I was excited to learn of the new program being offered at the Whidbey Institute this autumn by Christie Lynk and Kirk Webb, so I invited Kirk to discuss the program with me. Here’s that conversation. —Marnie Jackson
I recently had the opportunity to talk with our 2016 Community Gardening Leadership Training Program apprentice, Anna Strick. Anna has been a key member of our community since arriving this spring, and having her living and working on the land has enriched all of our experiences here at the Whidbey Institute. Personally, I’ve been especially touched by her warmth and friendliness, and the welcome that she shows to children in the Westgarden. My own daughters feel capable, wanted, and valued as members of the Westgarden volunteer team in part because of Anna’s mentorship. Here’s our conversation. —Marnie Jackson
Erica Rayner-Horn is returning to the Whidbey Institute April 23—27, 2018 for Awake & Alive Mindful Living With Cancer Retreat. This conversation between Erica and Marnie Jackson, originally published in 2016, provides a great overview of the experience and what you can expect. Read More →
Hedgehog Simple
by Jenna Barrett
Here at the Whidbey Institute, we spend a lot of time chatting about what brings us together. Is it the land, the great wealth of wildness in a world that is becoming increasingly un-wild? Is it the exhilarating connection to the Great Work as imagined by Thomas Berry, and the generations-long dedication to growing and learning in its spirit? Is it our fellow volunteers and participants, with whom we work and bond, and who sometimes become lifelong friends who share with us a resonating call of place and purpose?
Is it all of these things? Read More →
Fertile Ground: a program is born
by Marnie Jackson
This is more than a job to me. It’s a community, a constant education, and a home for my work in the world. Over my three years as Whidbey Institute Communications Manager, my personal advocacy and activism has become rooted in this fertile ground.
This spring, I hosted a program of my own for the first time. I started big, bringing 135 people together for three days in March for the Intersectional Justice Conference! It The next day, conference participant Corvus shared these reflections:
“My slowly encroaching misanthropy and nihilism have been halted. I’ve seen actual evidence that the social interactions and radical movements I’ve dreamed of (or never even imagined were possible) do indeed exist.
I’ve shared space with new (to me) people of so many backgrounds and experiences doing unimaginably complex, transformative, and amazing work. I’ve had interactions I’ve only dreamed of. I felt safe.
When we make room for people who are often marginalized and excluded, we get to witness whole human beings, instead of just the parts dominant culture deems useful. I feel eternally grateful that people felt safe enough to share their emotions and vulnerability with us and am very grateful that people also made me feel safe enough to be vulnerable as well. Unlearning oppression is liberating for EVERYONE, not just the marginalized. We get to have real interactions when we make things safer.
I believe that if I’m still around 20 years from now, I will look back on this past weekend and say, “I had the privilege of being there for that,” when discussions pop up about the progress these people have ignited and influenced other movements to make.”
This Intersectional Justice Conference would not have been possible without several preceding experiences that built my leadership potential.
Through Powers of Leadership, I learned about the importance of building a team. It was there, in that 9 month retreat cycle, that I formulated a vision of an inclusive and collaboratively-led animal and human rights conference . . . and it was during that cycle that I first began to invite others to the work with me.
Through Bioneers, I deepened in my understanding of the essential role of anti-racism work in any liberation movement, and of the need for a more inclusive look at systems of oppression.
Through Warrior Monk, I realized the importance of authenticity, vulnerability, and presence in my own leadership. I realized that nothing can be done well that is not done whole-heartedly, and that my personal mission requires not just compassion but also honesty—and sometimes conflict. I learned that safety and happiness are not always synonymous, and that I might need to become uncomfortable in order to grow.
Hosting the Intersectional Justice Conference was frightening, exhilarating, and impactful beyond my wildest dreams.
My team of co-facilitators have become lasting friends, and the speakers and sponsors who participated in the experience with their fiscal, intellectual, and emotional resources have become treasured members of my larger community. The work is growing, and just this week Vegfest UK announced their intention to host a pro-intersectional vegan conference in the United Kingdom this October with many of the same speakers on their roster. One of the most exciting things about the Intersectional Justice work is that I’m seeing the conversations continuing, the work growing in impact, and the community continuing to expand in size and influence. In fact, I feel I’ve been liberated from leadership, in the traditional sense, by the incredible leadership-richness of the community that heeded my call to gather last spring.
As Lauren Sprang of Vegan Outreach recently wrote, “supporting vegan intersectional activists doesn’t mean finding a place for them in the existing animal rights movement. They’re thriving in the spaces that they’ve created . . . these activists know how to do their work–they’re doing it!”
I’m proud to have played a role in providing a place for that work to be shared and amplified, and I’m grateful to the Whidbey Institute for providing a context and experiences which allowed me to grow into my own capacity to learn, lead, and inspire.
View Pax Ahimsa Gethen’s photos from the conference here.
View Photon Factory’s videos from the conference here.
Photographer. Social media consultant. Businessman. Entrepreneur. Audio-visual producer. Social justice activist.
Michael B. Maine is a man with many hats, and we’re very fortunate that one of his roles brings him into service as a Whidbey Institute board member. With roots in Dallas and San Antonio, communities and connections in New York, Victoria, and Chile, and a home base in Seattle where he provides freelance social media consulting and media production services, he works with a diverse range of businesses, organizations, and individuals at the intersection of business and mission. Read More →
“The only hope for human kind is the transformation of the individual.”
Krishnamurti’s words, quoted above, are central to a life philosophy which drives the work of Gerry Ebalaroza-Tunnell and her husband Jeremy Tunnell. Their upcoming retreat, Zoetics: Personal Awakening for Collective Transformation, is the duo’s second annual offering at the Whidbey Institute and is open to everyone. Over Memorial Day Weekend, they’ll use science-based tools for understanding ourselves and the larger universe, as well as practices rooted in ancient traditions such as yoga, permaculture, herbalism, and meditation, to explore what is possible when individuals can connect more fully to themselves—their stories, their intentions, their bodies and their breath—as well as to one another and the world.
“We cannot change the world or seek transformation if we don’t start with ourselves,” Gerry said. “If we change the way we perceive the world, the world will change. We are all interconnected—not only to other people, but to every living being on Earth.”
In a recent conversation with Gerry and Jeremy, we covered topics ranging from the necessity of holding challenging conversations around racism, colonialism, inequity, and injustice to the beauty of a flower and its sacred geometry. “I see the flower of life as a lotus,” Gerry told me. “It only blooms in the murkiest of waters. We’re exploring how we can emerge from the unknown—from this troubled place that we’re in as a society today—into a world where we allow our interconnectedness to inform how we exist and coexist.”
“We’re exploring how we can emerge from the unknown—from this troubled place that we’re in as a society today—into a world where we allow our interconnectedness to inform how we exist and coexist.”
Born and raised in Hawaii, Gerry carries her Pacific Island heritage with her in everything she does. She often speaks of Mana, or a powerful life force running through and around all of us. A scientific explanation for this energetic field is revealed through the study of a living heart, which emits a rhythmic electromagnetic field. The shape of this emanation recurs on a cosmic scale, explains Jeremy. Modern astronomy and quantum physics have revealed patterns at both the micro and macro levels which are markedly similar in shape and behavior to the invisible fields which emanate from and around each of us. “There are invisible forces at work which connect us to one another,” he said, “and which influence us and through which we influence others.”
Jeremy’s Master’s degree in Whole Systems Design marries well to his current postgraduate work in Unified Field Theory and Geometric Physics. Together, these areas of study are a perfect compliment to both Gerry’s professional expertise as a certified trainer of the Institute of HeartMath’s ResilienceAdvantage Program and her ongoing doctoral work exploring the question of how participating in the Hawaiian Forgiveness Ritual (Ho’oponopono) contributes to cultural healing. Ho’oponopono relies on four powerful sentences: “I apologize. Please forgive me. I love you. Thank you.” It proceeds from an understanding that Mana is the unifying force which binds all living things, and that it is only an illusion that we separated from each other.
When asked to describe how the patterns we see in our bodies and in our universe are related, Gerry describes the different levels on which our relationships can be examined. “At the personal level, there’s connectedness with the self—with our feelings, our bodies, our emotional and physiological responses to what we experience. When we are in a place of incoherence in our physical, mental, or emotional balance, it effects everyone around us. Have you ever walked into a room and felt the tension? Self-connection helps us shift how we relate to one another. On another level, there’s how we relate with our environment. Are we doing things to be at peace with the planet? Are we cognizant of how much fuel we’re using? I like to go outside and just breath, inhale among the trees. When I can connect with my environment, I feel more whole. How do we take responsibility for our impact, locally and globally?”
“When I can connect with my environment, I feel more whole. How do we take responsibility for our impact, locally and globally?”
Connection with the environment is part of the allure of the Whidbey Institute for Gerry and Jeremy, who both feel drawn to this space for reasons which transcend its beauty. Discussing the land’s recent and distant history, including the legacy of white colonization in the Pacific Northwest, we touch on the necessity for healing old wounds. “The Chinook land holds so much power,” Gerry said. “It plays a really big role in our work. It breeds inspiration, compassion, love, understanding, and forgiveness. The place itself holds forgiveness, and when there’s forgiveness there’s healing. Being a woman of color and understanding the complexity of colonization with my own ancestors, I look to how we can move forward. What future are we going to create for the next generation? Do we want them to continue fighting?”
As a multicultural couple, Gerry and Jeremy have had much to learn from and with one another. “She sometimes has to show me the privilege I didn’t even know I held,” Jeremy said. “I’ve learned that, as a white man, sometimes the most powerful support I can offer is my willingness to take up less space—to speak less, and listen more.” Gerry acknowledges the importance of courageous conversations in facing the multifaceted challenges of racism, and the vulnerability and transparency which are required if those conversations are to take place. “I’m not someone who takes no for an answer,” Gerry said. “If I want to stand up for equality, you can’t make me sit down. When I was growing up in Honolulu, I was always asking ‘why?’ and my parents would tell me, ‘curiosity killed the cat’. I’d ask, ‘WHY? Didn’t the cat have 9 lives? What happened to the other lives?’”
During the Zoetics retreat in May, both Gerry and Jeremy hope to create a safe space for others to ask questions, be curious, tackle tough topics, and stay connected with themselves and one another. “We’re asking everyone to come as they are,” Gerry said. “We know that there will be different personalities, different perspectives, and different ideas. We want to create a space where all voices can be heard and all opinions are considered valid.”
“We know that there will be different personalities, different perspectives, and different ideas. We want to create a space where all voices can be heard and all opinions are considered valid.”
When asked what she would say to someone who’s wondering whether the Zoetics retreat is right for them, Gerry said she’d ask them to consider a question. “How am I existing in the world today? How would I like to exist in the world?” She encourages anyone who feels curious about the work to reach out for a personal conversation. “Meet with me, and talk with me about it,” she said. “Get a deeper understanding of who Jeremy and I are, and what we’re offering. The true meaning of all of this is building relationships, and collective transformation emerges from that beginning.”
To learn more or register for the May 27—29 Retreat, visit www.whidbeyinstitute.org/zoetics-2016.
by Abigail Lazarowski
Westgarden work party season has begun! We will have our first official garden work party of the season on Thursday, March 17, and they’ll continue to run every Thursday until October! We’ll work together on garden tasks from 9 am until noon and a simple lunch will be served midday.
Work parties are open to everyone, whether you would like to learn more about gardening, meet some great people, or simply spend a few hours in the sunshine! For any questions contact Abigail, Westgarden Steward, at [email protected].
The spring robins have arrived in the garden and so have the Community Gardening Leadership Training apprentices! Four passionate people have just moved to Whidbey Island from all over the country to spend seven and a half months working in the community gardens of South Whidbey. Stoni Tomson will be the Good Cheer Food Bank Garden apprentice, Liza Elman will be the South Whidbey School District Farm and Gardens apprentices, Devin Mounts will split his time between those two gardens, and Anna Strick will be the Whidbey Institute Westgarden apprentice. Each apprentice will spend the season learning about our community food system here on South Whidbey, growing nutritious food for those individuals in our community that need it most, learning how to manage a growing space, and teaching students and volunteers about the joys of gardening.
Stay tuned throughout the season for more stories from our community garden apprentices! Here are two blogs to watch:
Westgarden: https://learningfromtheland.wordpress.com
CGLT: https://cultivatingcommunitywhidbey.wordpress.com
Marnie Jackson, the Whidbey Institute’s communications manager, participated in the Warrior Monk Retreat in September 2015. Michelle Mott, a Warrior Monk staff member, was part of that retreat’s leadership team and will be returning to co-facilitate Warrior Monk at the Whidbey Institute in April 2016. They recently had the opportunity to talk with one another about their experiences with this program.
Marnie Jackson (MJ): When I participated in Warrior Monk, your facilitation helped me have a really great experience. I remember on the last day of the program, you gave me a Meister Eckhart poem which I’d never seen before, and which I found deeply meaningful in so many ways. Thank you for getting to know me during our five days together, and for seeing so clearly what I needed to take away with me at the end of our time together.
Today, I’m hoping we can talk a little bit about why the program engages you, and what your ongoing experience has been as a facilitator of Warrior Monk. I know you were also curious about how the program has impacted me, and I do have some thoughts on that question which I’d love to share.
Can I start by asking how long you’ve been involved with Warrior Monk?
Michelle Mott (MM):I went to the training in 2003 at Still Meadows, south of Portland. One week later, I knew I wanted to staff the training because I was so moved by the overall Warrior Monk experience. I appreciated the gracefulness of the training, and how it went to a deep place—a place within me—in a different way than other trainings I had attended. It spoke to my heart, my mind and my soul. It allowed me to examine the experiences of my past in a way that didn’t focus on them but harnessed the learnings and help me focus on what I wanted to receive: a greater connection to myself, to others, and ultimately to spirit. It also allowed me to look at how my beliefs and judgments form my reality. I no longer saw life as black and white but an array of possibilities. I staffed my first training about four months after that.
MJ: Do you still find the retreats impactful on your own life, even though you’re there to facilitate that experience for others?
MM: Every single time. I’ve kept all of my workbooks since 2003, and go through them on occasion to see where I was then and now. I see not only the metamorphosis of myself but also of the training itself, as we help it grow and change to meet the needs of those who come. I walk away, every single time, with new growth and insight.
MJ: There was a lovely staff/participant ratio when I participated. Is that fairly typical?
MM: Yes, we do determine our number of staff depending on the size of the training. We try to make it as gender-balanced as possible, too. The balance of the feminine and masculine helps create a really rich and safe circle. We build the facilitation teams with a lot of intention. Dan leads all of the Warrior Monk retreats and I lead as many as I possibly can.
MJ: I know you’ve spoken about connection to spirit as being an essential part of the experience for you, and I know that when I first came in one my fears was that I was too skeptical, or too agnostic, to engage fully with this program. I emerged with a new perspective and a realization that I needn’t have worried! Can you elaborate on the meaning of the term “spirit” in the context of this work?
MM: It’s always been important to us that Warrior Monk help each person cultivate a relationship with spirituality that is grounded, practical and supportive in everyday life. The work we do with old beliefs, perceived limitations, and stuck emotions and fluency provides that support. We invite people into process work that’s based in experiential psychology, but not about “wound-worship”. Warrior Monk participants consistently share with us that they experience both spiritual and emotional growth, and emerge with new tools for knowing themselves and for living more intentionally and in alignment with their goals and values.
MJ: I know that I came in with a very clear sense of personal mission—I have a cause that I’m deeply compelled to act on and advocate for, so that makes it easy for me to say that I know what my purpose is. I found that the retreat made it easier for me to live my purpose in a healthier way, and to move some hurdles to fulfilling my purpose that were part of my story that I hadn’t analyzed. The retreat helped me discover that I was shrinking away from my purpose out of fear. My temperament, shaped in part by experiences in my past, had made me so frightened of expressing or receiving anger that it was hobbling my ability to fully thrive. The biggest breakthrough in the week, for me, came when I realized the word “kind” needed to make way for the word “honest” in my personal mission statement. HONESTLY, some things make me angry . . . and that’s empowering! By exploring some painful memories and hidden resentments that I hardly even knew I’d been carrying deep within me, I was able to discover a wellspring of courage that had been stopped up within me.
MM: To be able to embody our life purpose or calling in a powerful way is so beautiful and life-affirming. I’m similarly mission-driven, and I know that we can sometimes shame ourselves or feel that we’re not doing enough. It can be good to examine how we do what we’re called to do in a way that’s supportive and empowering without running ourselves into the ground or denying some part of ourselves, and then see how that serves us.
MJ: During the retreat, I was the first person to say, “I don’t need to do this integrative work—I’m very happy, no issues.” I think I was also the first person to cry during this part of our time together! It’s funny, but I think my tendency toward conflict-avoidance had made some of the more challenging aspects of my life both incredibly hard to see and incredibly impactful before the opening that Warrior Monk provided for me.
How did it feel to go home with some of your new skills and insights after five days in a Warrior Monk Retreat?
MJ: It wasn’t until Warrior Monk that I really realized that space to just be quiet was something I was missing in my life. After my busy, social workdays, I was going home to my family and choosing to stare at my smartphone instead of engaging with them. Warrior Monk helped me realize I’d been using email and Facebook as a retreat from my family’s needs. I ended up hating my phone after Warrior Monk and getting rid of it altogether a couple of months ago. With its focus on the power of attention—and on my own accountability for choosing how to use my attention in every moment—the retreat awakened me to the toxic effect my complacency was having on me and my family. It was easy to shift a deeply embedded habit after I explored its emotional roots through this 5-day experience.
MM: What’s the relationship been like with your family since then? Has that been challenging, or easier?
MJ: Well, it’s funny. As soon as I set my phone down and started trying to listen to my children I noticed that I couldn’t hear them well. I’ve had a pretty serious hearing impairment for about eight years, but what Warrior Monk taught me about about self-compassion, and about my own accountability for creating the life I say I want, jarred me into awareness of just how bad it had gotten. I went to an audiologist about four weeks ago and got hearing aids. What a difference! The emotional exhaustion that I was feeling, especially around my children, has subsided dramatically since I got my hearing aids because it no longer takes a lot of mental effort to hear their words. Now I can listen with more presence and ease, and I find that connection with my loved ones is energizing rather than draining.
MM: I can see that you may have had to focus wholeheartedly in a different way in order to hear them before. How amazing!
MJ: Instead of having to choose between looking at my phone or straining to hear my children, I can now listen to them while doing something else . . . so I’m knitting! It’s a much less alienating way of occupying my hands while being with my loved ones. It’s just amazing to me that sitting quietly and being with my family was something that I was almost physically incapable of doing before Warrior Monk, but in the last few months I’ve learned how.
MM: I’m so happy for you and for your family! It’s so beautiful to see what continues to build from this. Have you been able to ask for your quiet time when needed?
MJ: I had a good conversation with my kids, asking for time alone to clean my mule barn each evening. That’s precious, meditative quiet for me and I need it. When I’m the only human in the barn, I can really enjoy my mules’ friendship in a different way. Time alone and time with mules are similar for me in terms of the quality of the experience, because the mules don’t want to converse, and they don’t have questions, and they may have needs but they don’t scream about them unless I’m late with their dinner. I’ve committed to some other practices as well, which I find to be a very important part of remaining happy, grounded, and well-balanced. I’m glad I found a way to incorporate a mindfulness practice in my life that really works for me personally.
MM: The term mindfulness is a catch-phrase these days, but I believe it is a term that means being fully aware of what you’re thinking, feeling and doing in the moment. It takes practice to do this so I appreciate that Warrior Monk creates the space for people to step fully into the mindfulness experience. Through contemplation and experiential exercises, Warrior Monk provides people have the opportunity to look at their beliefs, judgments, emotions, and actions so we can build the muscle to truly practice mindfulness in a moment to moment basis. People can sit for 30 minutes, do a guided meditation online, or take a class, but this five day training allows us to be immersed in it. I believe it is a different, deeper experience.
MJ: What do you want people to know about Warrior Monk that they may not see on the website or the retreat description?
MM: As a participant, I’d want to know what the staying power of this is. I’d ask, “how will it affect my life going forward? How will the experience help me be or become who I truly want to be in this life and will I be a more peaceful, happy person?” As a Warrior Monk graduate and steward, and hearing from people for more than 13 years, I’ve learned that there is a long-term benefit of this work. Because we are able to immerse ourselves in this container of intention, grace, mindfulness, and self-exploration, we typically see deep personal growth that’s initiated at the retreat and then takes on a life of its own. This work can be and has been life-altering for many, many people around the world. The training was designed to allow participants to have an extended time in deep awareness which in turn creates results that stay with us.
MJ: I met some incredible people during my week in the retreat, and now I feel as though there’s a community of people that shared a really powerful experience with me, and with whom I reached a level of trust and understanding that would be hard to achieve with strangers in any other context. It’s reassuring for me to know that there’s this circle of people in the world. They’re all on their own paths, and months may pass before we speak, but I know that we share an understanding that we built together, and that will always be accessible to us if we want to connect. We shared such a range of authentic experiences—silence, song, movement, stillness, honesty, vulnerability, and joy. I think I danced without embarrassment for the first time in my adult life during Warrior Monk.
As a Whidbey Institute staff member, I also loved getting the opportunity to be here on the Chinook Land in a totally different way.
MM: I rave about the Whidbey Institute all the time and mark off the days until I get to be on the land again. The Institute holds Warrior Monk in a way that not every retreat center is able to. There’s a sense of attentiveness on the part of the chefs and staff, but then you step back and hold us from afar which allows us to do what we need to do in a focused and graceful way. It’s the highlight of my year when I get to come and be with you all in this sacred place.
MJ: Warrior Monk is one of our favorite programs to host because we love the leadership so much, and because it helps create the kind of change that serves the world. We have a mission to shift the way people relate to themselves, to the natural world, and to community in generative ways. Warrior Monk seems to be a vital tool for creating that kind of shift on a personal level and creates the opportunity for better interpersonal relationships like I’ve experienced at home. It feels like an important ingredient in this recipe of right relationships.
MM: That’s why I stay involved with it—it helps me to continue deepening my awareness and practice while remaining in right relationship with myself, others, and spirit. I feel incredibly blessed to have been through the experience many times and feel grateful to staff it, because I am in service while continuing to grow personally.
I recently had an opportunity to speak with Kate Snider, Board President about her continued board service in this new role. Here’s a transcript of that interview. —Marnie
MJ: We’re excited to welcome you into the Board Presidency. Will you continue to work with outgoing president Gabriel Shirley?
KS: Yes! Gabriel remains on the board for another year until his term is up. By transitioning the presidency role at this time, Gabriel is modeling a smart focus on thoughtful leadership transitions, in which we will be able to work closely together this year. We are very appreciative of Gabriel’s continued focus with the board in 2016.
What have been some highlights from your time on the board thus far?
When I joined the Board in 2013, I took on leadership for the Whidbey Institute 40th Anniversary celebrations, and with that base of understanding of the community and major event planning, moved into developing the new tradition of an annual Gratitude Gala and Community Festival (mark your calendars for October 8 & 9 this year!) I have been personally very richly rewarded by this deep dive into Whidbey Institute community events and history, and made some of my best friends doing it!
What excites you about the year ahead with the Whidbey Institute?
So many things! First and foremost, the opportunity to work with an absolutely exceptional staff and board team. It is an incredibly wonderful group of individuals. Together we bring real joy to the work, inspire each other, and learn from each other continually. It is a very fertile time for the Institute, during which we have the opportunity and resources to deepen and broaden our relationships and community throughout the region, strengthen our network of program partners, live into our identity as an Institute, and improve our physical and financial sustainability. Such wonderful work.
You’ve had a long and rich relationship with the Whidbey Institute. What brings you to this organization?
My mother and role model, Jan Hively, first brought me to the Institute in 2005 through her admiration of the work of Larry and Sharon Daloz-Parks and our joint mother-daughter participation in their Powers of Leadership program. Sharon and Larry have become extremely important mentors to me in my work across domains. Like most people reading this newsletter, I can say that my time at the Institute—participating in multiple programs and professional retreats—has brought me a deep love for the Chinook lands and an incredibly strong love for, and reliance on, our community.
Why does the work of the Whidbey Institute matter to you?
When we come to the Institute, we know that we can enter into important, honest, open conversation about the issues that matter most in the world. We expect to learn from one another, and learn from the land. We have a safe place to be challenged, to experiment, to enter into deep inquiry and meaningful connections. As a mother, an entrepreneur, a business owner, an environmental consultant, and a citizen of our region and planet in this unprecedented time of change, challenge, and opportunity, I find the engagement and connection that the Institute provides extremely meaningful—to me, and by extension, to everyone that my life influences. I know this to be true for all of us who have opened ourselves up to the Institute throughout its 40+ year history. I can’t think of anything more important than this kind of base from which to build the creative and resilient communities necessary to navigate our futures.
How are you serving the world through this organization?
I would like to see everyone, everywhere, have access and connection to the kind of community, support, and challenge that I feel that I am part of at the Institute. I want this and more for future generations, as I see these kinds of communities of inquiry becoming more and more vital to our survival and our partnership with the earth. I want to strengthen, broaden, and deepen the reach, connections, and sustainability of the Institute. It is important work that I feel able to accomplish and that has the potential for exponential benefit.
Have there been any surprises for you during your board service?
Hmmm, like life there are surprises all the time! Change, challenges, opportunities . . . that is why it is so important to have such a wonderful team of folks to work with. We’re able to evaluate surprise from multiple perspectives, and adapt together. Personally, I guess I have been surprised by how much this work for me is driven by love for the place and the people.
Are there any unasked questions you’d like to answer?
I’d like everyone to know that there are multiple opportunities for service on behalf of the Institute—not just as board and staff, but as key volunteers on initiatives, events, stewardship of the place, programs. If you have time or treasure to give to the work, please get in touch!