Prairiewoods is excited to invite area green thumb seniors to come soak up the sun in our new Seniors in the Sun volunteer program! In teams of two or three, we invite you to come on a regular rotation to tend to our Guest House Flower Garden, the Green Prairie Garden for vegetables or the…
In the United States, our favorite hobby is gardening, followed closely by studying our genealogy (according to ABC News and Reference.com). We swab our cheek, mail it to an ancestry company and wait weeks for information on the generations that came before us. We find solace in knowing where we come from; it tells us…
Prairiewoods values its collaborative partnerships with other nonprofits, churches and civic organizations, and local city and county governmental offices. One such partnership has brought us much joy and bountiful harvests in the last few years! Four years ago, when Pope Francis’ eco-encyclical Laudato Si’ was published, we invited Earth-loving friends to come to Prairiewoods to…
Prairiewoods recently completed our eleventh annual year-long retreat called Spiritual Exercises in Everyday Life (SEEL). On the closing day in May, participants were invited to reflect and write about their experiences with God through SEEL. Here is the loving, awe-filled prayer from one participant: O Creator of the majestic universe! Out of nothing you loved…
Area student Mitchell Janechek completed his Eagle Scout project at Prairiewoods this spring. He rebuilt four raised beds in the Green Prairie Garden, our 1,400-square-foot vegetable garden. Thanks to the hard work put in by Mitchell and his team, the garden will continue to provide about 2,000 pounds of produce each year! About two-thirds of…
As part of EcoFest 2019, eleven area Eco Champs were honored for their commitment to caring for Earth. According to the nominating website, “Eco Champs are individuals or groups in our Cedar Rapids and nearby communities that care about environmental health and work hard to bring that passion to wherever they are—school, work, at home…
Prairiewoods is sponsored by Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration (FSPA), a Catholic community in La Crosse, Wisconsin. The FSPA community has practiced perpetual adoration (or round-the-clock prayer) since Aug. 1, 1878. For more than 140 years, at least two people have been praying day and night before the Blessed Sacrament. Nearly 20,000 prayer requests are…
Have you ever thought about all of the amazing benefits of gardening? As we welcome spring, here are some great benefits to keep in mind. (Thanks to the Doris Ackerman Team of realtors and BombBomb for sharing this beautiful infographic!) —Doris Ackerman Team & BombBomb
Last week, we hosted two dynamic events that held the energy of a tidal wave! Charles Eisenstein, author of The More Beautiful World Our Hearts Know is Possible, and Bayo Akomolafe, author of These Wilds Beyond Our Fences, co-facilitated a mid-week retreat-tsunami called The Grace of Decomposition. The retreat celebrated the rich composting process of letting go…
Open the gate and come inside! This glorious destination, where sunshine and water have joined forces to bring forth a profusion of life, beckons you! Peeking out from abundant green growth are glowing colors: red tomatoes, orange nasturtium and purple plums. Beans snake their tendrils up metal trellises until they form shady alleyways, while sweet…