After the August 2020 derecho, Laura Weber, former Prairiewoods associate director and retreat coordinator, expressed the emotions and powerful energy of how the storm impacted the lands and life at Prairiewoods. She used deeply expressive language like the “Gentle giants of unwavering peace” to describe the trees. I was especially enamored by the last two…
DetailsThe “New Universe Story” by Thomas Berry transforms and redefines our understanding of the 14-billion-year-old evolving universe and our place within it! It takes us from the formation of the galaxies and the origin of Earth and life to the development of self-reflective consciousness. Berry bridges scientific understanding and spiritual consciousness. Rooted in his awareness…
DetailsEvery time I come to Prairiewoods, I stroll along the Cosmic Walk path that marks key moments in the birth and evolution of our universe and our planet home Earth. Every time I am struck by how far I walk, across the creek, up the hill, through the woods, across the ridge—through billions of years…
Details“It is not uncommon for people to spend their whole life waiting to start living.” —Eckhart Tolle, The Power of Now As we approach the end of May, one of the busiest times of the year, it may bring closure to another school year for students and teachers. People graduate from various training programs and…
DetailsRemember the truth that is being whispered in the peaceful stillness. Listen to the birds rejoice as they glide through the sky, being bathed with sunlight. Join the tree branches in their swaying dance, praising their creator. Embrace the wind’s gentle caress as it rolls over your cheeks and swirls your hair. Welcome the harmony…
DetailsLast night at twilight (one of my favorite times), I was doing a walk about and thinking of transitions. As the sun set, I saw this pink glow in the east. Something, for whatever reason I hadn’t “seen” before. All I could think of at that point was a term that had been rolling around in my head for…
DetailsJanuary Palm fronds sing their song Is all creation singing? Shhh, let’s all listen February Today’s encounters Dragonfly, hawk, butterfly The wings are busy May Wrens, frogs, water’s flow How many songs make a day? Ears of the heart know August Pine cones cushion path Holy water falls from sky Wind is Spirit’s voice September…
DetailsFor my husband, Matt, and I, Prairiewoods has always been a place for connection … connection with nature, connection with our spirit, and connection with others seeking to heal their mind, body, and spirit. We especially enjoy our walks through the beautiful gardens, woodlands, and prairies that provide opportunity to connect with nature. The many…
DetailsGwen Frostic, Michigan ecologist and artist, wrote in 1973 that activism on behalf of working for a better future for our planet is not in creating big groups, big plans, unions and community ties. It is in being one who goes deeper into the world. To not belong, but to become. When I was a…
DetailsAs Prairiewoods enters its twenty-eighth spring and summer, we are conscious of three horizons present simultaneously. The first horizon is our past—the very ground of our being. The second horizon is our present—a time of great awakening and preparing for the next evolution. And the third horizon is our becoming—the future to which Prairiewoods is…
DetailsOut for a run one day, I came across a stranger and their dog tucked away in the bushes. Surprised—and noticing the scope laying nearby—I asked if they were watching anything. “Yes,” the stranger said. “Have you seen this bald eagle nest?” I’ve always loved animals, and bald eagles were one of my favorites as…
DetailsA month or so again, we were having our weekly staff meeting at Iowa Interfaith Power & Light (Iowa IPL) where we were starting to dream about how we could build hope for what the future could be. Our mission is to empower Iowans of faith and conscience to take bold and just action on…
DetailsA few years back, while I was hiking with a friend in Appalachian Ohio, she commented on a tree we passed, expressing sadness for the imprints left by lovers who’d carved into the trunk. We kept moving, and a thought popped into my head, more of a question really. So I spoke it aloud, asking…
DetailsIn “Don’t Forget the Spiritual Side of Earth Day,” Fr. Daniel Horan reminds us that Earth Day is not only about recycling or changing practices; rather, it is a reminder of our interconnection with Earth and an opportunity to reflect on how we find God in the world. It is a reminder to continue to…
DetailsMy personal experience, and I know I’m not alone, is that it takes considerable courage to look the climate crisis in the eye. People dislike the climate crisis, to put it mildly, and people are afraid. I am afraid. People who lived through the Cold War are once again living with a kind of existential…
DetailsMy youngest child learned to ride last summer. I watched her front bike wheel wobble on the loose gravel as she sought to find that elusive balance that only comes with time and tumbles. On our return route, she stopped abruptly and gazed into the shadows and underbrush of a one-track dirt trail. With wild…
DetailsIt’s the last day of a four-day cruise. I’ve been to Nassau, Bahamas, Princess Cay Island, and now a day “at sea,” before returning to Port Canaveral, Florida. I am cruising with three great women-friends! I love them. They each are so powerful in their own, unique ways! And we’ve been friends, each one of…
DetailsEach year, Spirituality in the 21st Century invites speakers and community members to come together to explore and expand our thinking about our spirituality and relationships with ourselves, others, Creation and the Source of All Being. Last year, Jeremy Lent explored the intersections of science and ancient wisdom. His words called us to work toward…
DetailsI have been fortunate in my life to get to connect with many places across the globe, in part as a result of my work as a climate scientist. India is one of those places and opened my mind to the diversity of life and the innumerable ways of living it. One of my first…
DetailsI grew up on a hobby farm in North Branch, Minnesota, studied Environmental Science at Cornell College, and now am working in Social Services and am on the board of Prairiewoods. I love exploring all the different ways of connecting to nature, which is why in my ideal world, I would want it to be like the…
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