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Find a Spot and Breathe
Back in April of this year, Whidbey Insititute hosted Nourished: A Gathering. Prior to the retreat, one of the Nourished facilitators, Lilly Georgieva, connected with our forest steward Larry Rohan. They decided to bring Larry's knowledge and passion to the retreat in the form of a forest immersion walk.
June arrives untamed.
Beneath the trees, roots stretch and wander in their own directions, growing quietly and stubbornly in their own time. Branches once dotted with spring blossoms are now deepening into countless shades of green, carpeting the horizon in abundance.
Finding Joy in Rainbows: Navigating Emotions and Hardship Through Community
There's something about the sudden awakening of spring vegetation that stirs some primal memory that winter is over and this new season holds a sense of abundance and relative ease.
A Forest Bath Experience
20 of us gathered Sunday, May 2nd, at Storyhouse for a Forest Bath Experience. We began in the Storyhouse Meadow, then moved into the woods at the Listening Circle, and back inside Storyhouse for a sound bowl meditation and a simple tea ceremony, with our guide, Nancy Schmidt.
What Are You Waiting For?
Invitation to Join a Special Event in May
I’m venturing out of my forest nest, shaking the moss from my hair, and preparing to cross the water for something truly significant. Have you heard of the Global Earth Repair Convergence in Port Townsend? You might wonder what it’s all about and whether it’s worth your time. The answer is a resounding yes!
In Honor of the Whales Majestic
If you listen closely, you may hear the silent rhythms floating across time a top the gentle rolling of the sound.
Stand! Quietly, as to invite her and her cohorts close enough to the shore so that all of our blessings are shared.
April at The Whidbey Institute
There is something I want to name that feels every bit as essential as the one hundred and six acres of forested beauty that hold us here.
It’s the people.
Sensing in the Forest
There’s 25 of us this sunny Saturday Spring Equinox morning. We’re here to experience the woods through our senses with Larry Rohan, Whidbey Institute’s (WI) Forest Steward.
Forest Medicine
Happy Spring!
What a wonderful time to observe the natural world waking up from a winter nap and seeing buds bursting with new growth.
Into the Equinox
In the wee hours of purple skies,
I dream of the moments when we were regal.
The times without question and the knowledge that I was forever.
I weaved my spiritual thoughts between the here and now.
Forest Medicine
Here we are in the last week of February, and I'm thrilled to see new snow falling in the mountains, adding to what has been a very meager snow pack for this season. Climate models are predicting this may be the new normal, with more winter precipitation falling as rain. While I do track climate trends closely, I try to stay aware of how this data can affect my emotional state, depending on how I take it in. Accepting that change is inevitable helps me to stay positive and do the work that I feel is necessary at this time.
February Reflections: Finding Hope in the Forest
Can you believe it's already nearing the end of February? Time seems to sprint forward, leaving us breathless in its wake. In this whirlwind, we often wonder when we can slow down enough to let the world catch up, to find peace in the quiet moments. There are some days I imagine how serene it would feel to slow down so much that mushrooms and moss might take root in my hair, a testament to a life lived in harmony with nature.
To Lay in A Meadow
I came to the land to lay in a meadow.
A place where I could lay my burdens down. I found my place in the tall grass and attempted to remember the time before inception.
The time when all that mattered was holding space in the grand scheme. Before chemical reactions influenced the outcomes, before knowledge, time, future, or past.
I came to the land to lay in a meadow.
To trace the journey of how !!
Art in the Hall: Love from the Deep, A SeaMonster Art Opening with Cultural Educator and Indigenous Storyteller Pamela SeaMonster
What a wonderful, fun and successful Art Opening event last Saturday with Pamela SeaMonster!
We had 80-some people come along and enjoy a day of art showing and storytelling, learning about Pamela's art and about Pamela herself. The afternoon included a free raffle and Pamela gave away a very generous 5 pieces of art. Everyone enjoyed the drinks, including cedar cider, (thank you Pamela), soup and salad, nibbles and sweet treats for Valentine's Day.
In The Deep Mid-Winter
Recently, I've been hearing the phrase, “It’s been a long year already,” and I felt that in my bones. And yet, February carries its own quiet magic and hope.
This is the season of Imbolc, an ancient Celtic time that honors growth in the darkness, the patience required when life is still unseen, and the grace of becoming amid uncertainty. The air may remain cold, but the Earth is already preparing to bear new life. If you look closely, you can see the signs everywhere: hellebore bursting into bloom, bulbs pressing upward through frozen soil, green tips daring their way toward the light. Nature reminds us that good things take time.
The Art of Awe and Wonder: Rehearsing Resilience
16 of us arrived to the Sanctuary, full of anticipation, and perhaps some trepidation too - what does a workshop around resilience, awe, wonder, movement, and the arts look like?
“Hey, I made that trail!” South Whidbey High School Ecology Club at the Whidbey Institute
In this month's issue of Forest Medicine, WI Forest Steward Larry Rohan talks to students from the South Whidbey High School.
Central to the mission of the Whidbey Institute is preserving and nurturing the healthy and sustaining nature of our grounds. As such, we take high value in serving as a resource toward educating our community, including and especially local youth, to become lifelong stewards of the land. One much respected partner in that pursuit is the Ecology Club of the South Whidbey High School (SWHS).
Staying Grounded in Adversity
In times of uncertainty and adversity, it is crucial to ask ourselves: How do we stay grounded when unsure of our footing? How do we manage when tasks seem unmanageable? It is an undeniable reality that some days can feel overwhelming, as we’re all juggling the vast challenges before us — globally, locally, personally, and professionally.