Field of Monarchs After Mary Oliver Come with me into the field of monarchs, where all day their long thin legs hang on swaying flowers Come marvel at the edging on their wings, delicate as Tiffany glass, dots of white so precise they could be painted and the orange wings glowing in the sun like…
DetailsThe Prairiewoods Holiday Bazaar is just a few weeks away. Join us Saturday, Nov. 16, from 8 a.m.–1 p.m. in the Prairiewoods Center for a day of shopping and holiday cheer! Vendors include the Prairiewoods Knitters & Stitchers, Bound to Write journals, Crafts by K & K, Dori Patrick Art, International Pastries Revisited, Angela Tornabane…
DetailsThis morning I’m walking in the prairie just beyond the gardens, when suddenly, amazingly, around the bend I stumble into a village of monarchs. Hundreds of them, everywhere in this field of white flowers just opening—and you get the sense this is a Grand Opening—a big party, an orgy, monarchs fluttering from flower to flower,…
DetailsTomorrow, Oct. 4, will mark a significant step in the story of Prairiewoods, when most of these 70 acres of woods and prairie will be placed in a conservation easement with the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation. Through the signing of this easement, the land will be forever protected from future development. This is a guarantee…
DetailsPrairiewoods 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…
DetailsIn 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…
DetailsPrairiewoods 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…
DetailsPrairiewoods 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…
DetailsArea 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…
DetailsAs 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…
DetailsPrairiewoods 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…
DetailsHave 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
DetailsLast 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…
DetailsOpen 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…
DetailsA direct encounter with Jesus in a Prairiewoods tree taught me how God shares life with each of us individually. During a 2015 Prairiewoods retreat called “Beauty is the Path to God’s Life,” led by Father John Quigley, OSF, I discovered some answers to questions I had about reconciling suffering and hardship. Honestly, the world…
DetailsIn October 2014, I was blessed to be able to take a pilgrimage to Rome and Assisi, the home St. Francis and St. Clare, with a group of strangers-turned-friends from other Franciscan institutions. And I got to share this amazing journey with my beloved mother! As the marketing coordinator for a Franciscan retreat center, it…
DetailsIt happens when I’m not looking: things appear—wrapped packages in the refrigerator or on the table surprises to open—plates of pumpkin bread bowls filled with miso couscous or mango pistachio rice, jars of hardboiled eggs as if elves or fairies had been at work while I slept or read or wrote poems, as if this…
DetailsMary Oliver, who published more than 15 collections of poems since 1963, was known for her observant, hope-filled responses to nature. As the New Yorker said, “For America’s most beloved poet, paying attention to nature is a springboard to the sacred.” Mary, like Prairiewoods, understood and celebrated the holy intersection of ecology and spirituality, that…
DetailsThis is my little friend Natalie. Natalie is 3 and enjoyed bringing her puppy to the Blessing of the Animals in September. Her mom, Stephanie, also enjoys coming to Prairiewoods to rest and explore the grounds with her daughter. As I reflected on this photo, Natalie reminded me of the young spirit inside of me. Prairiewoods is a place where…
DetailsWe are pleased to welcome Carol Tyx, PhD, as Prairiewoods’ new Artist in Residence. Carol is a gifted poet and the author of two books of poetry, The Fifty Poems and Rising to the Rim. Her newest manuscript, Remembering Achilles: Slicing into Angola’s History, was just awarded the inaugural Willow Run Poetry Book Award. Carol…
Details
