At Prairiewoods, we are going through a time of great change. This transitional period can rock us or make us rock-strong. When your small staff of 16 is suddenly down three members, as ours is at Prairiewoods, it feels like a lot of change all at once. And that change can feel anxiety-inducing. However, it is also a time of great possibility and excitement. Whose soul is being prepared to join us in our important mission? What gifts will they bring? What new ideas and ways of doing things will come with them?
We recently hired two Green Iowa AmeriCorps Land and Water Stewards who are working with us this summer. Emily and Walt are helping us grow at Prairiewoods through a three-month, intensive learning opportunity, working on the Prairiewoods land and helping with programming. We are already seeing the benefits of their gifts and fresh ways of looking at the world.
But the staff at Prairiewoods isn’t the only thing going through major transformations. Our land is also undergoing some important changes. This spring, we worked with the Linn County Master Gardeners to launch our Green Community Gardens. For as little as $15, neighbors and community members are renting land at Prairiewoods to cultivate their own gardens, giving them access to healthy and culturally relevant foods.
We’re also transforming our fruit orchard into the Four Winds Food Forest. With the help of Backyard Abundance, we are creating a beautiful space that includes a variety of native plants that are edible for both humans and our animal kin. And it has multiple gathering spaces for relaxation, contemplation and education.
So while all of this change can feel daunting and overwhelming, it also brings the hope of new possibility and growth. I find comfort in knowing that what is ahead is even better than what we have left behind. And I know that we are not going through all of this transition alone.
God of Love,
You are with us in every transition and change. As we enter into this new era with excitement and even some anxiety, we recall your deep compassion, presence and abounding love. We thank you for the gifts, talents and skills with which you have blessed us. We thank you for the experiences that have brought us to this moment. We thank you for the work of others that gives breadth and depth to our own work. Be with us as we move forward, rejoicing with you and supporting one another. We ask this in your Holy Name.
Amen.
—Andi Lewis, Prairiewoods marketing coordinator