, and talking about forming groups together. That’s when I realized this wasn’t just an idea people liked—it had real momentum. I remember thinking, “Well… I guess we’re going to build the plane while we fly the plane.” And that’s precisely what we’ve been doing ever since.
Why call local groups “troops”? Where did that name come from?
It’s actually a double meaning borrowed from mycology, where a cluster of wild mushrooms growing together in the forest is called a troop. I’d had this idea for a whimsical adult creative community in my head for years, but I assumed it was too silly to share. When it exploded online, the “troop” metaphor fit perfectly. It’s not about rigid hierarchy or mastery—it’s about creating meaningful rituals for adulthood. Reasons to gather, celebrate, and keep exploring together.
Instead of official corporate chapters, you invite people to form independent troops. Tell us why you made that choice.
Keeping troops independent keeps the movement flexible, adaptable, and community-led. I didn’t want to build something where community growth depended on me or where people felt they needed permission to gather and try something new. My background in Organizational Leadership taught me that decentralized models are often the most resilient. Keeping our structure lean means we can spend our energy creating field guides, badges, and resources that inspire people, while local communities take those tools and make them entirely their own.
Your badges don’t certify achievement or mastery. What do they celebrate?
We spend so much of our adult lives focused on outcomes. I wanted to celebrate courage. Badges don’t have to represent mastery; they can be storytelling devices. Imagine meeting someone and, instead of awkward small talk, you start talking about the “I Did It Scared” badge on your sash. Suddenly, badges become conversation starters that help people celebrate one another and build real connection.
You’re using social media to get thousands of people to close their apps and meet offline. How do you see technology’s role here?
Technology is wonderful at helping us discover one another, but it’s much less effective at helping us build lasting, meaningful relationships. We’re using social media as an off-ramp—letting algorithms get the word out while we make space for what only humans can do: gather around a table, make something with our hands, laugh together, tell stories, and build shared memories.
Why was it important to offer core membership on Substack without paywalls?
I think people are starving for a culture of generosity where belonging doesn’t come with a price tag. From the very beginning, people started encouraging one another, sharing ideas, and asking how they could help. By offering our core field guides and resources at no cost, but anchored by optional paid supporter tiers—we ensure that economic barriers don’t keep anyone from finding community. Belonging shouldn’t have a paywall.
“Wonder” is a recurring theme across your work and writing in The Wonder Habit. How do the two connect?
When I write about wonder, I’m not talking about something fluffy or elusive. I’m talking about a practice of attention—slowing down enough to notice beauty, ask deeper questions, and become curious about the world we already inhabit. For years, exploring wonder, creativity, and the power of our unfolding stories has been at the heart of my work through The Wonder Habit®. The Frolic & Forage Society grew naturally from it: once you begin paying attention differently, it doesn’t take long before you want to share that experience with others. Wonder doesn’t just lead us back to ourselves, it also can lead us back to one another.
What has surprised you most since launching the Society?
The generosity and velocity with which this has happened. Of course, I’m crafting the overarching vision, basic structure, and resources… but the community itself is being built by all of us. Every troop that gathers, every person who welcomes someone new, every creative idea shared adds something I never could have built on my own.
If The Frolic & Forage Society succeeds beyond your wildest expectations, what kind of world do you hope it helps create?
I hope it helps create neighborhoods filled with people gathering around tables—celebrating courageous moments, making glorious messes, learning new skills, and connecting with nature. I don’t think a brighter, kinder world is built all at once. It’s built one table, one gathering, one act of generosity, and one small moment of wonder at a time.
Photos & Media Assets
Frequently Asked Questions
Regarding The Frolic & Forage Society
Media Contact
D. Michele Perry | hello@dmicheleperry.com
The Frolic & Forage Society: frolicandforagesociety.substack.com
The Wonder Habit®: wonder.dmicheleperry.com