new human-Earth relations a directory of spiritual ecology centers around the world
Natural Prayer — Meganne Forbes
Canada:
Glenairley–Centre for Earth and Spirit.
6040 East Sooke Road, Sooke, BC VOS 1NO, Canada; (250) 642-3546; fax (250) 642-3546; www.centreforearthandspirit.org ; gces@telus.netA beautiful coastal site on southern Vancouver Island, BC, Canada. The Centre for Earth and Spirit is a nonprofit ecological learning centre committed to the protection and healing of Earth through fostering a mutually enhancing human-Earth relationship. It provides resources, programs, and retreats focusing on a New Cosmology, Earth Literacy, Sustainability and Spirituality, The Great Turning, and the Earth Charter.
The Centre for Ecology and Spirituality.
650 Sheppard Ave. East, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M2K 1B7; (416) 512-7874; fax (416) 250-6355; eaite@web.net
This Centre’s projects have been developed over the past twenty years on a beautiful Carolinian site on the north shore of Lake Erie, in Port Burwell, Ontario. Rooted in the eco-spirituality of Thomas Berry, the Centre provides educational opportunities for a broad spectrum of the concerned public.
Earthcare Connections.
Box 2800 813 Main St., Humboldt, Saskatchewan S0K 2AO, Canada; (306) 682-2407; fax (306) 682-5416; www.earthcare.ca . Earthcare Connections, located in the heart of the beautiful prairies, is an ecumenical organization fostering stewardship and the spirituality of caring for Creation. With a particular emphasis on food and farming, Earthcare manages a provincial land trust, has beginning farmer programs and is working to create a just and sustainable food system.Australia:
Glenburn–Centre for Ecology & Spirituality.
183 Burns Rd. Glenburn, Victoria, Australia 3717; 3 5797 8532; fax 3 5797 8536; www.edmundrice.org/glenburn ; centreecology@bigpopnd.comGlenburn is situated 80 kilometres from Melbourne in the foothill forests of the Great Dividing Range. The Centre offers a ten-week course in ecological spirituality early each year as well as periodic retreats and workshops focusing on holistic and sustainable living. Auspiced by the Christian Brothers.
New Zealand:
The Institute for Educational Studies (TIES).
37 Rockinghorse Road, Christchurch, 8007, New Zealand; direct dial from U.S. and Canada: 1-(888) 722-4547; from elsewhere: +643 382 2023; fax 1-978-336-8390; www.ties-edu.org ; ties@ties-edu.org.TIES, in partnership with Endicott College in Beverly, Massachusetts, offers an M.Ed. in Montessori Integrative Learning. This graduate program explores the radical nature of Montessori teaching and learning by expanding the cosmological context first initiated by Maria Montessori in the 1930s. Faculty includes John Fowler, Philip Gang, and Marsha Morgan.
Europe:
De Gaarde.
Molenhoefstraat 7 5071 RL Udenhout, The Netherlands; (00)31-13-533-5846; www.degaarde.org ; postmaster@degaarde.orgDe Gaarde is a small scale Earth literacy Center. The New Story is their inspiration and source of creativity in participation in the Great Work towards a sustainable Earth community and a future for all beings. Programs are mainly in Dutch. English documentation is available, as well as coaching and counseling in English.
An Tairseach (The Threshold)
Dominican Farm and Ecology Centre
Wicklow Town, Ireland; 353 -404-67328; ecenw@eircom.net; www.ecocentrewicklow.comAn Tairseach is an organic farm and center for ecology and spirituality. The name An Tairseach means “threshold,” suggesting a new beginning, an alternative and more sustainable way of working with the land, and a renewed relationship with the whole community of life.
GreenSpirit Journal.
1 Sea Trout Mews, Staverton, Totnes, Devon TQ9 6PA, UK; tel: 01803 762482; seatrout@greenspirit.plus.com; www.greenspirit.org.ukGreenspirit is a network of people who celebrate the human spirit in the context of our place in the natural world and the Earth’s own evolutionary journey. Our radical vision brings together the vigor of science, the creativity of artistic expression, the passion of social action and the wisdom of spiritual traditions of all ages. Membership includes 3 issues of the journal and 3 newsletters.
Middle Atlantic:
Beulah Land. 276 Bruin Road, Petrolia, PA 16050; (724) 753-0174; beulahcs11@csonline.netThe mission of Beulah is to continue the evolution of an environmental learning center rooted in spirituality that reverences the Earth as a primary revelation of the divine, with programs that promote sustainable living, preservation of the environment, and conservation of natural resources.
Boughton Place.
150 Kisor Road, Highland, NY 12528; (845) 691-2888; www.boughtonplace.org ; clare@boughtonplace.orgBoughton Place is a Learning Center with unique resources including the TimeLine Garden Labyrinth (inspired by the Universe Story) and the Original Moreno Psychodrama Stage as powerful sites for education and training. Workshops and performances in improvisational theater, psychodrama and conflict resolution are available, as are Original Instructions meetings and garden walks. This small community bridges three generations of individuals as a voluntary extended family home.
Dayspring Earth Ministry.
11301 Neelsville Church Rd., Germantown, MD 20876; (301) 585-4291; jimhallmd@yahoo.com
On a 208-acre church retreat farm near Washington, DC Dayspring Earth Ministry teaches children and adults about creation as a gift and revelation of God, tends both cultivated gardens and wild meadows, woodlands, creeks, and ponds, and explores simple living and green building as we put up small cottages and an education center.
Center for Women, the Earth, the Divine.
7 Leeward Lane, City Island, NY 10464; (718) 885-9653; CWED@aol.com, www.CWED.orgAn interfaith network dedicated to the daily living of an Earth-centered spirituality. Established the Earth Values as an NGO with consultative status with the UN. Publishes a membership newsletter, “Weaving the Connections.”
EarthRise Spirituality & Education Center.
421 17th Ave., Scranton, PA 18504; (570) 347-2431; pegjan@juno.com.
EarthRise is currently inactive as a center, but Jan and Peg continue to offer “EarthStory/EarthSong,” a creative and enjoyable presentation using Jan Novotka’s music and stories of the Earth told by Peg Mahoney. Also available directly through Jan are her CD’s and tapes (Melodies of the Universe, In the Name of All That Is, Together in the Great Work). See address above or www.jannovotka.com
EverGreen.
PO Box 206, Villa Maria, PA 16155-0206; (724) 964-8920 X3350; www.humilityofmary.org/what_environment_evergreen ; cfanfer@humilityofmary.org
A ministry of the Sisters of the Humility of Mary, we offer earth education programs and activities for people of all ages, cultures, and religions. EverGreen fosters a spirituality of humility, simplicity, nonviolence, and justice, and promotes a sustainable future for the whole Earth community.
The Web of Life Ecology Center.
PO Box 27, Naugatuck, WV 25685; (304) 393-1354; www.biglaurel.org , jfclay@juno.com
Located on a mountain ridge in Mingo County, WV, the Web of Life Ecology Center offers eco-spirituality retreats, seasonal celebrations, college/high school work-camps, and summer camps focused on earth education, hands-on science in the outdoors, woodworking, and the arts. We teach sustainability by the way we live and work.
Genesis Farm.
41 A Silver Lake Road, Blairstown, NJ 07825; (908) 362-6735; fax (908 )362-9387; www.genesisfarm.org ; genesisfarm@tellurian.orgGenesis Farm is an ecological learning center focusing on the profound spiritual and ethical implications of our modern Universe Story. It offers a variety of programs that promote sustainable living and explore human/Earth relationships, including a 12-week residential Earth Literacy course for which graduate-level credits are available. Founded in 1980 by Sr. Miriam MacGillis, Genesis Farm is located on 231 acres of preserved land. The Community Supported Garden at Genesis Farm, a biodynamic farm, is also on site.
Global Education Associates.
475 Riverside Drive, Suite 1848, New York, NY 10115; www.globaleduc.orgPlaces emphasis on the development of global ethics, values, and systems that will secure greater ecological integrity, peace, and human rights, economic and social well-being.
Waterspirit.
981 Ocean Ave., Elberon, NJ 07740; (732) 923-9778; www.stellamarisretreatcenter.org/waterspirit.htmlOffers a variety of opportunities for people to become familiar with water issues and to view them in the context of the sacredness of all creation and the story of the Universe.
New England:
Genesis Spiritual Life Center. 53 Mill Street, Westfield, MA 01085; (413) 562-3627; fax: (413) 572-1060; genesis@genesiscenter.us ; www.genesiscenter.us.Open to persons of all faith, promotes a climate of wellness through sensitivity to atmosphere, devotion to the land, and careful attention to the design of holistic programs.
Crystal Spring Center for Ecology, Spirituality, and Earth Education.
76 Everet Skinner Road, Plainville, MA 02762; (508) 699-7167; cryspr@comcast.netCrystal Spring strives to become a living embodiment of a bioregionally appropriate culture in all of its aspects. Programs in cooking and gardening, retreat workshops in music, the arts, cosmology and the Christian story, and Earth learning, this center works to give shape to what is emerging from within toward a new human culture.
Harvard Forum on Religion & Ecology.
c/o Harvard University Center for the Environment, 42 Church St., Cambridge, MA 02138; (617) 384-9516; fore@uce1.harvard.edu; www.environment.harvard.edu/religionThe Forum on Religion and Ecology is an international, multi-religious project engaging scholars and environmentalists in bringing a spiritual and ethical approach to environmental issues. It has sponsored conferences and seminars, created an international website, and published a series of books on world religion and ecology.
Save Our World–Vermont.
42 Main Street (P.O. Box 437), Rochester, VT 05767; (802) 767-3273 or 767-9914.Save Our World-Vermont is the nonprofit part of a community wellness center teaching preventative care practices that promote self-nurturance, self-empowerment, and self-discovery. They are an Earth Literacy center dedicated to restoring human-Earth relations.
Spirit In Nature.
PO Box 253, 464 E. Main Street, E. Middlebury, VT 05740; (802)388-7244; www.spiritinnature.com .Spirit in Nature consists of 6-8 miles of interconnecting paths where people of diverse spiritual traditions may walk, worship, meet, meditate, and promote education and action toward better stewardship of the sacred Earth.
Partner Earth Education Center.
Sweetwater Sanctuary, 1525 Danby Mtn. Road, Danby, VT 05739; (802) 293-5996; www.partnereartheducationcenter.com ; info@partnereartheducationcenter.com.The pristine mountains of Vermont are the ideal setting for workshops and intensives on herbalism, spiritual ecology, plant spirit healing, and sustainable living. Hosts Pam Montgomery and Mark Carlin feed the Holy Heart by providing an environment that nourishes your essential nature thereby bringing you home to yourself.
Green Mountain Monastery & The Thomas Berry Retreat and Sanctuary. 420 Hillcrest Road, Greensboro, VT 05841; (802) 533-7056; greenmountainmonastery@together.net.
Green Mountain Monastery is a new monastic community in the Catholic tradition currently being cofounded in Greensboro, Vermont under the guidance of Thomas Berry. This monastery seeks to live into and manifest an Evolutionary Spirituality for the 21st Century. It is also a place to study and contemplate the work of Thomas Berry.
The Manitou Project.
PO Box 161, 300 Sunset lake Rd, williamsville, VT 05362; (802) 257-1832; manitou@sover.netThe Manitou Project celebrates the sacred interdependence of humans and nature. It is a model of land conservation and education, integrating spiritual and practical applications of ecological awareness. We offer a healing sanctuary to affirm and celebrate interdependence in our own lives and throughout the greater community.
Gaian Voices.
132 Fish Street, Fryeburg, ME 04037; ph/fax (207) 697-2002; www.gaianvoices.com ; smlowry@pivot.netGaian Voices: Earth Spirit, Earth Action, Earth Stories is a publication for people who love the Earth. Each issue contains articles on gaian culture, spirituality, activism, Earth consciousness, our human/earth relationship as well as interviews, poems, photos, resources and more. Sample issue: $5.00. Subscription: $20.00. Check payable to Susan Meeker-Lowry.
Midwest:
Spiritearth.
1515 W. Ogden, LaGrange, IL 60526; (708) 482-3156; www.spiritearthnet.org ; spiritearth@aol.comA center whose focus is contemplation, reflection, and justice-making for the Ecozoic Era.
Crown Point Ecology Center.
P.O. Box 484, 3220 Ira Road, Bath, OH 44210; (330) 668-8992; fax (330) 668-9176; www.crownpt.org ; mopph@crownpt.orgCrown Point Ecology Center reconnects the humans to the sacredness of Earth through programs of organic farming, adult education and youth education. Their mission promotes four principles: community, spirituality, sustainability and justice.
Shepherd’s Corner. Dominican Sisters, 877 N. Waggoner Road, Blacklick, OH 43004-9505; (614) 866-4302; fax (614) 866-4331; www.shepherdscorner.org .
Shepherd’s Corner, located at Dominican Acres, is an eco-justice ministry of Dominican Sisters of St. Mary of the Springs, Columbus Ohio. Community garden, outdoor turf labyrinth, 160 acres of habitat-woodlands, meadows, fields. Programs include Earth literacy, eco-spirituality, gardening–for all ages.
Greenfire Farm. 2767 SR 56, New Marshfield, OH 45766, (740) 664-4028, life@greenfireathome.org.
An Earthcare and regeneration learning center nurturing one another and the new ancient forest in the Ohio River Basin bioregion. Offers work / playshops, retreats, work-camps, and seasonal celebrations. In the Appalachian foothills.
Franciscan Earth Literacy Center (FELC).
194 St. Francis Avenue, Tiffin, OH 44883; (419) 448-7485; fax (419) 448-7486.Offers environmental hands-on education programs to people of all ages but especially for school age children. Rural setting with wetlands, wooded areas, prairies, and gardens. In 2005 the FELC is starting Seeds of Hope Farm, a small diversified farm market & CSA.
Imago.
700 Enright Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45205; (513) 921.5124; imago@imagoearth.org; www.imagoearth.orgImago (Ee-mah-go) is a nonprofit ecological organization that creates tangible ways to live in harmony with the Earth. Imago has two main program areas: The Earth Center provides programs for school and scout groups, as well as hiking and nature exploration opportunities to the general public; Earth and Spirit educates adults about the instinctual connection that we all have with the natural world through workshops, a discussion course, and regular conferences.
MorningStar Retreat Center.
20564 Morning Star Trail, LeRoy, MI 49655; (231) 768-4368; morningstar@netonecom.net; www.morningstarretreatcenter.netMorning Star has 135 rolling acres of pine, hardwood, fields, wetlands, gardens, and stream with 5 semi-rustic cabins, camping space, gathering/meditation center, medicine wheel, earth story spiral, labyrinths, wailing wall, trails, programs, and holistic facilitation. We teach living simply and with attention to inner and outer reality.
Nazareth Center for Eco-Spirituality and Manitou Arbor Ecovillage.
3629 Gull Rd #3, Kalamazoo, MI 49048; (269) 381-6290 ext. 308; www.manitouarbor.org ; ginnyssj@earthtones.comEco-spirituality resource center with programs on ecology and spirituality for adults, natural area and nature trails; they are in the process of developing an ecospiritual community.
Full Circle EcoHouse of Prayer.
2532 S Boulevard, Port Huron MI, 48060; (810) 364-3326; www.fullcircleretreat.org ; fullcircle@advnet.netLocated across from a city park, Full Circle seeks to promote sustainable living through retreats, spiritual companionship, and workshops. An eco-friendly rehabbed house with rustic hermitage, labyrinth, and garden ponds welcomes 3-4 persons overnight and groups of 12 for the day.
The Woodlands. N47475 Woodland Lane, Osseo, WI 54758; (715) 597-2711; bwolcottosf@Triwest.net.
A not for profit retreat, education, and 80-acre resource land preserve with trails to woodlands, prairies, and wetlands. The purpose of the Woodlands is best expressed in its logo: Hope and a future for children and the Earth. There are three specific programs designed to promote the vision of the Woodlands: Learning/Demonstration Center, Nature Wonderment Area, Retreat/Reflection Space.
Prairie Woods: Franciscan Spirituality Center. 120 E. Boyson Road, Hiawatha, IA 52233-1277; (319 )395-6700; fax (319) 395-6703; www.prairiewoods.org ; ecospirit@prairiewoods.org
This spirituality / retreat center opens its doors to people seeking to explore their relationships with God, Earth, Others, and Self. Located on 70 acres of woodland and prairie, the center offers space for contemplation, retreats, and programs connecting spirituality with ecology, meeting spaces, and overnight accommodations.
Sophia’s Portico. 2000 N. Wells St., Fort Wayne, IN 46808; (260) 423-4770; fax: (260) 423-4770; www.sophiasportico.org ; kuanyin01@msn.com.
Offers a haven to explore opportunities for growth in feminine spirituality. Inclusive of creed, cultures genders and race, Sophia’s Portico seeks to nurture spiritual growth in an atmosphere of peace, freedom, dignity, and justice. All seeking personal empowerment, supportive community, and emergent paradigm are welcome to participate in ritual and formative experience.
White Violet Center For Eco-Justice. #1 Sisters of Providence Road, St. Mary of The Woods, IN 47876; (812) 535-3131; www.whiteviolet.org .
White Violet Center for Eco-Justice, a ministry of the Sisters of Providence, exists to foster a way of living that recognizes the interdependence of all creation. Programs include organic cropland, Community Supported Agriculture, wetland and prairie restoration, raising bees and alpacas, environmental education, and an individualized Earth Sabbatical program.
St. Mary-of -the-Woods Program in Earth Literacy. St. Mary-of -the-Woods College St. Mary-of -the-Woods, IN 47876; (812) 535-5160; fax (812) 535-5127; www.smwc.edu/prospective/graduate/earth ; elm@smwe.edu
M.A. and Certificate programs for women and men. Interdisciplinary Natural and Social Sciences, Humanities, Arts, Spirituality. Limited time on campus/distance.
Michaela Farm; Sisters of St. Francis. P.O. Box 100, Oldenburg, IN 47036; (812) 933-0661; fax: (812) 933-6403; www.oldenburgfranciscans.org/michaelafarm ; michaelafarm@seidata.com
Michaela Farm merges agriculture, education, and spirituality by growing organic food, raising grass-fed beefalo and sheep, and offering environmental education programs and retreat opportunities. On these 300 “sacred acres,” preservation and conservation of land along with Franciscan values of kinship are primary.
Center for Earth Spirituality and Rural Ministry & EarthRise Farm
170 Good Counsel Dr., Mankato, MN 56001-3138; (507) 389-4238; fax (507) 345-6679; cesrm@ssnomankato.orgThis 150-acre center on Good Counsel Hill was established with the mission of establishing linked centers of hospitality directed by the School sisters of Notre Dame. These centers promote Creation-centered consciousness through safe and nurturing environments where individual reflection and communal action can be taught, modeled, and practiced.
La Vista Ecological Learning Center.
4300 Levis Lane, Godfrey, IL 62035; (618) 466-5004; lange@omiusa.org; www.lavistacsa.org .Located on the Mississippi River, La Vista has two main components: an ecological learning center and a community supported agriculture project. La Vista seeks to educate in the area of ecological awareness grounded in the Sacred Story of all Creation and explores a practical lifestyle based on a mutually enhancing human-Earth relationship.
The Well.
1515 W. Odgen Avenue, LaGrange Pk., IL 60526; (708) 354-9200, ext 5058; fax (708) 354-9573; pbergen@csjlagrange.org.A place where people of all faiths and all cultures are invited to (1) recognize and affirm our communion with God and all creation, (2) experience an atmosphere for spiritual, physical and emotional wholeness, and (3) participate in the sacred process of healing and caring for Earth and its people.
Heartland Farm.
RRI Box 37, Pawnee Rock, KS 67567; (620) 923-4585.A ministry of the Dominican Sisters in Kansas, this is home for an intentional ecumenical community of adults and families who believe in and work for an interdependent healing of and care of persons. Open for a retreat/personal renewal, to experience clay work, or to play with their alpacas!
Rockhaven Ecozoic Center.
7621 Rivermont Trail, House Springs, MO 63051; (636) 671-3623; fax: (636) 375-3159; rockhaven@rockhavencenter.org; www.rockhavencenter.org .Rockhaven Ecozoic Center is an ecospiritual center and community in the Missouri Ozarks fostering deep spiritual renewal. Their environment and programs support and nourish the Great Human Spirit in its quest for personal transformation. Rockhaven believes this transformation is key to righting relationships with the whole of creation.
South
Earth Ethics Institute, Miami Dade College. 300 N.E. 2nd Ave., (305) 237-3796; fax: (305) 237-7724; www.earthethicsinstitute.org ; cahernhe@mdc.edu.
Acts as a catalyst for introducing students to Earth Literacy. Earth Literacy is grounded in the Universe Story and the implication for living ecological sustainability. The Institute is a resource for faculty, infusing Earth Literacy concepts within each discipline.
Springbank Spirituality Center.
1345 Springbank Road, Kingstree, SC 29556, (800) 671-0361; fax (843) 382-5340; springbank@earthlink.net
This center offers a quiet rural setting with woodlands and water gardens, a simple, casual life style, and prayer and ritual with an Earth-oriented and creation-centered perspective. The sights and sounds of nature, the silence, all contribute to the relaxing healing environment.
Cedars of Peace.
515 Nerinx Road, Nerinx, KY 40049; (270) 865-5291; cedarsofpeace@yahoo.com
Hermitage woodland cabins on Loretto Motherhouse property in central, rural Kentucky offer quiet solitude for prayer and reflection. Cabins rented by the month or day. Daily Mass and spiritual direction available.
Dominican Earth Center.
2645 Bardstown Road, St. Catharine, KY 40061; (859) 336-7778; fax (859) 262-5426; www.opkentucky.org ; earthcenter@kyol.netA project of Dominicans of St. Catharine, Kentucky, this center includes adult and children’s education programs, Earth celebrations, a woodland trail with Earth meditation stations, two retreat cabins, a “Peacemeal” organic garden, a children’s garden, a monthly Earth Alert newspaper column, an Earth education library, a weekly Earth prayer/reflection group, and a recycling center.
St. Catharine Farm.
2645 Bardstown Road, St. Catharine, KY 40061; (859) 336-0444; fax (859) 336-0444; www.opkentuck.orgSince the mid-1980s, the Dominicans of St. Catharine Farm have incorporated conservation practices including tiled bottoms, diversion ditches, grassed waterways, grass legume fields, riparian buffers, native grass plantings, intensive grazing, minimum tillage, soil testing, and Integrated Pest Management.
Narrow Ridge Earth Literacy Center.
1936 Liberty Hill Road, Washburn, TN 37888; (865) 497-2753; www.narrowridge.org .Provides experiential learning of Earth Literacy based on the cornerstones of spirituality, sustainability, and community.
Center for Ecozoic Studies (CES).
Chapel Hill, NC 27516; (919) 942-4358; ecozoic@mindspring.com; www.ecozoicstudies.orgCES is an education, research and arts center dedicated to the realization of the Ecozoic Era. It publishes The Ecozoic Reader, teaches “Our Great Work,” offers resources through its website, and conducts programs in China, including the translation of Thomas Berry’s book, “The Great Work.”
The Center for Education, Imagination, & The Natural World.
Timberlake Farm, 1501 Rock Creek Dairy Road, Whitsett, NC 27377; (336)449-0612; www.timberlakefarm.orgTimberlake Farm’s Center for Education, Imagination, and the Natural World is an Earth sanctuary and learning community dedicated to affirming and renewing the human/Earth relationship.
Southwest
The Earthen Spirituality Project & Sweet Medicine Women’s Center. Box 820, Reserve, NM 87830; www.earthenspirituality.orgOffers instruction in Earth-informed spirituality, wildlands, restoration, and eco-activism in a restored riverside sanctuary in New Mexico’s fabled Gila Forest. Dedicated to spreading Gaian awareness, personal awakeness, and social response-ability through inspiring books, music, quests, retreats, internships, and events.
West
Dream of Earth Retreats.
4100 Balsam Street, Wheat Ridge, CO 80033; (303) 403-4540; fax (303) 403-4580; www.dream-of-earth-retreat.comDream of Earth retreats, seminars, and presentations led by Pat Sablatura, OSF, PhD. This center’s work in “Eco-dreamwork” is motivated by the idea that our way into a sustainable future is “guided by visionary experiences that come to us often in revelatory dream experiences” (Thomas Berry).
The Waterfall Hermitages.
c/o Jennifer Haines, 1023 26th St., Denver, CO 80205; (303) 298-9910.The Waterfall Hermitages are two rustic mountain cabins on 40 acres of land near Rocky Mountain National Park. The Sisters of Loretto make them available for private, unprogrammed retreat and reflection space.
RiverWind Foundation.
P.O. BOX 13190, Jackson Hole, WY 83002; (800) 942-4004; fax (307) 734-0839; riverwind@wyoming.com; www.theriverwindfoundation.orgA heart-centered, welcoming community of teachers, facilitators, and students bonded by a reverence for all life. Provides opportunities for bringing meaning, purpose, and deep belonging into our lives through workshops and retreats, community service programs, indigenous and contemporary ceremonies, and time honored tools for soulful living.
Spirit Center /The Monastery of St. Gertrude.
HC3 Box 121, Cottonwood, ID 83522; (208) 962-3224; fax (208) 962-7212; www.stgertrudes.org ; retreat@stgertrudes.orgBenedictine community of women offering sabbatical program and retreats, many exploring issues around eco-spirituality and feminine spirituality. Located in a beautiful rural setting. See website for details.
Pacific Coast
Skyline: Eco-Contemplative Center.
P.O. Box 338, Camptonville, CA 95922; 530-288-0308; www.ecocontemplative.org medushiim@cs.comFosters an awareness of the sacred within the human and the natural worlds through contemplation, education, liturgical celebration, and sustainable living.
Skyline honors diversity and encourages interpersonal, religious, and cultural dialogue. Offers group workshops, individual retreats, and long-term hermit experience on 200 acres of forest land bordering the Tahoe National Forest.
The Dream of the Earth Program.
1855 Branciforte Drive, Santa Cruz, CA 95065-9738; (831) 425-2079; fax (831) 460-0204; www.DreamOfTheEarthProgram.org and www.ThreeEyesOfUniverse.orgThe Dream of the Earth program is a multivalent study program in Earth Literacy consisting of at-home resources, an online discussion environment, and summer weekend workshop. At-home resources consist of videos, poetry, music, readings, and links to web-based resources all on a CD.
Intermountain Synthesis Center.
P.O. Box 1301, Mt. Shasta, CA 96067; (530) 926-0986; fax (530) 926-0986; molly@intermountainsynthesis.org www.intermountainsynthesis.org Supports and empowers people’s inborn capacity for healing and service, using the conceptual frameworks of psychosynthesis, deep ecology, and systems thinking. Offers retreats, workshops, training programs, and on line courses.Santa Sabina Center. 25 Magnolia Avenue, San Rafael, CA 94901; (415) 457-7727; fax (415) 457-2310; www.retreatonline.net/santasabina
Santa Sabina is a retreat center and conference center dedicated to nurturing a contemplative way of being within the context of care for the Earth and the recognition our place within the human/Earth community: one Earth, one people, one love.
Sophia Center.
3500 Mountain Blvd., Oakland, CA 94619; (510) 436-1046; sophiactr@aol.com; www.hnu.edu/sophiaOffers transformative graduate studies program designed to foster a greater understanding of the unfolding Universe and its implications for the world, based on Thomas Berry’s four pillars of wisdom.
Wisdom University / Naropa University, Oakland.
2141 Broadway, Oakland, CA 94612-2309; (510) 835-4827; fax (510) 835-0564; gracehogan@csnet.org (UCS) / aileend@csnet.org (Naropa); www.creationspirituality.comCreation Spirituality integrates the wisdom of Western spirituality and global indigenous cultures with the emerging post-modern scientific understanding of the universe and the awakening artistic passion for creativity which reveals the interrelatedness of all beings. Offers a Doctor of Ministry and Certificate programs in Creation Spirituality. Naropa University, Oakland, offers an accredited Masters of Liberal Arts, Certificate, and Sabbatical programs.
Pacific Northwest:
Whidbey Institute.
P.O. Box 57, Clinton, WA 98236; (360) 341-1884; www.whidbeyinstitute.orgGrounded in the awareness that times of turbulent and unprecedented change call for commitment to a new vision for Earth, Spirit, and the Human Future.
The Earth and Spirit Council.
P.O. Box 25183; Portland, OR 97298-0183; (503) 452-4483; www.earthandspirit.org ; info@earthandspirit.org.The Earth & Spirit Council’s mission is to reawaken our spiritual connection to the Earth and to engage ourselves and others in Earth-conscious living.
At Large
The Great Story Traveling Ministry.
www.thegreatstory.org ; toll free voice mail (866) 326-9642; MBDowd@bigplanet.com; cbtanager@bigplanet.comOn April 25, 2002, Connie Barlow and Michael Dowd embarked on an itinerant ministry of sharing “the Great News of the Great Story and Foster the Great Work.” They shed most of their possessions and now travel in a van as at-large inhabitants of North America and ambassadors of the grand sacred story of cosmos, Earth, life, and humanity. See their website for information on their upcoming presentations in your area.
Circle of Compassion Traveling Ministry.
www.circleofcompassion.org ; www.willtuttle.com ; (800) 697-6614; will@willtuttle.com Dr. Will and Madeleine Tuttle have been traveling North America and Europe in their rolling temple-studio since 1995. They provide meditation retreats, concerts of uplifting original music, and workshops on developing intuition and promoting compassionate vegetarian living. See their websites for more information including the Prayer Circle for Animals and their tour/presentation schedule.Eco-spiritual art. Guest Artist:
Mother and Child Meganne Forbes